Surfactant in laundry detergents

Cationic surfactants are not used as the primary surfactant in laundry detergents, as this responsibility falls on the commodity surfactants such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, ethoxylated alcohols and alkyl sulfates. Nevertheless, over the past 20 years there has been extensive art claiming the use of cationics to improve the performance of their anionic counterparts [67,69,70]. A combination of an alkyl phosphate (AP) and (note APE = alkyl... 

CATIONIC SURFACTANTS IN LAUNDRY DETERGENTS Jeff Chang)... 

Puchta, R., Cationic surfactants in laundry detergents and laundry aftertreatment aids. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 61 367-376, 1984. 

Uses Surfactant in laundry detergents, dishwash and hand soaps dyeing assistant, emulsifier and wetting agent... 

Uses Whitener for cotton and other cellulosics surfactant in laundry detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners EW-POL7902NaC12 [Cognis]... 

Marcomini, A., F. Filipuzzi, W. Giger, Aromatic surfactants in laundry detergents and hard-surface cleaners LAS and APE, Chenursphere, 1988,17, 853-863. 

Yet another ingredient in laundry detergents is diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride (DEEDMAC). It is a fabric softener. It is a cationic surfactant that is rapidly biodegradable. It works by reducing the friction between fibers, and between fibers and... 

The widespread use of ABS, mainly in laundry detergents, and their subsequent discharge into the sewer, however, led to the unexpected effect of strong foam formation in sewage water, treated sewage and even in river water [5,6]. This observation was directly related to the physical properties of the surfactant that had originally been responsible for its great success. 

AG are next in importance in the list of non-petrochemically based surfactants, with an annual production rate of 50 000 t. They find application in laundry detergents and dishwashing agents where they exhibit very good foaming power and excellent degreasing capacity [22],... 

In response to the problems associated with the use of NPEO, measures were taken in a series of countries to reduce the application volume of these non-ionic surfactants. In 1986, Germany initiated voluntary restrictions and in Switzerland the use of NPEO in laundry detergents was completely banned. Throughout northern Europe, a voluntary application ban in household cleaning agents began in 1995. 

Alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants are widely used in laundry detergents. Chlorination of these compounds results in the formation of halogenated nonylphenolic DBFs, most of them brominated acidic compounds [126],... 

Nonionic surfactants are also used in substantial amounts in laundry detergents and in automatic dishwashing detergents, both applications reflecting in particular their generally lower sudsing characteristics than the anionics. Commercially important examples uf the nonionics include the alkyl ethoxylates, the ethoxylated alkyl phenols, the fatly acid ethanol amides, and complex polymers of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and alcohols. 

Large volumes of soap are used in industrial applications as gelling agents lor kerosene, paint driers, and as surfactants in emulsion polymerization. See also Soaps. Concern over water eutrophication resulted in a ban of phosphorus in laundry detergents. Phosphates have been effectively replaced by combinations of zeolite, citrate, and polymers, coupled with rebalanced synthetic active systems. Soap itself is generally present only as a minor component of surfactants. 

Alkylbenzene sulfonates (R-C6H5-S03Na) are important surfactant compounds used in laundry detergents. Alkylbenzenes (made by the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene using linear olefin molecules that have about twelve carbon atoms) are sulfonated, and the sulfonic acids are then neutralized with NaOH. 

Amphoteric surfactants have both a positive and a negative component at the water-attracting end. Amphoteric surfactants are used in washing-up liquids, but rarely in laundry detergents because they cost too much. The best known amphoteric surfactants are the cocamides. 

Dishwash tablets have undergone a transformation in the past few years, going from a simple powder or liquid gel, to two-in-one tablets, to three-in-one tablets, to four-in-one tablets, and recently to five-in-one tablets, which were launched in 2005. This latest version comes with three sections sealed inside water soluble compartments made of the - polymer poly (vinyl alcohol). The various ingredients in a dishwash product have to be kept separate to prevent them from reacting chemically with one another. Some of the ingredients can coexist without reacting, such as the surfactants and the enzymes, as they do in laundry detergent powders, and some are most useful if they are released near the end of the wash, such as rinse aids. 

An important case is the application of enzymes in laundry detergents. Market trends in the United States show that consumers prefer liquids to powder detergents by a ratio of 2 to 1. These products are stored with no temperature control on shelves in the presence of harsh surfactants, such as linear alkylbenzyl sulfonate (LAS) and require extraordinary measures for stabilization. LAS, by its nature as an effective cleaning agent, causes surfactant-induced unfolding in proteins. There are countless examples of the development of stabilization systems in the intellectual property space. A common theme is to reduce the water activity and to use borate/glycol stabilizers that bind to the active site of proteases. 

Amphoteric surfactants. These compounds have the characteristics of both anionic detergents and cationic fabric softeners. They tend to work best at neutral pH, and are found in shampoos, skin cleaners, and carpet shampoos. They are very stable in strong acidic conditions and are favorably used with hydrofluoric acid. For example, compounds of alkyl-betain or alkylsulfobetaine type possess both anionic and cationic groups in the same molecule even in aqueous solution. These surfactants are rarely employed in laundry detergents because of their high costs [3, 4]. 

By far, the greatest apphcation of fatty alcohol is in the manufacture of fatty alcohol sulfate and fatty alcohol ether sulfate. These materials possess good foaming properties and ready biodegradability and are extensively used as base surfactants for laundry detergent products, shampoos, dishwashing liquids, and cleaners. 

The excellent cost-performance relationship of LAS makes it the dominant surfactant used in laundry detergents [49], Recent trends in Europe and North America indicate a gradual reduction in its usage in HDLDs. Nevertheless, its use in laundry liquids globally is still substantial, especially in the developing regions of the world. 

Almost 2 billion pounds of various alcohol ethoxylates are consumed annually in the world today, which is more than any other class of nonionic surfactant. They are widely used in laundry detergents (second only to linear... 

The major surfactants used in laundry detergents have traditionally been linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, alcohol... 

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