Properties and uses of nonionic surfactants

Properties and uses of nonionic surfactants

Many nonionic surfactants are often used in washing products, and this article introduces in detail the properties and uses of some nonionic surfactants commonly used in washing products.

In industrial and public facility detergents, many varieties of nonionic surfactants are used as main detergents, and most varieties are used as auxiliaries and rinse aids.

(1) Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO)

Properties: AEO alkyl chain length is different, its lipophilicity is different, EO number is different water solubility is different. For example, the products of coconut oil alcohol can be used as detergent, while the products of C18 alcohol can only be used as emulsifier and leveling agent. Natural alcohols are better than synthetic alcohols in terms of detergency and emulsification, while synthetic alcohols are relatively more water-soluble (the role of the odd carbon atom). The more EOs are added, the more water-soluble the product is; AEOs with an EO number of 6 or less are oil-soluble, while those with an EO number of more than 6 are water-soluble; the more EOs are added, the lower the cloud point of the product is.

① Alcohol polyoxyethylene (3) ether (AEO3. emulsifier FO or MOA-3), liquid at 25 ℃, has the effect of emulsification, leveling, penetration, etc. It can be used as an auxiliary in liquid detergents. In the liquid detergent can be used as an auxiliary component, or used alone as a leveling agent, textile oils and so on.

② Alcohol polyoxyethylene (5) ether (AEO5. wetting agent JFC), the use of C7-C9 synthetic alcohol, EO number 5.

It is liquid at room temperature and has good wetting and penetration effects. Mainly used in textile printing and dyeing, paper and other industries, as a leveling agent, penetrating agent, wetting agent, auxiliary components of industrial washing.

③ Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene (7) ether (AEO7. emulsifier MOA-7), using C12-C16 coconut oil alcohol, EO number 7. light yellow liquid. It has good wetting, foaming, detergency and emulsifying power. It has high degreasing ability and hard water resistance. It can be widely used in various detergents (such as metal cleaner, fiber detergent) and other additives.

④ Alcohol polyoxyethylene (9) ether [AEO (9), Pingpinga 9], selection of C12-C16 coconut oil alcohol, EO number of 9. is the most commonly used detergent main ingredient, with decontamination, emulsification, degreasing, fluffing, wetting effect. It is widely used as main detergent.

Especially suitable for washing synthetic fibers and other non-polar substrates and other hard surfaces. Used in textile printing and dyeing industry as degreasing agent, shrinking agent and emulsifier.

⑤ Alcohol polyoxyethylene (10) ether (AEO-10), using C12-C18 fatty alcohols, EO number is 10. the product is soluble in water, with good wetting, emulsification, stain removal, degreasing and hard water resistance. It can be used in detergent industry, textile industry as detergent, wetting agent, textile oil component and pesticide emulsifier.

⑥ Alcohol polyoxyethylene (15) ether (Pingpinga 15. AEO-15. OS-15). The product has excellent emulsifying, dispersing and decontaminating properties. It is mainly used as leveling agent in textile printing and dyeing industry. It is also used as industrial detergent, such as metal processing cleaning agent. It is also used as emulsifier for cosmetics, pesticides and printing ink.

⑦ Alcohol polyoxyethylene (22) ether (AEO-22 leveling agent O): excellent foam, high dispersing power can prevent dyeing when dye precipitation, can also be used as a washing component.

⑧ Oleyl alcohol polyoxyethylene (5. 10) ether (oleoyl alcohol ether-5 or -10): product appearance is white or yellowish liquid to waxy. It has special irritating odor, and the higher the EO, the thicker the product is. The product has emulsifying power, dispersing power and decontamination power. It is used as detergent and emulsifier for special occasions.

　(2) Alkylphenol ethoxylates (TX-10. OP-10. OΠ-10)

Alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ether is produced by condensing alkylphenol as a lipophilic group with ethylene oxide. One of the lipophilic groups can be phenol, cresol, naphthol, etc., and the most used is nonylphenol. The average number of ethylene oxide grafts varies. Take nonylphenol as an example, it is still insoluble in water when it is connected with 4 EOs, when it is added to 6-7 EOs, the product is completely soluble in water at room temperature, and the product condensed with 8-12 EOs has very excellent wettability, penetration and detergency, emulsification and low-foaming effect are the valuable properties of the product. when condensed with more than 15 EOs, the product loses penetration and detergency, and is only used as a special emulsifier and dispersing agent. It can only be used as special emulsifier and dispersant.

Performance: high chemical stability, resistant to strong acid and alkali, with good wetting power, penetration power, decontamination power and strong emulsification power. In addition, it has low foam, anti-static, anti-hard water and good compatibility, which are also the excellent performance of its wide use.

Uses: Widely used in industrial and public facility detergents. Such as metal acid detergent, alkaline detergent, metal water-based cleaning agent,

Stove or kitchenware detergent, textile industry detergent, leveling agent and all kinds of hard surface cleaning agent.

(3) Fatty acid polyoxyethylene (10) ester (emulsifier SE-10)

Properties: fatty acid polyoxyethylene (10) ester penetration and decontamination is not as strong as fatty alcohol and alkyl phenol products, mainly used as emulsifiers, dispersants, fiber oiling agents, dyeing auxiliaries. Its chemical stability is also poor, easy to hydrolyze under strong acid or alkali conditions, the performance is significantly reduced. The product is insoluble in water, can be dispersed in water, thickening, softening and wetting effect.

Uses: emulsifier for cosmetics and shoe polish, antistatic agent for chemical fiber, softening and smoothing agent, thickening agent for liquid detergent, dyeing auxiliaries, etc.

(4) Fatty amine polyoxyethylene ether (leveling agent AN)

Properties: These surfactants have both nonionic and cationic properties, and can be used at various pH, and exhibit nonionic (alkaline or neutral solution) or cationic (in acidic solution) properties, with excellent emulsifying power, corrosion inhibition, and antifouling effects.

Uses: It is mainly used as a dyeing auxiliary in the textile industry. Also commonly used in the production of rayon, not only can enhance the strength of the fiber, but also to maintain the cleanliness of the spinneret to prevent the deposition of dirt. In the petroleum refining industry, it can inhibit the corrosion of acid gas on metal equipment and improve the utilization rate of equipment. It can be used as an auxiliary component in industrial detergents.

(5)Alkyl alcohol amide polyoxyethylene ether

Performance: Alkanolamide itself is a typical nonionic surfactant, with excellent foaming, bubble stabilization and decontamination ability. Only the water solubility of 1:1 type is poor. After the condensation of EO, it improves the washing and detergency of the product, strengthens the foaming power of stabilizing foam, and has the effect of solubilizing and thickening at the same time. Compared with other nonionic surfactants, it has good compatibility, not only with various ionic and nonionic surfactants, but also with many inorganic additives. Calcium soap has strong dispersing power, good biodegradability, mild to skin, non-toxic, low irritation.

Uses: It is a new type of excellent washing raw material. It can be used in personal hygiene products, shampoo shampoo, hard surface cleaner, hand dishwashing detergent. In other preparations, it is used as foaming agent, foam stabilizer, solubilizer of fat and etherified oil.

　　(6) Block polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene ether (PO-EO copolymer)

For this type of surfactant, several varieties of polyether with application value can be listed below to describe their properties and uses.

① Propylene glycol polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene ether (emulsion breaker PE)

Performance: Emulsion breaker PE has many models: 2010-2090. with the increase of molecular mass, the appearance from liquid to solid, the water value or HLB value changes from large to small, the cloud point changes from low to high, the performance is different, the use is also different, from the emulsion breaker to emulsifiers, defoamers to detergents there are a lot of varieties.

Uses: It is mainly used as emulsion breaker, emulsifier and defoamer. Used in crude oil desalination, dehydration, preparation of a variety of low-foaming detergents, used as a diffusion agent and so on. It is also used as defoamer and decontamination in industrial detergents. Liquid products can be used as a degreasing component in the washing of heavy dirt and stains.

② Propylene glycol polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene ether (defoamer PPE)

Properties: The product is yellowish transparent liquid with good defoaming performance and non-toxicity. Low molecular weight products have good wetting effect and can be used as low-foaming washing ingredients. High molecular weight products can be used as defoamer and coagulant.

Uses: It can be used as antifoaming agent in monosodium glutamate (MSG) and pharmaceutical industry, and can also be used to formulate cooling lubricant for metal processing and low-foaming detergent.

③ Glycerol polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block copolymer (GPE defoamer)

Performance: The difference with PPE is the arrangement of EO/PO. Propylene oxide (PO) is the starting block and ethylene oxide (EO) is the end block. When the molecular weight is low and the EO content is relatively high, the product is water-soluble and can be used as a low-foaming detergent, and when the EO is low, it has the best wettability. When the molecular weight is high, it can be used as defoamer and flocculant.

Uses: Mainly used as defoamer in MSG and pharmaceutical industry. It can also be used in industrial detergents with low foam and high alkali resistance. It can also be used as corrosion inhibitor, emulsion breaker, flocculant and so on.

④ Ethylenediamine polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block polyether

Properties: ethylenediamine as a starting material, that is, the synthesis of the four-functional product, PO for the beginning, EO for the end, the total molar mass of PO is at least 500g/mol as a lipophilic group, the relative molecular mass of 550-30.000. of which EO accounted for 10%-80%.

The tetrafunctional EO/PO block copolymers are alkaline, and they are more thermally and chemically stable than the bifunctional products. By changing the position and quantity of EO/PO blocks, products with very different properties can be obtained. It can be used as a detergent with strong detergency and oil removal power, and also can be used as an efficient defoamer, emulsion breaker, thickener, and so on.

Compared with other nonionic surfactants, it has good compatibility, not only with various ionic and nonionic surfactants, but also with many inorganic additives.

Calcium soap has strong dispersing power, good biodegradability, mild to skin, non-toxic, low irritation.

Uses: It is a new type of excellent washing raw material. It can be used in personal hygiene products, shampoo shampoo, hard surface cleaner, hand dishwashing detergent.

In other preparations, it is used as foaming agent, foam stabilizer, solubilizer of fat and etherified oil.

　(7)Alkyl alcohol amides

Alkyl alcohol amides are a large class of nonionic surfactants with a long history of use and a large number of varieties and quantities. They can be directly used as industrial detergents, or used in detergents as foaming agents, foam stabilizers, antirust agents, thickeners, solubilizers. Several typical surfactants of this class are listed below.

① Coconut oil fatty acid monoethanolamide (1:1 type)

It is solid in appearance, insoluble in water, and can be made into transparent liquid by combining with other surfactants. It has the ability of foam stabilization, viscosity increase, wetting, decontamination and hard water resistance, and the biodegradation rate is as high as 97.3%.

Uses: It can be used in soap powder and washing powder to remove dirt, resist hard water and stabilize foam. In industrial detergents can be used as decontamination, wetting, thickening and other ingredients.

② Coconut oil fatty acid diethanolamide (1:1 type and 1:2 type)

Properties: Mainly foam stabilization and decontamination. It can be thickened in liquid product formulations. In addition, it also has the function of antirust, and can play the role of conditioning and softening in personal hygiene products. 1:2 type products can be used directly as a liquid detergent, and the water solubility of double 1:1 type is good.

Usage: It can be used as foam improving agent in all kinds of detergents, and can stabilize foam and foaming. In liquid detergent, it also has thickening effect; when making emulsified products, it is used as emulsifier of oily raw materials. It is also used as an antistatic conditioning agent, and is suitable for the preparation of detergent conditioning agents for fibers. It can be used in metal detergents to prevent rust, and 1:2 type products can be used directly as detergents.

③ High-carbon fatty acid diethanolamide

Properties: It has good thickening property with liquid detergent; its compatibility can be improved by matching when adding other surfactants which can be solubilized.

Uses: Mainly used in liquid detergents, thickening effect, but also foam stabilization, unlike ester thickeners have defoaming effect.

(8) Alkyl polyglucoside (alkyl polyglucoside APG)

Performance: Alkyl polyglucoside is a nonionic surfactant, which is similar to glucose ester. Due to the structure of the alkyl chain length and the degree of glucose polymerization can be selected within a certain range, can be similar to the performance of fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether series products.

The main properties of alkyl polyglucosides include easy biodegradation, good mucosal compatibility, oral toxicity and metabolism. It becomes an ingredient in cosmetics, food and meal washing industries. Because of its great ability to reduce surface and interfacial tension, as well as its rich, fine and stable foaming power and strong detergency, it is particularly suitable for the formulation of detergents. It is very stable to acid, alkali and salt media, and has good compatibility with various surfactants, which is more suitable for the use of industrial and public facilities detergents. It also has special properties such as sterilizing and improving enzyme activity.

Uses: Mainly used in alkaline, acidic or neutral hard surface detergents, milk and beer bottle cleaners, industrial detergents, personal hygiene detergents, tableware and dairy industrial detergents.

　(9)Polyol esters

Performance: Polyol ester surfactants are nonionic surfactants. Since the lipophilic group is very strong and the hydrophilic group is residual hydroxyl group, most of these products are insoluble in water or have poor hydrophilicity, and they are mainly used as oil-soluble emulsifiers, lubricants for skin or fiber. They are mainly used as auxiliaries in detergents.

A few famous varieties are introduced as follows:

① Ethylene glycol monostearate or distearate, polyethylene glycol distearate: the stearate of ethylene glycol is either made into a mono ester or a diester, all of which are white to light yellow waxy solids. They have a pearly luster and have thickening, conditioning, antistatic and defoaming effects on aqueous systems. Used as an additive in liquid detergents. The esters made of mono- or di-acetylene glycol not only retain the original characteristics of glycol esters, but also can realize low temperature emulsification and better overall performance. Polyethylene glycol esters with high degree of polymerization (relative molecular mass of 6.000) have stronger thickening properties, improve the rationality, and improve the irritation of the system to the skin.

② Propylene glycol monobasic fatty acid ester, propylene glycol alginate: esters of propylene glycol do not have pearlescent effect, mainly have emulsifying effect.

Propylene glycol monostearate is white wax with mild aroma, belongs to water-in-oil emulsifier with strong lipophilicity, HLB=3 or so, and also has strong antifoaming power. Propylene Glycol Alginate is white to light yellow fibrous powder, almost odorless and tasteless, forming viscous gelatinous solution after dissolved in water, forming gel in acidic solution at pH 3~4 without precipitation. It has strong resistance to salt precipitation and does not precipitate in concentrated electrolyte solution. It can be used as thickener of acidic solution, strong lipophilic emulsion stabilizer, defoamer, etc..

③ Glycerol monostearate and distearate: fatty acid esters of glycerol are mainly used as oil-soluble emulsifiers, especially in the food processing industry. Because it is non-toxic and odorless, it is allowed to be used as food additive. They are used as emulsifiers in detergent products.

Sorbitol fatty acid esters: This is a group of products with a long history, wide range of uses and mature technology, and the trade name is Span. The products mainly include dehydrated sorbitan monolaurate (Span-20), dehydrated sorbitan monopalmitate (Span-40), dehydrated sorbitan monostearate (Span-60), dehydrated sorbitan monooleate (Span-80). These products are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents, non-toxic and odorless, with HLB value of 8.6~4.3. and can prepare water-in-oil emulsions.

They are widely used as emulsifiers, dispersants, thickeners and rust inhibitors. It is used as auxiliary in industrial detergent.

In the series of Spectrum products, the contraction of 20 ethylene oxide, it becomes the corresponding Twain series. As (EO)20 improves the hydrophilicity of the product, it can be used as an emulsifier pair with Spectrum series to improve the emulsion stability of the emulsion; at the same time, it can also be used as a solubilizer, stabilizer, diffusing agent, antistatic agent, fiber lubricant, wetting agent, softener. It can also be used as an auxiliary in detergents.

⑤ Sucrose fatty acid ester: mainly refers to sucrose monostearate. It is generally obtained by exchanging fatty acid methyl ester with sucrose in solvent. The product is non-toxic and odorless, and can be used as food additive. In detergents, it is used in low-foaming detergent formulations or as an emulsifier.