New nonionic BASF surfactants offer enhanced performance

Surfactants with a highly dynamic wetting and a pronounced emulsifying action

10-May-2004

BASF has launched two new ranges of readily biodegradable surfactants to the market. The Lutensol® XL and Lutensol® XP surfactants offer detergent manufacturers and formulators higher performance and value compared to conventional surfactants. Typical applications include all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, floor cleaners and hand-dishwashing detergents. These surfactants are also employed in formulations for use in the textile industry, for degreasing wool, and in industrial spray-cleaning processes.

"The degree of ethoxylation of the Lutensol® XL types ranges from 4 to 14, and the Lutensol® XP types from 3 to 14. Apart from testing the performance of our new surfactants in our laboratories, we have also investigated their impact on the environment", explained Dr. Wolfgang Spiegler, Head of Surfactants Development at BASF. "Our new surfactants are readily biodegradable".

"We received already first orders from customers who make advantage of the high performance but also wanted to replace alkylphenol-ethoxylates in a variety of consumer and industrial applications", said Wilfried Becker, Head of Surfactant Marketing of BASF in Europe. "We expect the sales of our surfactants ranges to continue to grow. Our new Lutensol® XL and Lutensol® XP product lines will be important contributors to sustaining our growth".

The Lutensol® XP surfactants are excellent replacements for C9C11 alcohol ethoxylates because of their highly dynamic action and their superior wetting power.

The Lutensol® XL surfactants also have the advantages of superior wetting but even higher emulsifying power. In particular, they are much more quick-acting than conventional surfactants on glass surfaces. Although the Lutensol® XL types are short-chain alcohol ethoxylates with a highly dynamic wetting action, their high emulsifying power is comparable to that of surfactants based on longer-chain alcohols. These new BASF surfactants have a very low odor, and their low residual alcohol content makes them a good alternative to replace for C9C11 alcohol ethoxylates and alkylphenolethoxylates.

Chemically, the new surfactants are products of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and a new BASF hydrophobe manufactured from C4 feedstocks. BASF is a vertically integrated chemicals manufacturer: the feedstocks are produced in the company's integrated petrochemical facilities, and the surfactants are manufactured in world-scale plants.

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