Alkoxylates are non-ionic surfactants made by adding ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO) or both to a starter that carries an active hydrogen: a fatty alcohol, alkyl phenol, fatty acid, fatty amine, natural oil, glycol or other polyol. The oxide ring opens onto that starter and the chain grows to an agreed molar ratio.
What alkoxylates are
Alkoxylates are non-ionic surfactants made by adding ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO) or both to a starter that carries an active hydrogen: a fatty alcohol, alkyl phenol, fatty acid, fatty amine, natural oil, glycol or other polyol. The oxide ring opens onto that starter and the chain grows to an agreed molar ratio. Dyna Glycols manufactures alkoxylates on dedicated stainless-steel ethoxylation and propoxylation plants, released against cloud point, hydroxyl value, saponification value, pH, colour and residual feedstock.
Alcohol alkoxylates are the volume grades because linear fatty alcohols are straightforward to specify and easier to defend on environmental briefs than alkyl phenol types. Oil, acid and amine alkoxylates sit alongside them when the formula needs a glyceride, ester or weakly cationic head. Mixed EO/PO grades and block copolymers are listed separately when foam, cloud point or oil solubility must move independently of total moles.
How Dyna Glycols manufactures alkoxylates
Batches are set to a named hydrophobe and a target EO and/or PO mole, then controlled in-process with GC, hydroxyl or saponification value, cloud point in water or electrolyte, colour and water. Reactor sizes from laboratory through plant scale allow a catalogue point or a custom mole to be sampled before a bulk campaign.
Where a specification still names nonyl phenol ethoxylates, Dyna Glycols can supply those moles or an APEO-free fatty alcohol alkoxylate in a similar HLB band. The hydrophobe is stated on the TDS so labelling and homologation are not broken by accident.
Typical grades in this range
Typical catalogue moles are listed below. Intermediate moles, mixed cuts and custom cloud points are manufactured on request. Sister pages cover ethoxylates, propoxylates and EO/PO block copolymers in more detail.
- Natural oil ethoxylates: castor oil 5–200 EO; hydrogenated castor 10–100 EO; neem, soya and linseed oils at selected moles
- Fatty alcohol ethoxylates: lauryl, ceto-stearyl, oleyl, oleyl-cetyl, tridecyl, decyl, stearyl, behenyl, 2-ethyl hexanol, C8/C10 and glycerine starters
- Aryl alcohol ethoxylates: nonyl, octyl, dodecyl and styrenated phenol and phenol at defined moles
- Fatty acid ethoxylates: oleic, stearic, coconut, lauric, palmitic and myristic acids
- Fatty amine ethoxylates: stearyl, tallow, coco, oleyl, aminopropyl behenyl and ethylene diamine starters
- PEG and methoxy PEG: molecular weights from 200 to 20,000, plus methoxy PEG 300–5000
- Polysorbates 20, 40, 60, 65, 80 and 85; polyglycerol esters; specialty ethoxylates (lanolin, allyl/methallyl PEG, selected heterocycles)
Where alkoxylates are used
Detergents, hard-surface cleaners, textile auxiliaries and agro emulsifiable concentrates use alcohol and alkyl phenol alkoxylates as wetters and emulsifiers. Personal care and pharma systems use oil, acid and PEG grades as solubilisers and emulsifiers. Leather degreasing, paper de-inking, paints, emulsion polymerisation and oilfield intermediates take selected moles from the same plant.
Low moles stay oil-soluble for wetting and invert systems. Mid moles (around 7–15 EO on a C12–C18 alcohol) cover oil-in-water emulsification. High moles and PEGs act as dispersants, humectants or intermediates for sulphation and phosphation. Adding PO lowers foam and cloud point compared with a straight ethoxylate of similar chain length.
How to specify alkoxylates
Name the starter (alcohol cut, oil, acid, amine or phenol), the EO and PO moles or a cloud-point window, and limits on colour, odour, hydroxyl or saponification value, pH and water. State whether APEO is allowed. If the grade will be sulphated or phosphated downstream, say so at the sample stage.
For emulsification, include the oil phase and required HLB. Custom moles are routine when a catalogue point is close but not exact. Pack, pour point and drum-heating should be agreed for high-mole pastes and waxes.
Quality, documents and supply
Each lot of alkoxylates is released against the certificate tests written on the TDS. SDS, TDS and COA are issued after a short company verification. Laboratory samples let wetting, emulsification and cloud point be checked in the customer formula before bulk manufacture.
Supply is from Dyna Glycols manufacturing in India, with export packing. Store liquids above pour point; warm high-mole grades until uniform before sampling. Keep containers closed to limit moisture pick-up on PEG and high-EO pastes.
Practical notes on alkoxylates
Cloud point rises with EO moles and falls with electrolyte or a more hydrophobic co-surfactant. Many cleaning and textile baths run at or just below cloud point. Ask for the cloud-point method (water or a named electrolyte) that your receiving laboratory uses.
HLB of alcohol ethoxylates increases with EO content. Matching HLB to the oil phase is faster than ordering by a competitor trade name. Amine ethoxylates add weakly cationic character and are specified differently from alcohol grades of the same mole.
Castor oil ethoxylates and hydrogenated castor grades are widely used as solubilisers. They are not interchangeable with a fatty alcohol ethoxylate of similar HLB: the glyceride backbone changes viscosity, odour and regulatory listing.
Residual PEG from water in the reactor, residual starter and colour bodies are why hydroxyl value, cloud point, colour and water sit on the COA, not only moles of EO. Freeze those identity tests once a trial lot is approved.
Alkyl phenol ethoxylates remain catalogue items for industrial closed-loop use. Several markets restrict them in wash-off and consumer products. Dyna Glycols will not substitute an APEO-free alcohol grade unless the enquiry asks for that change.
Related chemistry pages: ethoxylates by hydrophobe, propoxylates, EO/PO block copolymers, polyethylene glycols and polysorbates. Request a sample with the starter, moles and application so the Kandla team can lock a catalogue grade or a custom batch.
Ordering and evaluating alkoxylates
Dyna Glycols supports alkoxylates with laboratory samples, current SDS, TDS and COA from the Kandla SEZ manufacturing network. Tell us the intended application, the substrate, the required moles or molecular weight, and any limits on colour, odour, cloud point, hydroxyl value, pH or residual feedstock. A matching catalogue grade of alkoxylates in the Alkoxylates family can then be confirmed, or a custom batch can be planned on the ethoxylation, esterification or related plant.
When you evaluate alkoxylates, send the competitor grade if one exists, the bath or emulsion conditions, and the tests your receiving laboratory will run. Pack options for alkoxylates typically include drums, IBCs and bulk where the viscosity and melting point of the selected grade allow safe handling from the Alkoxylates manufacturing line.
A first order of alkoxylates is easier when the purchase specification lists identity tests, not only a local trade name. Hydroxyl value, saponification value, acid value, cloud point, pH, water, colour and appearance are the numbers the Kandla QA laboratory can lock. If your QC uses a different solvent or a different cloud-point electrolyte for alkoxylates, write that method on the order so the COA speaks the same language.
Next step
Need a specification for this chemistry?
Tell us the substrate, EO/PO moles and the application. We will confirm a catalogue grade or a custom batch.