Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylates

What fatty alcohol ethoxylates are

Fatty alcohol ethoxylates are the principal non-ionic surfactants made by adding ethylene oxide to a fatty alcohol. The alcohol may be natural (lauryl, stearyl, ceto-stearyl, oleyl, behenyl, coconut or palm cuts) or synthetic (tridecyl, decyl, 2-ethylhexanol, oxo alcohols). CAS 68439-50-9 is often cited for C12–C14 alcohol ethoxylates. Dyna Glycols manufactures a wide mole range to agreed cloud point, hydroxyl value and pH.

The molecule carries an oil-loving alkyl chain and a water-loving polyoxyethylene chain. That structure sits at oil–water and soil–fabric interfaces, lowering interfacial energy so oils emulsify and surfaces wet. Detergents, personal care, textile, leather, agro, paints and industrial cleaners all use fatty alcohol ethoxylates as wetting agents, emulsifiers, foam-control partners or intermediates for ether sulphates and phosphate esters.

How Dyna Glycols manufactures fatty alcohol ethoxylates

Ethoxylation is performed on the named alcohol at a set EO molar ratio. Narrow or conventional mole distribution can be discussed for demanding emulsification. QA follows hydroxyl number, cloud point, pH, colour, water and appearance. Pilot alkoxylation is available before a new mole is scaled on the main reactors.

Natural alcohols from palm kernel, coconut, rapeseed or other oleochemical streams, and synthetic oxo alcohols, are both in regular production. Customers who need a stated origin or a particular carbon cut should include that on the enquiry so the correct hydrophobe is charged.

Typical grades in this range

Typical catalogue moles are listed below. Other alcohols and intermediate moles are manufactured to specification.

• Oleyl cetyl alcohol: OCA-2, OCA-5, OCA-12, OCA-25, OCA-50, OCA-60 EO moles
• Oleyl alcohol: 5, 10, 20, 25, 60 EO moles
• Tridecyl alcohol: TDA-3, TDA-5, TDA-6, TDA-7, TDA-8, TDA-9, TDA-12, TDA-15, TDA-20, TDA-40, TDA-100 EO moles
• Decyl alcohol: 4, 6, 10 EO moles
• Ceto-stearyl alcohol: 2.5, 10, 16, 20, 22, 30, 50, 80 EO moles
• Lauryl alcohol: 2.5, 6, 8, 10, 20, 25 EO moles
• Behenyl alcohol: 5, 7.5, 10, 30, 40 EO moles
• Stearyl alcohol: 2, 10, 15 EO moles
• 2-Ethylhexanol: 2.5, 4.5 EO moles
• Octyl decyl (C8/C10) alcohol: 2, 3.5, 10 EO moles
• Capric/caprylic alcohol: 2, 5 EO moles
• Glycerine: 10, 23 EO moles

Where fatty alcohol ethoxylates are used

Household and I&I detergents use lauryl, tridecyl and C9–C11 alcohol ethoxylates as primary non-ionics for oily soil. Mid moles wet and emulsify; higher moles improve solubility in hard water. They are often blended with anionics to balance foam and mildness.

Personal care uses ceto-stearyl, oleyl and lauryl ethoxylates as emulsifiers, solubilisers and viscosity builders in shampoos, creams and wash products. Textile processing uses them for scouring, wetting, dispersing and as APEO-free replacements for NP-9.5 type wetters. Leather degreasing and agro EC/EW systems are further outlets.

Paints, inks and emulsion polymerisation use selected moles as wetting and stabilising surfactants. Low-mole 2-ethylhexanol and TDA grades are coupling or oil-soluble wetters. High-mole TDA-40 and TDA-100 behave as hydrophilic dispersants or as intermediates.

How to specify fatty alcohol ethoxylates

State the alcohol cut (for example lauryl, TDA, ceto-stearyl), EO moles or cloud point, and whether the grade must be APEO-free. Include hydroxyl value, pH, colour and pour point if those appear on the existing specification.

For detergent and textile baths, cloud point in the actual electrolyte is more useful than cloud point in pure water. Share the bath temperature and salt level so the laboratory can pick a mole that stays in the intended phase.

Quality, documents and supply

Batches of fatty alcohol ethoxylates are released after QA tests matching the agreed TDS. SDS and COA are issued for the exact grade after a short company check. Samples support wash tests, emulsification and cloud-point confirmation.

Material ships from Dyna Glycols in drums, IBCs or bulk according to viscosity. Keep containers closed. Warm high-mole pastes until homogeneous before use. Follow the SDS for EO-based non-ionic handling.

Practical notes on fatty alcohol ethoxylates

Lauryl alcohol ethoxylates (often 2–9 EO in ether sulphates, 7–12 EO as free non-ionics) are the volume workhorses in washing. Tridecyl alcohol ethoxylates are favoured when branching improves low-temperature handling and emulsification of mineral oils.

Ceto-stearyl ethoxylates (for example 20–30 EO) are classic oil-in-water emulsifiers in creams. Behenyl ethoxylates contribute body and a different melt profile. Oleyl grades stay more liquid and suit lighter lotions and industrial emulsifiable oils.

Mole distribution affects foam, wetting speed and residue. If a formula is sensitive to unreacted alcohol or to a high-mole tail, say so; the plant can discuss reaction conditions and finishing.

Fatty alcohol ethoxylates are the preferred APEO-free path when a customer is leaving NP-9 or NP-9.5. Matching HLB and cloud point is the usual first trial. Dyna Glycols can supply paired samples of the alkyl phenol grade and the alcohol-based substitute.

These ethoxylates are sulphated to alkyl ether sulphates and phosphated to phosphate esters on related plants. If the ethoxylate is only an intermediate, residual water and catalyst specification should be agreed up front.

Pour point rises with chain length and with EO moles in a non-linear way. Outdoor storage in cold climates may need traced tanks for ceto-stearyl and high-mole TDA grades. Ask for pour point on the TDS if winter handling is a concern.

Ordering and evaluating fatty alcohol ethoxylates

Dyna Glycols supports fatty alcohol ethoxylates 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 fatty alcohol ethoxylates in the Ethoxylates family can then be confirmed, or a custom batch can be planned on the ethoxylation, esterification or related plant.

When you evaluate fatty alcohol ethoxylates, send the competitor grade if one exists, the bath or emulsion conditions, and the tests your receiving laboratory will run. Pack options for fatty alcohol ethoxylates typically include drums, IBCs and bulk where the viscosity and melting point of the selected grade allow safe handling from the Ethoxylates manufacturing line.

A first order of fatty alcohol ethoxylates 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 fatty alcohol ethoxylates, write that method on the order so the COA speaks the same language.

Custom lots of fatty alcohol ethoxylates are quoted after the hydrophobe or acid/alcohol pair, the target analytical window, the annual volume and the pack. Pilot batches are available when a catalogue point in the Ethoxylates range is close but not exact. Once a trial lot is approved, that TDS should be frozen so the tenth delivery of fatty alcohol ethoxylates matches the first approved drum.