Sulfosuccinates

What sulfosuccinates are

Sulfosuccinates are mild anionic surfactants: monoester or diester salts of sulfosuccinic acid, most often as sodium salts. They wet strongly, emulsify, foam and reduce surface tension at relatively low CMC. Dyna Glycols manufactures dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS / docusate sodium) and related di-alkyl and laureth sulfosuccinates to agreed active content, solvent and pH.

DOSS is a wetting and emulsifying diester used in coatings, inks, adhesives, fire-fighting foam, agro and, where the brief allows, selected food and pharma-adjacent wetting. It is not a drop-in for SLES in a shampoo. Laureth sulfosuccinate is the milder wash-product grade.

How Dyna Glycols manufactures sulfosuccinates

Maleic esterification of the named alcohol, followed by sulfonation and conversion to the sodium salt, is finished to the active and solvent window on the TDS (water, ethanol or propylene glycol cuts such as DOSS 70, 70 E, 70 PG, 75 E, 75 PG). QA follows active content, pH, colour and appearance.

Natural-alcohol dioctyl grades and custom fatty-alcohol or ethoxylated-alcohol sulfosuccinates are quoted when a catalogue diester is close but not exact.

Typical grades in this range

Name diester vs monoester, the alcohol, active content and solvent.

• Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS) 50–70% and DOSS 70 / 70 E / 70 PG / 75 E / 75 PG
• Di-sodium octyl sulfosuccinate 50–70%
• Dilauryl sodium sulfosuccinate 50–70%; diamyl 40–50%
• Disodium laureth-3 sulfosuccinate ~40%
• Di-octyl (natural alcohol), di-isotridecyl (~70%) and di-2-propylheptyl (~60%) sodium sulfosuccinates
• Other fatty-alcohol and ethoxylated-alcohol sulfosuccinates to order

Where sulfosuccinates are used

Coatings, pigment concentrates, inks and adhesives use DOSS as a wetting and dispersing aid so grind viscosity stays low. Textile, leather and paper wetting, agro EC and fire-fighting foam use selected diesters.

Personal-care and baby wash use laureth sulfosuccinate as a mild co-surfactant. Do not assume a 70% DOSS in PG is acceptable in a leave-on cosmetic without the INCI and residual-solvent brief.

Pharma-adjacent docusate and food-wetting uses need the documentation path stated on the enquiry. An industrial DOSS lot is not automatically that pack.

How to specify sulfosuccinates

Send diester vs monoester, alcohol, % active, solvent (water, ethanol, PG), pH and the application. For DOSS, say whether 70 or 75 and E vs PG. Share electrolyte and the oil or binder if used as a wetter.

If matching a competitor Aerosol OT-type grade, attach active, solvent and viscosity from that TDS.

Quality, documents and supply

Lots are released against active content, pH, solvent identity, colour and appearance. SDS and COA follow verification. Wetting (Draves or equivalent) should be confirmed in the customer system.

Keep containers closed. Ethanol cuts are flammable — follow the SDS and transport class. Protect from frost where water is the solvent.

Practical notes on sulfosuccinates

Hard-water tolerance and lime-soap dispersion of sulfosuccinates are generally good, which is why they appear in pigment and agro wetting. They are still anionics: cationics will crash them.

Related pages: sulphates and sulfonates, phosphate esters, paints, adhesives, personal care. Sample with the non-ionic partner if the grind uses a mixed surfactant system.

Natural-alcohol dioctyl is offered where a synthetic 2-ethylhexanol diester is being replaced. Run a paired wetting trial; spreading and odour can move.

Laureth-3 sulfosuccinate is a wash-foam co-surfactant, not a coatings wetter. Order by duty.

Active content on the COA is the identity test. Freeze 70 vs 75 and the solvent once a trial lot is approved.

English is the source language for active-content and solvent claims.

Ordering and evaluating sulfosuccinates

Send the application, the analytical window and the pack size when you request a laboratory sample of sulfosuccinates. SDS, TDS and COA follow a short company check. Handle and store the grade as the SDS describes.