Surfactants - J R Hess & Co., Inc.

Direct Release Products: Ingredient Standards

An overview of the EPA Safer Choice standard for Direct Release products.

Choosing Low Foam Surfactants

Selecting low foam surfactants for industrial cleaning.

How Hydrotropes Enhance Stability and Clarity

Hydroptropes are used by formulators to create clear and stable solutions. They can also enhance the solution’s overall cleaning effectiveness.

This post reviews how and why hydrotropes are used in industrial cleaning.

Surface Chemistry: Surfactant Wetting Properties

This post introduces basic concepts in wetting properties of surfactants, with a focus on anionic and cationic surfactants.

Surfactants can modify surface properties for challenging applications, making surfaces waterproof; easier to clean, paint, or process; or increase “wetting” when in contact with water.

Basics of the HLB System

The HLB system provides a framework for predicting how surfactants will behave in emulsion systems.

This article provides a basic overview of the HLB system and how it can be used to optimize formulations with nonionic surfactants.

Emulsifier to Remove Solvent Residue

One of the advantages of using greener solvents is that they can offer a low VOC alternative to meet company safety and compliance goals. This also means that the product will usually have a slower evaporation rate, which can result in a fine film or protective residue clinging to a substrate’s surface. While this is …

Amphoteric Alternatives for Cocamide DEA (Updated)

Cocamide DEA is used by product formulators as a surfactant in several hard surface cleaning applications, including liquid dish detergents, all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, and manual and automatic vehicle care detergents.

(Receive a PDF version of this article and detailed product comparison sheet via email)

Stepan Company, a global supplier of surfactant technologies, produces commonly used Cocamide DEA based surfactants under the trade names NINOL® 40-CO (1:1 Cocamide DEA) and NINOL® 11-CM (Modified 2:1 Cocamide DEA, 15% added Coco Fatty Acid).

Despite its broad use and acceptance in hard surface cleaning applications, Cocamide DEA has recently come under scrutiny by the US EPA and NTP and, as of June 22, 2012, has been listed by California’s Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as a known carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65.

The Proposition 65 listing poses unique challenges for formulators who either manufacture products with Cocamide DEA or otherwise offer the product for commercial sale in the State of California.

Specifically, formulators must meet all Proposition 65 warning requirements or reformulate by June 22, 2013.

Stepan has broad amphoteric product support and technical expertise in hard surface care to assist customers with product recommendations and re-formulation.

In order to provide formulators and manufacturers with performance based alternatives to Cocamide DEA, Stepan investigated a series of their specialty amphoterics to facilitate reformulation and replace Cocamide DEA in major application areas.

Based on Stepan’s studies, which reviewed performance testing along with the handling, lead-time and market price characteristics of alternative materials, we are working with customers to recommend substitutes and deliver suitable product alternatives from Stepan.

Continue reading to learn about available Cocamide DEA alternatives or receive the full PDF and detailed product comparison sheet via email by clicking here.

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A Quick Look at “Cloud Point”

Cloud point is an important property to consider when evaluating surfactants for your formulation. Cloud point is defined as the temperature above which a surfactant rich phase separates from an aqueous solution. This separation occurs when a nonionic surfactant, for instance, becomes insoluble due to increased heat, resulting in a cloudy or hazy dispersion in …

Nonionic Surfactants (101 Series)

This is the second post in our Surfactant 101 series. In this post, we’ll be discussing the basics of nonionic surfactants and there use in a wide range of applications. No Electrical Charge The nonionic category of surfactants are chemical structures that contain active molecules with no electrical charge. Unlike molecules with surface properties due …

Surfactant 101 Series

This post is the first in our Surfactant 101 series. We’ve discussed surfactants in other posts, but in this series, we’ll be focusing on surfactant basics. We’ll also be explaining the differences among the four major surfactant categories: nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric. But first . . . What is a Surfactant? Surfactant (Surface Active …

Concerns About NPEs

As we’ve highlighted in previous posts, nonlyphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are under increasing pressure from domestic and international regulatory bodies. The regulatory emphasis stems from the negative environmental and eco-toxicity characteristics of this non-ionic surfactant. Specifically, NPEs have been found to be persistent in the aquatic environment, moderately bioaccumulative, and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. As …

Supplier Focus: DeFOREST Enterprises Inc.

DeFOREST Enterprises Inc. offers a diversified and comprehensive line of surfactants and specialties for a variety of end use applications. They develop a multifunctional range of products, including surfactants, hydrotopes, corrosion inhibitors, metal working lubricants, emulsifiers and gelling agents (Click here to view the full DeFOREST product catalog). DeFOREST is also a leader in developing …

Critical Micelle Concentration: Measuring Surfactant Efficiency

Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) values are important indicators when considering which surfactant will provide optimal performance benefits for your formulation. But what is CMC and why is it important for formulators? When a certain amount of surfactant is added to water, the molecules will begin to form micelles. Micelles consist of agglomerates of surfactant molecules …

Supplier Focus: Stepan

As a specialty chemical distributor of Stepan products for over 30 years, we are excited to promote their versatile surfactant offerings and add to our growing list of safer and more compliant alternatives for the consumer and industrial sectors. Two relatively new Stepan products of note – and with greener attributes and Cleangredients approval – are …

The need for Nonyphenol Ethoxylate (NPE) alternatives (EPA phase out actions on the horizon)

It’s no secret that the EPA has targeted nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), both falling into the general surfactant groups of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), for phase out in the coming year. In the EPA NP and NPE Action Plan, published in August of 2010, NPEs were described as highly toxic to aquatic organisms, …