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Lutensol M 7 is a nonionic surfactant based on C10–C18 fatty alcohols ethoxylated with an average of approximately seven moles of ethylene oxide.
Lutensol M 7 provides effective detergency, wetting, emulsification and soil-removal performance in aqueous cleaning and industrial formulation systems.
Lutensol M 7 balanced hydrophilic-lipophilic character makes it particularly suitable for laundry detergents, commercial laundry products, institutional cleaning, kitchen hygiene, vehicle care and general industrial cleaning formulations.
CAS Number: 85422-93-1
Molecular Formula: Not defined
Molecular Weight: Not defined
EINECS Number: 500-267-8
Synonyms: Lutensol M 7, Lutensol® M 7, C10–C18 Alcohol Ethoxylate, C10–C18 Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylate, Alcohols C10–C18 Ethoxylated, Alcohol (C10–C18) Poly(7) Ethoxylate, C10–C18 Alcohol + 7 EO, Fatty Alcohol 7 EO, Polyoxyethylene C10–C18 Alkyl Ether, C10–C18 Alkyl Polyethylene Glycol Ether, Nonionic Alcohol Ethoxylate, Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether, C10–C18 Pareth-7 Type Surfactant.
Lutensol M 7 cannot be expressed accurately as one fixed small-molecule formula.
Lutensol M 7 raw-material alcohol distribution covers multiple carbon-chain lengths and the ethoxylation process itself produces a distribution around an average of approximately seven EO units.
Molecular weight is therefore more meaningfully described through an average molar mass than through a single exact value.
Lutensol M 7 belongs to the alcohol ethoxylate family of nonionic surfactants.
Lutensol M 7 molecular structure contains a hydrophobic C10–C18 alkyl chain connected to a hydrophilic polyethylene glycol chain containing approximately seven ethylene oxide units.
This combination allows the product to interact simultaneously with oily soil and water and therefore supports detergency, emulsification and wetting.
Lutensol M 7 general chemical structure can be represented as RO(CH2CH2O)7H, where R represents the C10–C18 hydrophobic alkyl fraction.
Lutensol M 7 numerical designation “7” refers to the approximate average degree of ethoxylation rather than an exact number of ethylene oxide units in every molecule.
Commercial Lutensol M 7 is therefore a distribution of related ethoxylated alcohol molecules rather than one discrete molecular compound.
Lutensol M 7 is supplied at approximately 100% active surfactant concentration rather than as a dilute aqueous solution.
At room temperature it has a paste-like physical form, while heating converts the material into a lower-viscosity clear liquid suitable for pumping and processing.
Lutensol M 7 concentrated form allows formulators to introduce substantial nonionic surfactant activity without adding significant water from the raw material.
Lutensol M 7 has an HLB value of approximately 12.9.
Lutensol M 7 places Lutensol M 7 in the hydrophilic region of the HLB scale and supports its use as an oil-in-water emulsifier and detergent surfactant.
The HLB value also reflects the balance obtained from approximately seven EO units combined with the broader C10–C18 fatty-alcohol distribution.
Lutensol M 7 cloud point is approximately 75 °C when measured using the specified Method E system.
Cloud point is characteristic of ethoxylated nonionic surfactants because the polyoxyethylene chain becomes progressively less hydrated as temperature increases.
Above the cloud-point region, aqueous surfactant solutions can become turbid and separate into surfactant-rich and water-rich phases.
Cloud-point behavior must be considered when Lutensol M 7 is used in heated cleaning solutions.
Temperatures below the relevant cloud point generally maintain greater aqueous compatibility, while approaching or exceeding the cloud point can strongly change detergency, foam and phase behavior.
In some industrial cleaning processes, controlled operation close to the cloud point can actually improve oily-soil removal by increasing affinity toward hydrophobic contaminants.
An average molar mass of approximately 500 g/mol has historically been reported for Lutensol M 7.
This value reflects the average composition of the technical surfactant and should not be interpreted as the molecular weight of every molecule in the commercial product.
Hydroxyl number, cloud point, HLB and surfactant performance provide more useful grade-control parameters than an exact nominal formula.
Lutensol M 7 terminal hydroxyl group remains present after ethoxylation.
This hydroxyl functionality contributes to the hydrophilic character of the polyethylene glycol segment and is reflected analytically in the product's hydroxyl number.
A representative hydroxyl number for Lutensol M 7 is approximately 111 mg KOH/g.
Lutensol M 7 hydrophobic portion originates from long-chain alcohols containing approximately ten to eighteen carbon atoms.
Longer hydrocarbon chains provide affinity toward oils, fats and particulate organic soils while the polyoxyethylene chain provides compatibility with water.
Lutensol M 7 broad chain-length distribution helps create useful performance across mixed soils rather than targeting only one narrow hydrocarbon structure.
Lutensol M 7 ethylene oxide chain strongly influences solubility and detergency.
Increasing ethoxylation generally increases hydrophilicity, HLB and aqueous compatibility while reducing the relative contribution of the hydrophobic alkyl group.
Lutensol M 7 provides an intermediate-to-high degree of ethoxylation suitable for broad detergent and emulsification applications.
Lutensol M 7 is nonionic because its hydrophilic group does not contain a permanent electrical charge.
Lutensol M 7 surface activity therefore remains comparatively insensitive to water hardness compared with many anionic surfactants that can interact strongly with calcium and magnesium ions.
This characteristic is particularly valuable in institutional and industrial cleaning processes where water quality can vary significantly.
Nonionic character also allows combination with anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants in appropriately designed formulations.
Blending surfactant classes can improve detergency, foam profile, wetting and compatibility with specific soil types.
Actual compatibility must still be verified because electrolytes, builders, solvents and pH can alter phase behavior.
Lutensol M 7 reduces the surface tension of water.
A representative value of approximately 29 mN/m has been reported for a 1 g/L solution in distilled water at approximately 23 °C.
Lower surface tension helps cleaning solutions spread rapidly over fibers, painted surfaces, metal, plastic and other substrates.
Wetting performance is therefore one of the important functions of the product.
Rapid wetting allows detergent solution to penetrate fabric structures and contact soils that would otherwise remain protected by trapped air or poor water affinity.
The same principle improves surface coverage in hard-surface and industrial cleaning.
Lutensol M 7 at higher surfactant concentrations, wetting can become particularly rapid.
Representative testing shows significantly shorter wetting times as Lutensol M 7 concentration increases from dilute to more concentrated solutions.
The exact wetting time in a commercial cleaner depends on electrolytes, solvents, water hardness and the surface being treated.
Lutensol M 7 also produces moderate-to-substantial foam depending on concentration and formulation environment.
Foam generation is generally greater than that of specially designed low-foam alcohol alkoxylates used in machine-cleaning applications.
The suitability of the product therefore depends on whether the process benefits from visible foam or requires strict foam suppression.
Lutensol M 7 foam behavior can be modified through formulation.
Low-foam nonionic surfactants, silicone defoamers, hydrophobic additives or process conditions can be combined with Lutensol M 7 when reduced foam is required.
Conversely, anionic surfactants can increase foam volume when a consumer detergent requires stronger visual foam.
Lutensol M 7 becomes more fluid as temperature rises.
At approximately 23 °C Lutensol M 7 is a paste, whereas at approximately 60 °C it can be handled as a clear low-viscosity liquid.
This temperature dependence should be considered when designing storage tanks, transfer pumps and dosing systems.
Lutensol M 7 a viscosity around 50 mPa·s at 60 °C is characteristic of the current BASF portfolio data.
Earlier technical measurements have also described very low viscosity under warm test conditions, confirming that heating substantially improves flow.
For bulk handling, controlled warming can therefore simplify unloading and pumping without diluting the surfactant.
Lutensol M 7 has a congealing region above typical cold-storage temperatures.
A congealing point around 17 °C and a dropping point around 28 °C have historically been reported for the grade.
Cooling can therefore convert the product from a mobile liquid to a paste or partially solid state without indicating chemical degradation.
Lutensol M 7 low-temperature thickening is normally reversible.
Lutensol M 7 can generally be restored to a homogeneous processable state by controlled warming and mixing.
Local overheating should be avoided because prolonged excessive temperature can cause irreversible changes in nonionic surfactants.
Lutensol M 7 has a high flash point relative to conventional organic solvents.
Representative technical information places the flash point above approximately 150 °C under the specified test method.
The product is therefore not handled as a highly volatile flammable solvent, although it remains an organic combustible material.
Lutensol M 7 high active content means formulators should account for the entire addition as surfactant rather than carrier water.
A formulation requiring 5% active nonionic surfactant can therefore use approximately 5% Lutensol M 7 when the relevant commercial grade is essentially 100% active.
Lutensol M 7 differs from diluted surfactant solutions where the supplied dosage must be adjusted upward to account for water.
Physical Form: Paste at approximately 23 °C
Appearance: Whitish to slightly cloudy paste
Chemical Family: Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylate
Surfactant Type: Nonionic
Chemical Description: C10–C18 Alcohol + approximately 7 EO
Degree of Ethoxylation: approximately 7 EO
Active Matter: approximately 100%
HLB Value: approximately 12.9
Cloud Point: approximately 75 °C, Method E
Average Molar Mass: approximately 500 g/mol
Hydroxyl Number: approximately 111 mg KOH/g
Density: approximately 0.97 g/cm3 at 50 °C
Viscosity: approximately 50 mPa·s at 60 °C
Congealing Point: approximately 17 °C
Dropping Point: approximately 28 °C
Flash Point: greater than approximately 150 °C
Surface Tension: approximately 29 mN/m at 1 g/L and 23 °C
Water Solubility: Dispersible to soluble depending on temperature and concentration
Ionic Character: Nonionic
Odor: Mild characteristic odor
Lutensol M 7 can form clear or dispersed aqueous systems depending on concentration and temperature.
Nonionic ethoxylates often display complex phase behavior rather than simple unlimited molecular solubility across every temperature and concentration.
Formulators should therefore assess clarity and stability at the actual surfactant loading required in the finished product.
Lutensol M 7 electrolytes can strongly affect this phase behavior.
Salts commonly present in detergents can lower the cloud point and alter surfactant hydration through a salting-out effect.
A formula that remains clear in deionized water may consequently become cloudy after builders, alkaline salts or other electrolytes are added.
Lutensol M 7 organic solvents can have the opposite or additional effect depending on their polarity.
Glycol ethers, alcohols and hydrotropes can change solubility, cloud point and low-temperature stability of nonionic systems.
Solvent selection should therefore be made using the complete cleaner rather than the surfactant alone.
Lutensol M 7 approximately 12.9 HLB value makes Lutensol M 7 particularly useful when hydrophobic soils must be dispersed into an aqueous cleaning solution.
The surfactant adsorbs at oil-water interfaces and reduces interfacial tension.
Mechanical action can then break oily material into smaller droplets that remain dispersed long enough to be removed from the substrate.
Micelle formation provides another fundamental detergent mechanism.
Above the relevant aggregation concentration, surfactant molecules organize so that their hydrophobic chains associate internally while ethoxylated chains remain exposed to water.
Hydrophobic soil molecules can then partition into these structures and become easier to transport away in the wash liquor.
Lutensol M 7 ability to remove fatty soil is especially important in laundry.
Sebum, cooking oil, grease and cosmetic residues contain hydrophobic components that water alone removes poorly.
Lutensol M 7 increases contact with these soils and supports their emulsification and suspension during washing.
Mechanical action remains important even when an effective surfactant is present.
Agitation exposes fresh soil surfaces and helps transport detached material away from fibers or hard surfaces.
The surfactant prevents a significant fraction of the released hydrophobic material from immediately recoalescing or redepositing.
The broader alcohol-ethoxylate class used in modern detergent applications is designed for effective biodegradation.
Current BASF portfolio information identifies the relevant product range within its biodegradable surfactant offering according to OECD 301 criteria.
Biodegradability should not be interpreted as permission for uncontrolled bulk release.
Spilled Lutensol M 7 can create a very slippery surface.
The paste or liquid should be contained and recovered using suitable absorbent material where necessary.
Floors should be cleaned thoroughly after removal to eliminate residual surfactant film.
Lutensol M 7 water can generate substantial foam during spill cleanup.
Large quantities should therefore not simply be flushed with high-pressure water into a drain.
Lutensol M 7 mechanical recovery followed by controlled cleaning is more appropriate for concentrated releases.
Lutensol M 7 waste material should be handled in accordance with local regulations.
Dilute detergent wastewater and concentrated raw surfactant waste represent very different disposal situations.
Facilities should therefore distinguish routine process effluent from off-specification or spilled concentrated product.
Lutensol M 7 finished-product safety cannot be inferred directly from the concentrated raw material.
A household detergent containing a few percent Lutensol M 7 may have a very different hazard classification from essentially neat Lutensol M 7.
Classification should always be calculated or tested using the full finished formulation.
Lutensol M 7 same principle applies to food-service and vehicle-care cleaners.
Strong alkalinity, acids, solvents or disinfectants can dominate the hazard profile even when the surfactant itself is only one component.
Finished-product SDS and label requirements must therefore be determined independently.
Lutensol M 7 current Safety Data Sheet should take precedence for first aid, PPE, transport, firefighting, accidental-release handling and storage.
The Technical Data Sheet should be used separately to verify HLB, cloud point, active matter, physical form and formulation performance.
Batch-specific documentation should also be reviewed where product consistency or customer-specific requirements are important.
Lutensol M 7 temperature also influences oily-soil removal.
Warmer wash liquor can reduce viscosity of fats and oils and increase mass transfer, while the surfactant maintains the released material in the aqueous phase.
Lutensol M 7 can therefore perform effectively across detergent systems designed for different wash-temperature conditions.
Uses Of Lutensol M 7:
Lutensol M 7 is primarily used as a nonionic detergent, wetting agent and emulsifier in household, institutional and industrial cleaning formulations.
Lutensol M 7 strongest application areas include laundry, commercial laundry, food-service and kitchen hygiene, vehicle care and technical cleaning systems.
The grade is particularly useful where effective fatty-soil removal must be combined with good compatibility with water hardness and other surfactants.
Laundry detergents are one of the principal applications for Lutensol M 7.
The surfactant assists removal of body oils, grease, cooking fats and other hydrophobic contaminants from textile fibers.
Lutensol M 7 nonionic nature also allows efficient combination with anionic surfactants that provide additional detergency and foam.
Liquid laundry detergents can use Lutensol M 7 as part of a mixed surfactant system.
Lutensol M 7 contributes oily-soil cleaning while anionic surfactants such as alkylbenzene sulfonates or ether sulfates can provide complementary particulate-soil and foam performance.
Hydrotropes or solvents may be needed to maintain a uniform liquid system depending on total surfactant concentration.
Lutensol M 7 concentrated laundry liquids can particularly benefit from high-active nonionic surfactants.
Because Lutensol M 7 is supplied at approximately full active concentration, substantial detergency can be introduced without adding unnecessary dilution water.
The paste-like raw material must nevertheless be incorporated using suitable mixing temperature and process design.
Powder detergents can also incorporate alcohol ethoxylate chemistry.
Liquid or molten nonionic surfactant can be sprayed onto porous carrier materials or incorporated during granulation.
The formulation must control migration and caking because high nonionic loading can soften detergent granules.
Lutensol M 7 commercial laundry is another direct application.
Hotels, hospitals, restaurants and industrial laundries encounter high soil loads that can include fats, oils, cosmetics and food residues.
Lutensol M 7 provides strong nonionic detergency that can complement alkaline builders and anionic surfactants in these demanding wash programs.
Lutensol M 7 institutional laundering often uses higher alkalinity than ordinary household detergents.
Nonionic alcohol ethoxylates generally remain effective in alkaline environments and do not depend on an ionic head group for their surface activity.
The complete formulation must still be evaluated for phase stability and chemical compatibility at the intended pH.
Lutensol M 7 kitchen cleaners represent another major field.
Animal fats, vegetable oils and cooked food residues are difficult to remove with water alone because of their hydrophobic character.
Lutensol M 7 improves wetting and emulsification so that alkaline cleaning components can contact and remove these deposits more efficiently.
Lutensol M 7 food-service cleaning products can use the surfactant in degreasers and multipurpose cleaning formulations.
Commercial kitchen surfaces frequently contain mixed soils composed of grease, protein, starch and carbonized food residue.
Lutensol M 7 with alkalinity, chelants and suitable solvents can provide broad-spectrum cleaning.
Lutensol M 7 can also be used in manual hard-surface cleaning.
Counters, washable walls, tiles and other surfaces benefit from a surfactant that spreads aqueous cleaner rapidly and mobilizes oily contamination.
Rinse characteristics and foam should be optimized according to whether the product is intended for spray-and-wipe or water-rinse use.
Vehicle and transportation care are direct BASF-listed applications.
Road film contains mineral particles combined with oils, exhaust-derived hydrocarbons and environmental contamination that can be difficult to remove with one surfactant class.
Lutensol M 7 can provide useful wetting and emulsification within shampoos, transport cleaners and related products.
Vehicle shampoos normally require a balance between detergency, foam and compatibility with paint, plastics and trim.
Lutensol M 7 can be blended with milder anionic or amphoteric surfactants to modify these properties.
The finished product should be tested on the intended automotive surfaces rather than assuming universal material compatibility.
Fleet cleaners generally require stronger degreasing.
Trucks, buses, rail vehicles and industrial transport equipment accumulate road oils and heavy particulate contamination over large surface areas.
Nonionic fatty alcohol ethoxylates can improve penetration of this mixed soil and support removal at practical cleaning temperatures.
Lutensol M 7 industrial degreasers are another relevant application.
Machinery and metal parts can contain mineral oils, processing lubricants, greases and shop dirt that require emulsification before rinsing.
Lutensol M 7 can provide the nonionic component of water-based degreasing systems designed to replace or reduce solvent cleaning.
Lutensol M 7 alkaline metal cleaners can also use alcohol ethoxylates.
Alkali assists saponification or loosening of certain oily soils while Lutensol M 7 improves wetting and removal of non-saponifiable hydrocarbon components.
Builders, chelants and corrosion inhibitors can be added according to the substrate.
Lutensol M 7 spray cleaning requires attention to foam.
Very high foam can interfere with high-pressure recirculation or automatic spray equipment even when cleaning performance is strong.
Lutensol M 7 may therefore be blended with lower-foaming surfactants when used in machine-operated industrial cleaners.
Lutensol M 7 immersion cleaning can tolerate a different foam profile.
Parts are submerged in an aqueous bath and soil removal occurs through wetting, emulsification, temperature and agitation.
Lutensol M 7 can be used where effective oily-soil removal is more important than producing an extremely low-foam bath.
Ultrasonic cleaning can also employ nonionic surfactants.
Efficient wetting helps cleaning solution penetrate small cavities and surface irregularities while ultrasonic cavitation provides mechanical soil disruption.
Foam must remain controlled because excessive air at the liquid surface can interfere with process handling.
Lutensol M 7 textile processing is another broader application area for fatty alcohol ethoxylates.
Wetting, scouring and washing processes require surfactants that can remove natural oils, spinning lubricants and processing auxiliaries from fibers.
The broad alcohol chain distribution of Lutensol M 7 provides useful hydrophobic interaction with these materials.
Lutensol M 7 textile scouring can involve elevated temperature and alkalinity.
The surfactant must wet fibers rapidly and emulsify hydrophobic matter released from the textile.
Lutensol M 7 cloud-point behavior should be considered when processing temperatures approach the surfactant's phase-separation region.
Lutensol M 7 dyeing auxiliaries can also use nonionic surfactants where wetting and emulsification are needed without introducing additional ionic charge.
Nonionic chemistry can be especially useful when ionic interactions with dyes or fixing agents would otherwise create instability.
Compatibility with the specific dye class should still be verified.
Lutensol M 7 leather-processing formulations can use fatty alcohol ethoxylates as wetting and cleaning auxiliaries.
Raw hides and processed leather contain fats and process chemicals that may require controlled emulsification.
Lutensol M 7 final surfactant choice depends on the treatment stage and required leather properties.
Lutensol M 7 paint and coating manufacture can also employ alcohol ethoxylates as wetting or emulsifying auxiliaries.
Reducing interfacial tension can assist incorporation of oily components and improve wetting of certain pigments or substrates.
Lutensol M 7 should be evaluated carefully because surfactant residues can influence water resistance, foam and coating appearance.
Lutensol M 7 emulsion polymerization represents another potential technical use of nonionic surfactants.
Alcohol ethoxylates can supplement anionic emulsifiers and improve steric stabilization of polymer particles.
Lutensol M 7 exact surfactant must be chosen according to monomer chemistry, particle-size target and final latex performance.
Wax emulsions can use Lutensol M 7 as an emulsifying component.
Molten hydrophobic wax is dispersed into water with the assistance of surfactants that stabilize the newly formed droplets.
An HLB around 12.9 can be useful for oil-in-water wax systems depending on wax polarity and co-emulsifier selection.
Lutensol M 7 oil emulsions can similarly use the product.
Lubricant concentrates, process aids and specialty industrial formulations may require stable dispersion of hydrocarbon or ester oils into water.
The appropriate Lutensol M 7 level depends on oil type and the presence of other surfactants.
Lutensol M 7 agrochemical formulations can use alcohol ethoxylates as wetting, emulsifying or dispersing auxiliaries where permitted.
The surfactant can improve contact between aqueous spray solution and hydrophobic plant or particle surfaces.
Regulatory suitability and phytotoxicity must be established specifically for the intended agricultural product.
Lutensol M 7 pesticide emulsifiable concentrates frequently require surfactant packages rather than one emulsifier alone.
Lutensol M 7 can theoretically contribute hydrophilic nonionic character in compatible systems.
The final formulation requires emulsion stability testing in waters of different hardness and temperature.
Lutensol M 7 fertilizer and micronutrient formulations can also require wetting auxiliaries.
Nonionic surfactants can improve spreading and surface contact of aqueous solutions or suspensions.
Lutensol M 7 surfactant must remain compatible with high electrolyte concentrations because concentrated salts can significantly alter ethoxylate solubility.
Lutensol M 7 cleaning of plastic surfaces is another useful application.
Oily contamination can adhere strongly to polymers with low surface energy, making simple water washing ineffective.
Lutensol M 7 lowers the surface tension of the aqueous cleaner and supports more complete contact.
Lutensol M 7 glass cleaners can use nonionic surfactants at low levels.
The surfactant improves wetting and removal of fingerprints and greasy film while excessive concentration can leave visible residue.
For streak-free performance, dosage must therefore be kept substantially lower than in heavy-duty degreasing products.
Lutensol M 7 bathroom cleaners can also employ nonionic alcohol ethoxylates.
Body oils, cosmetic residues and soap-derived hydrophobic soils can coexist with mineral deposits.
Lutensol M 7 can address the organic soil fraction while acids or chelants target inorganic scale.
Lutensol M 7 acid cleaning systems require compatibility testing.
Nonionic surfactants are often stable across a broad pH range, but strongly acidic environments and elevated temperatures can affect formulation stability over long storage periods.
The complete cleaner should therefore undergo accelerated stability testing at its intended acid concentration.
Lutensol M 7 alkaline cleaners present similar considerations.
Lutensol M 7 can remain effective under substantial alkalinity, making it useful for heavy-duty degreasing.
Electrolyte concentration can lower cloud point and change solubility even when the surfactant itself is chemically stable.
Lutensol M 7 detergent builders can enhance its performance.
Carbonates, citrates, phosphates or other builders reduce the effect of water hardness and increase alkalinity or buffering depending on formulation.
These salts can also alter phase behavior and therefore must be balanced against the desired product clarity.
Lutensol M 7 chelating agents can be incorporated for hard-water cleaning.
EDTA, MGDA, GLDA and related chelants bind calcium, magnesium and transition-metal ions that can interfere with soil removal.
The combination can be especially useful in institutional cleaners operating with variable water composition.
Lutensol M 7 enzyme-containing laundry detergents can also use nonionic surfactants.
Proteases, amylases and lipases target specific protein, starch and fat soils while Lutensol M 7 provides general surface activity and emulsification.
Enzyme compatibility depends on surfactant concentration, preservatives, water activity and formulation pH.
Lipase and nonionic surfactants can provide complementary grease-removal mechanisms.
Lutensol M 7 enzyme hydrolyzes triglyceride soil while the surfactant helps disperse liberated fatty material into the wash liquor.
The detergent must maintain conditions that preserve both enzyme activity and acceptable surfactant phase behavior.
Lutensol M 7 fragrance incorporation can also involve Lutensol M 7.
Nonionic surfactants can help solubilize modest quantities of hydrophobic fragrance oil in aqueous cleaners.
Very high fragrance loading may require additional solubilizers or hydrotropes to maintain clarity and stability.
Lutensol M 7 essential oils behave similarly.
Citrus terpenes and other hydrophobic cleaning solvents can provide strong degreasing but require emulsification in water.
Lutensol M 7 can form part of the surfactant package used to stabilize these materials.
Solvent-containing degreasers can use glycol ethers together with Lutensol M 7.
The solvent penetrates and softens oily contamination while the surfactant transfers loosened soil into the aqueous phase.
This combination can produce stronger cleaning than either component alone.
Lutensol M 7 the grade can also contribute to concentrated cleaner systems.
High-active formulations reduce transportation of water and allow end users to dilute the product at the point of use.
Phase stability becomes more demanding because surfactants, solvents and electrolytes are present at much higher concentrations.
Hydrotropes can be required in these concentrates.
Sodium xylene sulfonate, sodium cumene sulfonate and related materials can increase compatibility between water and concentrated surfactant systems.
The required amount depends on total nonionic surfactant, electrolyte and solvent loading.
Lutensol M 7 can be combined with lower-EO alcohol ethoxylates.
Lower-EO products are more hydrophobic and can strengthen oily-soil affinity while M 7 provides additional water compatibility.
Blending the two can tune HLB, cloud point and detergency without changing to a completely different surfactant family.
Lutensol M 7 higher-EO ethoxylates can also be blended with the product.
Increasing the hydrophilic fraction can improve water solubility and shift cloud point while potentially changing wetting and foam.
Surfactant blends therefore allow finer performance adjustment than relying only on one grade.
Lutensol M 7 anionic surfactant combinations are particularly common in laundry.
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate provides strong detergency and foam, while Lutensol M 7 supports removal of greasy hydrophobic soil.
Properly balanced mixtures often outperform either surfactant used alone across a broad soil spectrum.
Ether sulfates can also be combined with Lutensol M 7.
The ethoxylated anionic structure provides mildness and foam while the nonionic surfactant contributes grease removal.
Electrolyte response and viscosity should be evaluated because mixed surfactant systems can show complex rheology.
Amphoteric surfactants can be added when mildness or foam stabilization is required.
Betaines are common examples in cleaning and personal-care chemistry, although Lutensol M 7 itself is principally positioned for detergent and industrial applications.
The finished product's regulatory and skin-contact requirements should guide raw-material selection.
Lutensol M 7 cationic surfactants require more careful formulation.
Although Lutensol M 7 carries no charge and can coexist with cationic materials more readily than anionic surfactants, phase behavior and function still depend on concentration and composition.
Compatibility should be checked where quaternary ammonium compounds are present.
Lutensol M 7 disinfectant cleaners are one example where this becomes relevant.
A nonionic surfactant can provide detergency without neutralizing cationic disinfectant actives through direct ionic precipitation.
The surfactant must still be shown not to reduce antimicrobial efficacy at the use concentration.
Lutensol M 7 for technical purchasing, the chemical basis should be specified clearly.
Lutensol M 7 is based on a broad C10–C18 alcohol distribution with approximately seven EO rather than the narrower C13–C15 or C12–C14 alcohol bases used in several other Lutensol families.
Two products with “7 EO” in their names can therefore show different cloud point, foam, HLB and low-temperature behavior.
Lutensol AO 7 should not be treated as identical to Lutensol M 7.
AO 7 is based on C13–C15 oxo alcohol, whereas M 7 uses the broader C10–C18 alcohol distribution.
Their physical form and cloud-point characteristics differ even though both have approximately seven ethylene oxide units.
Lutensol M 5 is the closer lower-ethoxylated companion grade within the same family.
M 5 contains approximately five EO units and has a lower HLB of approximately 11.4 compared with approximately 12.9 for M 7.
M 5 is correspondingly more hydrophobic and should not be substituted on a one-to-one basis without detergent and phase-stability testing.
The broad application profile of Lutensol M 7 therefore includes household laundry, commercial laundry, kitchen hygiene, vehicle care, industrial degreasing, hard-surface cleaning, textile processing, emulsification and technical formulation.
Lutensol M 7 main technical strengths are nonionic detergency, effective oily-soil removal, strong wetting, useful emulsification and robust performance in the presence of water hardness.
These properties make Lutensol M 7 a versatile high-active alcohol ethoxylate for formulations where cleaning efficiency and broad formulation compatibility are required.
Safety Profile Of Lutensol M 7:
Lutensol M 7 is a concentrated nonionic surfactant intended primarily as an industrial formulation raw material.
The undiluted product should be handled with appropriate eye, skin and workplace-hygiene controls even though its vapor pressure and volatility are low.
Lutensol M 7 current BASF Safety Data Sheet for the supplied market and manufacturing location should be used for final hazard classification and PPE selection.
Lutensol M 7-specific safety information identifies harmful effects following ingestion and skin irritation as important hazards for concentrated Lutensol M 7.
Toxicological classification can change as regulatory data and classification rules are updated, so historical labels should not be copied directly into current commercial documentation.
The current supplier SDS should therefore take precedence over older technical or distributor safety summaries.
Eye contact should be avoided during sampling, drum transfer and formulation.
Concentrated surfactants can cause significant discomfort and eye effects even when diluted formulations containing them are comparatively mild.
Suitable safety glasses or chemical goggles should therefore be used where splashing is possible.
Prolonged skin contact should also be minimized.
Surfactants remove natural skin lipids and concentrated material can cause irritation through repeated exposure.
Chemical-resistant gloves and normal protective work clothing are appropriate during industrial handling.
Lutensol M 7 has low volatility under ordinary conditions.
Routine inhalation exposure is therefore associated more with aerosols or hot-process mist than with equilibrium vapor at room temperature.
Local ventilation should be considered where the product is sprayed, heated or mixed at high speed.
Lutensol M 7 paste becomes much more mobile when heated.
Hot product can therefore create a greater splash risk during transfer even though heating simplifies pumping.
Protective equipment should take both chemical exposure and elevated processing temperature into account.
Lutensol M 7 is stable under recommended storage conditions.
Excessive temperatures should be avoided because prolonged overheating can produce irreversible changes in surfactant quality.
Historical BASF handling information recommends protection from temperatures above approximately 70 °C during storage.
Lutensol M 7 cooling and temporary solidification are less problematic.
Low temperatures or freezing do not necessarily chemically damage the packaged product, but viscosity and physical state can make pumping impossible until the material is warmed.
Homogeneity should be restored before representative sampling or production use.
Lutensol M 7 storage tanks and lines may therefore require temperature management in cold environments.
Moderate controlled heating is preferable to localized high-temperature heating surfaces that can overheat material close to the wall.
Recirculation or gentle mixing can help restore uniformity after prolonged cool storage.
Lutensol M 7 containers should remain tightly closed.
Water ingress can change the supplied concentration and introduce contamination, while exposure to dirt or reactive chemicals can reduce formulation quality.
Clean, dedicated transfer equipment is preferred for bulk handling.
Lutensol M 7 strongly reactive chemicals should be kept separate according to the product-specific SDS.
Acids, bases, oxidizing agents or other reactive materials can affect the surfactant or create incompatible mixtures under severe conditions.
Storage segregation should therefore follow standard industrial chemical-management procedures.
Lutensol M 7 is combustible but not a highly volatile flammable solvent.
A representative flash point above approximately 150 °C indicates that substantial heating is required before ignitable vapor conditions become relevant under the stated test method.
Fire conditions can still generate carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and irritating decomposition products.
Lutensol M 7 firefighters should use suitable protective equipment in a substantial fire involving stored surfactant.
Water spray, foam, dry chemical or other extinguishing media should be selected according to the current SDS and the surrounding fire.
Large storage installations should incorporate appropriate containment for contaminated firefighting water.
Lutensol M 7 environmental release should be minimized.
Alcohol ethoxylates are surface-active substances and high local concentrations can affect aquatic organisms even when the material is biodegradable.
Spills should therefore be prevented from entering drains or surface water without appropriate treatment.
Lutensol M 7 Procurement and Technical Support:
Ataman Kimya supports customers looking for Lutensol M 7 with dependable supply solutions and relevant technical information for industrial and formulation requirements.
Additional support can be provided regarding product specifications, available documentation, and the evaluation of suitable product options based on the intended application.
