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Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is a very effective foaming agent.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, toothpaste.
Used in wetting agent formulations, liquid detergents, cleaners, shampoos and laundry detergents.
CAS: 68585-34-2
MF: C12H26Na2O5S
MW: 328.38
EINECS: 500-223-8
Synonyms
SODIUM LAURYL ETHER SULFATE;NAXOLATE ES-130;NAXOLATE ES-230;NAXOLATE ES-330;NAXOLATE ES-360;Lauryl ether sulfate, sodium salt;Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-sulfo-.omega.-hydroxy-, C10-16-alkyl ethers, sodium salts;(C10-C16)Alkyl ethoxylate sulfuric acid, sodium salt
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is also surfactants that is used in many cosmetic products for cleaning and emulsifying properties.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate dissolves readily in hard and soft water and provides a consistent foam character.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is used in cosmetics as a detergent and also to make products bubble and foam.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is common in shampoos, shower gels and facial cleansers.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is also found in household cleaning products, like dish soap.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate has good solvency, favorable hard-water resistance and high-biodegradation.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate also facilitates ease of formulation and production.
In addition, Sodium lauryl ether sulphate also creates a degree of thickening to the final product formulation.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate, an accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate, also called sodium alkylethersulfate, is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) and for industrial uses.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate, ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium pareth sulfate are surfactants that are used in many cosmetic products for their cleaning and emulsifying properties.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil.
In herbicides, Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is used as a surfactant to improve absorption of the herbicidal chemicals and reduces time the product takes to be rainfast, when enough of the herbicidal agent will be absorbed.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate for this family of surfactants is CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na.
Sometimes the number represented by n is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is however heterogeneous in that the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is the most common one in commercial products.
Compared to the parent Sodium lauryl ether sulphate, SLES is more surface-active owing to the presence of the ethoxy groups.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate Chemical Properties
Storage temp.: Hygroscopic, Refrigerator, Under inert atmosphere
Solubility: Chloroform (Slightly), Methanol (Sparingly), Water (Slightly)
Form: Gel
Color: Colourless to Off-White
Stability: Hygroscopic
InChI: InChI=1S/C12H26O.2Na.H2O4S/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13;;;1-5(2,3)4/h13H,2-12H2,1H3;;;(H2,1,2,3,4)/q;2*+1;/p-2
InChIKey: SEKVTWKYOIVNGT-UHFFFAOYSA-L
CAS DataBase Reference: 68585-34-2(CAS DataBase Reference)
EPA Substance Registry System: Sodium lauryl ether sulphate(68585-34-2)
Uses
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is an anionic surfactant.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate's excellent detergency makes it one of the key components of rinse-off products, as a primary surfactant.
In addition to cleansing power, Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is distinguished by excellent emulsification and foaming abilities, and compatibility with the majority of surfactants (all except cationic).
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate can be used for wood coating formulation.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is used in cosmetics as a detergent and also to make products bubble and foam.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is common in shampoos, shower gels and facial cleansers.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is also found in household cleaning products, like dish soap.
Production Methods
Initially, Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is sulfated in batches by cholorosulfonic acid.
Both reagents are fed to a glass-lined, stirred, jacketed reactor, with the acid being gradually added to the reaction.
The sulfation is carried out at 25 - 30°C under a vacuum for about 2.5 hours.
The gaseous HCl by-product is led off the sulfation product and directed to a scrubber downstream.
The sulfation product is fed to the neutralization.
Neutralization
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is fed to a neutralization vessel, where it is contacted with a 50 wt% caustic soda solution along with process water to adjust its active component.
The neutralization reaction is carried out below 45 °C, generating a 70 wt% sodium lauryl ether sulfate further routed to packaging.
Scrubbing.
The HCl evolved during the sulfation is fed to a scrubber, which is absorbed in process water, generating a 33 wt% hydrochloric acid solution by-product.
Production
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is prepared by ethoxylation of dodecyl alcohol, which is produced industrially from palm kernel oil or coconut oil.
The resulting ethoxylate is converted to a half ester of sulfuric acid, which is neutralized by conversion to the sodium salt.
The related surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate or Sodium lauryl ether sulphate (also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate or SDS) is produced similarly, but without the ethoxylation step.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are commonly used alternatives to SLES in consumer products.
Hazard
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and Sodium lauryl ether sulphate as a possible human carcinogen.
Ethylene oxide can also harm the nervous system and the California Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as a possible developmental toxicant based on evidence that it may interfere with human development.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate is also persistent.
In other words, Sodium lauryl ether sulphate doesn’t easily degrade and can remain in the environment long after it is rinsed down the shower drain.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate can be removed from cosmetics during the manufacturing process by vacuum stripping, but there is no easy way for consumers to know whether products containing sodium laureth sulfate have undergone this process.
The industry panel that reviews the safety of cosmetics ingredients notes that sodium laureth sulfate can irritate the skin and eyes (though approving of its use in cosmetics).
Side effects
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs, especially with long-term use.
Sodium lauryl ether sulphate may also be contaminated with a substance called 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
This contamination occurs during the manufacturing process.
