NEODOXä Alcohol Ethoxycarboxylate¹

^{Product and Process Features}

^{Alcohol Ethoxycarboxylates (AEC) produced by the Oxidation Process are distinctive surfactants shipped at > 90% purity. This allows the user to formulate to specific pH needs and to select the preferred neutralizing agent. NEODOXä AECs can be based on virtually any high quality ethoxylate to meet the users’ needs.}

^{Both the high purity and high activity of NEODOXä alcohol ethoxycarboxylate products stem from the mild and selective conditions of the Oxidation Process. This process produces AECs according to the following oxidative reaction:}

^{Typical NEODOXä AECs produced from this process and available from Hickson DanChem Technologies Inc are:}

^{NEODOXä 91-5}

^{NEODOXä 91-5}

^{NEODOXä 1-4}

^{NEODOXä 23-4}

^{NEODOXä 23-6}

^{NEODOXä 23-11}

^{NEODOXä 25-6}

^{The potential uses of  DanChem NEODOXä AECs are as wide as your imagination. These high performance surfactants exhibit good foaming ability, wet surfaces rapidly, emulsify oil, exhibit good detergency, have good particle dispersion in water, and are very mild to the skin and eyes. In addition to these generally accepted properties, these products display other characteristics which add substantial versatility such as ease of handling, high temperature stability and compatibility with most ionic classes. Because of the variety of alkoxylate feedstocks readily available, NEODOXä AECs can be made to meet a variety of formulator needs.}

^{Since NEODOXä AECs are made from alcohol ethoxylates, and are supplied in the acid form (pH=3 to 3.5 for a 1% aqueous solution), only the highest molecular weight derivatives are viscous at typical ambient temperatures. (See Table 1 for Physical Properties.) Therefore, the formulator has less need for heated storage or specialized mixing equipment. NEODOXä AECs have very effective cleaning characteristics, even in the acidic form. As an acid, NEODOXä AECs may be considered "capped nonionics," and are expected to clean similarly to the nonionics from which they are made. Once the carboxylate anion is generated, NEODOXä AECs become exceptionally high foaming surfactants. The stability of NEODOXä AECs at high temperatures is expected to be useful in textile or metal processing, where speed and/or pressure operations often generate enough heat to decompose less robust surfactants.}

^{Since AEC is an expected biodegradation intermediate for linear alcohol ethoxylates, we would expect AEC to be at least as biodegradable as the NEODOLä ethoxylates. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a number of laboratory-based guideline tests to screen chemicals for their biodegradability (40 CFR, Parts 796-3100 to 796 33600). The NEODOLTM ethoxylates have been shown to be readily biodegradable when subjected to these tests. A product which is readily biodegradable falls into the most biodegradable classification as defined by the EPA.}

^{AECs have been used safely in personal care and consumer products and are very mild to the skin and eyes when used in these formulations. AECs have been formulated in products such as "tearless" shampoo, dish washing liquids and laundry detergents. They are very effective lime soap dispersing agents and do not participate in hard water. Therefore, the necessity of formulating with chelating agents is minimized.}

^{(See Figure 1.)}

^{NEODOXä AECs are high foamers and the foam is unaffected by the presence of high levels of greasy soils. With the unneutralized terminal carboxylate group, the formulator is afforded the opportunity of neutralizing with his own base. This carboxylate anion, when combined with the proper ethoxylate chain, can produce a molecule which provides a significant change in surfactant properties when the pH is adjusted. This property is useful in systems where it is desirable to break an emulsion in order to recycle the oil, water, and/or surfactant. At DanChem, we like to think of NEODOXä AECs as: "Soap without the negatives!"}

^{Applications of NEODOXä AECs have found a myriad of uses in many product areas. These include: industrial cleaning and lubricating fluids, household cleaners such as dish washing liquids, home or institutional hard surface cleaners and household laundry products. Other specific formulating areas of interest for the consumer market are personal care products, such as bath gels and shampoos (because of the combination of mildness and lime soap dispersion). Additionally, because of its low streaking ability, an AEC based hard surface cleaner would be a highly preferred consumer product. An overview of the attributes and potential applications are given in Table 3.}

^{Sanders, A. and Kim, L. "Alkoxyalkanoic Acid Preparation," U.S. Patent 4,348,509.}

^{Cripe, T. A., "Processing for Making Alkyl Ethoxycarboxylates," U.S. Patent 5,233, 087, Procter and Gamble.}

^{Noack, W. E., et al., "Method for Manufacture of Ether Carbonic Acids," German Patent DE 392906A1, Henkel.}

^{Balzer, D. and Kosswig, K., "Process for Oil Recovery from a Subterranean Reservoir," U. S. Patent 4,485,873, Hules.}

^{Olsen, D. K. and Josephson, C. B., "Carboxymethylated Ethoxylated Surfactants," National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research, Report Number 228, August, 1987.}

^{Van Paasen. N.A.I., "Alkylethercarboxylate: Hautfreundliche Rochstoffe for Kosmetische Anwendungen," ("Alkyl ether-carboxylate: A Raw Material with Skin Mildness for Cosmetic Applications"), Sifen-Ole-Fette-Wachse, 109, pp. 353-5, (1983).}

^{Stroink, E., "Ethercarboxylates for Industrial and Institutional Applications," pages 62-75, edited by D. R. Karsa, Proceeding of a Symposium organized by the North West Region of Industrial Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Salford, April 19-20, 1989, Industrial Applications of Surfactants II, Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1990.}

^{Schafer, D. and Schafer, R., "Method of Cleaning Contact Lens Using Compositons Containing Polyether Carboxylic Acid Surfactant," U. S. Patent 4,808,239, Alcon.}

^{Abe, M., Schechter, R. S., Selliah, R. D., Sheikh, B., and Wade, W. H., "Phase Behavior of Branched Tail Ethoxylated Carboxylate Surfactant/Electrolyte/Alkane Systems." J. Dispersion Science and Technology, 8, 157 (1987).}

^{Meijer, H., "Ethercarboxylates, The Use of Their Properties for New Developments in Cleaning and Industrial Applications," Chem-Y, GmbH.}

^{Wendell Roth
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
DanChem Technologies, Inc.
1975 Old Richmond Road
Danville, VA 24540
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 434 797-8120 ext 105
Fax: 434 799-2814}

^{1 Trademark under license from Shell Oil Company. The purchase of this product includes a license to use the products solely in Industrial Cleaning applications, and no other uses are authorized. By accepting this product, Purchaser agrees to obtain the written consent of HICKSON DANCHEM prior to all uses of the product outside of Industrial Cleaning applications}