Ww. Schmidt et al., ALCOHOL ETHOXYCARBOXYLATES - MILD, HIGH-FOAMING SURFACTANTS FOR PERSONAL-CARE PRODUCTS, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society, 74(1), 1997, pp. 25-31
Alcohol ethoxycarboxylates (AEC) may be derived from alcohol ethoxylat
es (AEO) either by reaction of the nonionic surfactant with monochloro
acetic acid (MCAA) or by oxidation. If MCAA is used, a -CH2COOH unit i
s added to the AEO. When an AEO is oxidized, the terminal -CH2OH group
is selectively converted to -COOH. By use of proprietary carefully co
ntrolled oxidation technology, a variety of AEC surfactants have been
synthesized. These surfactants exhibit good foaming and excellent lime
soap dispersion, and they allow formulation of high-quality personal-
care products. Starter formulations have been investigated with AEC, b
oth in shampoos and liquid hand cleaners. These formulations had the v
iscosity and foaming found in a survey of commercially available produ
cts. A shampoo and a liquid soap formulation with AEC were subjected t
o in-vitro assays to assess the potential for irritation to the skin o
r eyes. The assay results predict these formulations to cause minimal
irritation, similar to commercial products.