A COMPARISON OF SURFACTANTS DERIVED FROM ALCOHOLS BASED ON PETROCHEMICAL AND OLEOCHEMICAL SOURCES

Samples of lauryl range alcohols derived from palm kernel oil, coconut oil and ethylene (Ziegler) were derivatized into alcohol sulfates and alcohol ether sulfates (2 moles of ethylene oxide adduct). Physical p roperties and perform ance characteristics for each surfactant were ev aluated both individually and in light duty liquid (LDL) dishwashing f ormulations. The slight differences observed in the physical and perfo rmance properties of the surfactants and their formulations were assig nable to slight differences the individual alcohol, alcohol sulfate an d alcohol ether sulfate samples employed in this study. The magnitude and type of variation found in the samples resulted from normal produc tion variation and not from any properties inherent to the nature of t he alcohol source. We therefore conclude that alcohol sulfates, alcoho l ether sulfates and LDLs formulated from them exhibit identical physi cal property and performance characteristics, regardless of whether th e original alcohol was manufactured from petrochemical or oleochemical sources.