NEWS CENTER

During shortages, key surfactant alternatives used to replace linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) include sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), secondary alkane sulfonate (SAS), and alkyl polyglucosides (APG), among others.

LAS is one of the most widely used surfactants in detergent formulations. It is available from multiple suppliers, is generally relatively inexpensive under normal conditions, is easy to incorporate into formulations, has good biodegradability, and, most importantly, delivers excellent cleaning performance. According to the ingredient lists of major EU detergents—in liquid and soluble unit-dose forms—LAS is in fact present in most products.

LAS is currently produced from non-renewable petroleum-derived raw materials.

During periods when LAS is in short supply and expensive, we would like to achieve one of the following two goals:

Procure a version of LAS derived from renewable resources and not petroleum-derived.
Identify a material that can replace LAS, with similar performance, cost, and environmental characteristics, and that can be used as a substitute in detergent formulations.

We will evaluate solutions based on the following criteria:

Industrial availability or potential scalability
Cost and supply volume
Cleaning performance
For example, secondary alkane sulfonate (SAS) is a versatile anionic surfactant with excellent surface-active properties, such as strong degreasing and outstanding wetting performance, and is widely used in home care, industrial and institutional cleaning, technical applications, and personal care. It has good ecotoxicological properties and exhibits good skin and toxicological compatibility.

SAS is produced by the photo/water process through the sulfo-oxidation reaction of n-paraffins, and is an environmentally friendly surfactant with excellent biodegradability.

SAS can generally be used as a direct replacement for LAS. In many applications, switching from LAS to SAS is easy and requires no extensive formulation adjustments.

SAS is a versatile anionic surfactant that can be widely used in various formulations and applications.

It combines:

Strong degreasing
Excellent wetting and emulsifying properties
Good particulate soil removal
High tolerance to hard water
Viscosity-reducing effect
Free of benzene, ethylene oxide, and dioxane
Good skin compatibility
Low aquatic toxicity and low environmental impact
Stability over a wide pH range and high compatibility with enzymes, electrolytes, and oxidizing agents (such as chlorine).

Switching to SAS can also bring additional performance advantages.

Laundry detergents: Excellent cleaning performance, even at lower wash temperatures.

Hard surface cleaners: Fast cleaning and leaves fewer streaks than LAS.

Hand dishwashing liquids: Faster degreasing and a better skin feel compared with LAS.