Surfactants

Versatile environmentally friendly anionic surfactant range

Lutensit® types (alcohol ethersulfates, acylsarcosinates, alkylbenzene sulfonates)
The Lutensit® ionic surfactants are suitable for a wide range of applications. In the chemical-technical industries Lutensit® grades can be used for the ionic stabilisation of a dispersion in emulsion polymerization. These ionic surfactants are suitable for household, all-purpose, sanitary and floor cleaners on account of their outstanding surface activity. Lutensit® grades can also be readily combined with other surfactants. Some types exhibit various additional benefits In addition to their surfactant properties, like skin mildness, bleach stabilization and corrosion inhibition that can be used in a wide variety of applications from cosmetic formulations to metal working.

Speciality anionic surfactant range for industrial applications

Nekal® types (alkylnaphthalene sulphonates)
The Nekal® grades are real specialist ionic surfactants. They perform especially well in the emulsion polymerization of butadiene. Moreover, Nekal® ionic surfactants are suitable for the production of crop protection formulations, for example suspension concentrates. Their good wetting and dispersing action is especially useful in water-dispersible granules and powders.

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Oleochemical base surfactants for detergents, cleaners and industrial applications

Lutensol® A..N types (C12C14 fatty alcohol ethoxylates)
Lutensol® A..N nonionic surfactants are ethoxylates of straight-chain oleochemical alcohols. Overall, they exhibit good wetting, dispersion and emulsifying properties and can be used as basic surfactants for detergents and cleaners.

Petrochemical base surfactants for detergents, cleaners and industrial applications 

Lutensol® AO types (C13C15 oxo alcohol ethoxylates)
The Lutensol® AO grades are oxo alcohol ethoxylates based on predominantly linear alcohols. Depending on the degree of ethoxylation, Lutensol® AO nonionic are effective base surfactants for powder detergents. They achieve good results at all washing temperatures, especially when cotton and cotton synthetic blends are washed.

The classic nonionic surfactant for technical applications

Lutensol® AP types (Alkylphenol ethoxylates)
The Lutensol® AP grades possess good emulsifying, dispersing and wetting properties. Since the effect of breakdown products of alkylphenol ethoxylates in water courses is subject to critical assessment, voluntary agreements exist in many countries which aim at avoiding the use of this class of substances. Lutensol® ON, Lutensol® TO and Lutensol® XL nonionic surfactants are used as alternatives to alkyl phenol ethoxylates due to their similar performance characteristics.

Surfactants for solid formulations

Lutensol® AT types (C16C18 fatty alcohol ethoxylates)
Lutensol® AT types are based on alcohols with relatively long molecular chains. As a result their melting point is higher than that of fatty alcohol ethoxylates with shorter carbon chains. The higher ethoxylated products can therefore be processed in solid form such as powders or flakes. This facilitates the production of many solid detergents and cleaners. Lutensol® AT powder grades for example are added directly to washing powders as an additional surfactant component. Lutensol® AT nonionic surfactants in the form of flakes are ideal for cleaning bars which are cast or pressed.

Amine group containing surfactants for acidic cleaners and industrial application

Lutensol® FA types (fatty amine and fatty amide ethoxylates)
Lutensol® FA grades are particularly suitable as surfactants for the production of industrial cleaners and especially for acidic cleaners. They perform well as emulsifiers in many applications, such as in auxiliary formulation for textile processing. Lutensol® FSA 10 nonionic surfactant is suitable particularly as an emulsifier for special technical application such as degreasing leather and treating fur.

High foaming natural based surfactants

Lutensol® GD types (alkyl polyglucosides)
The Lutensol® GD grades are suitable components for industrial and institutional cleaners. On the one hand they are stable in highly alkaline solutions and, for the other, additional nonionic surfactants can be readily incorporated into these because of their solubilisation properties.

Standard short chain surfactants with good wetting properties

Lutensol® ON types (C10 oxo alcohol ethoxylates)
The Lutensol® ON types are based on a branched C10 alcohol and are characterised by excellent surface activity. For that reason they are an important active ingredient in cleaning and technical wetting and dispersion processes, for example in textile auxiliaries, micro-emulsions or spray cleaners. Lutensol® ON nonionic surfactants are also used as alternatives to alkylphenol ethoxylates due to their similar performance characteristics.

Surfactants with high wetting power for cleaner and industrial applications

Lutensol® TO types (C13 oxo alcohol ethoxylates)
The Lutensol® TO grades exhibit excellent surface activity and therefore have an outstanding wetting action. They are therefore ideal for all types of detergents and cleaners, especially in household cleaners as well as in industrial and institutional cleaners. In addition to their good cleaning ability, their pronounced emulsifying action is important to the chemical and allied industries. Lutensol® TO nonionic surfactants are also used as alternative to alkylphenol ethoxylates due to their similar performance characteristics.

Highly dynamic surfactants as replacement for APEOs

Lutensol® XA, XL and XP types (C10 Guerbet alcohol alkoxylates)
The Lutensol® XA, XL and XP types are based on a C10-Guerbet-alcohol. Due to their excellent surface activity, they are important ingredients in the formulation of cleaners and powerful wetting agents for a number of technical applications. Their low tendency to form gels in the presence of water is a great advantage in their use in aqueous formulations. Lutensol® XA, XL and XP nonionic surfactants are a powerful alternative to alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEO), because of their comparable performance spectrum.

Biodegradable, low foaming surfactants for household and cleaners

Plurafac® LF types (fatty alcohol alkoxylates)
The Plurafac® LF grades are the result of many years of studies on the development of biodegradable surfactants having excellent antifoaming properties. They comprise a broad range of low-foam surfactants for use in household, industrial and institutional cleaners. Since they additionally exhibit outstanding emulsifying, dispersing and lubricating properties, they are versatile in a variety of industrial sectors from lubricants to rinse aids. The end-capped Plurafac® LF grades remain stable even in contact with highly concentrated alkali hydroxides, and their antifoam properties are retained. Thus, Plurafac® LF nonionic low foaming surfactants are ideal antifoaming agent for highly alkaline cleaners and also as additives for alkaline cleaning processes. Among the main applications in the use in industrial cleaners are bottle washing or CIP cleaning in the food industry.

Low foaming surfactants for industrial applications

Pluronic® PE types (PO/EO block polymers)
The Pluronic® PE grades are outstanding antifoaming agents. In addition, they have excellent wetting, dispersing and emulsifying properties. Depending on the degree of ethoxylation, they are liquids, pastes, solids or powders. Plurafac® PE nonionic low foaming surfactants can be used in many applications, e.g. as lubricating components in metalworking.

Pluronic RPE® types (EO/PO block polymers)
The Pluronic® RPE grades are used preferentially for metalworking because of their antifoaming, dispersing and lubricating properties. Other applications are as defoamers for water treatment, food processing and the electronic industry.

Tetronic® types (EO/PO block polymers)
The Tetronic® types are distinguished by their pronounced dispersing, lubricating and foam-inhibiting action.

Defoaming surfactants (defoamers) Degressal® types
The Degressal® grades are hydrophobic substances which are used as silicone-free antifoaming components in various formulations. As foam inhibitors the Degressal® defoamers are particularly suitable for applications in which silicone is undesirable. If necessary to prolong the shelf-life of formulations, we recommend to add solubilising substances such as cumene sulphonate, alcohols or glycols ethers.

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Alkyl substituted polyethylene glycols as building blocks for chemical synthesis

Pluriol® A..E types (methyl polyethylene glycols)
The Pluriol® A..E range comprises methylcapped polyethylene glycols, which are used as raw material in chemical reactions, especially in esterification, due to their good reactivity and high purity. Applications range from construction industry to laques and polyurethane production.

Alkyl substituted polypropylene glycols as building blocks for chemical synthesis

Pluriol® A..P types (alkyl polypropylene glycols)
Pluriol® A..P types are clear, water insoluble liquids, used in the manufacturing of esters that act as defoamers in coatings and colorant formulations. The product ranges of polyalkylene glycols includes partially substituted alkoxylates. Depending on the chemical composition and molecular weight they can be used as reagent for esterifications, as solvents, as dispersing, emulsification and wetting agents as well as lubrificants.

Alkyl substituted polyalkylene glycol copolymerisates as lubricants and hydraulic fluids for chemical synthesis

Pluriol® A..PE types (alkyl polyalkylene glycol - copolymers)
The range comprises alkylmodified polymerisates of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. These products exhibit excellent shear stability, low viscosity at high molecular weight and good lubrication efficacy. Thus, they are used in the textile and metal working industries as well as hydraulic and compressor liquids.

Unsaturated polyalkylene glycols as building blocks in polymerisation reactions

Pluriol® A..R types
Pluriol® A..R types contain unsaturated moieties, which can be reacted with acrylic compounds and silanes. The high purity of Pluriol® A..R polyalkylene glycols allows the preparation of critical components for the coatings and polyurethane production.

Trifunctional polyalkylene glycols as lubricants and crosslinkers

Pluriol® A..TE types
Pluriol® A..TE types are polyalkylene glycols based on trifunctional alcohols. They can be used as lubricant, e.g. in the textile industry, or as precursor of acrylic esters, which serve as cross-linkers, e.g. in UV-curable coatings.

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Versatile building block for chemical reactions and rheology modifiers

Pluriol® E types (polyethylene glycols)
The Pluriol® E grades are an extremely versatile family of products. Depending on their molecular weight they can fulfil a wide variety of tasks including acting as solubilisers or consistency regulators, as impregnating agents or softeners, as binders, humectants, lubricants, dispersants or mould release agents. In addition, these polyethylene glycols also serve as organic intermediates for the production of polyesters, polyurethanes, etc. The Pluriol® E grades are available as liquids, pastes and solids. The solid products can also be supplied in the form of powders, fine powders, flakes or melts and can thus be employed in the most varied processing steps.

Antifoaming and lubricating additives

Pluriol® P types (polypropylene glycols)
The Pluriol® P grades can be used in several production processes in the chemical-technical industries. Of direct value is their antifoaming, lubricating and mould releasing action, which depends on the molecular weight. These polypropylene glycols can be converted to monoesters and diesters, ethers and can be used in polycondensation processes. In addition, they conduct heat, cold and pressure, can be used as solubilisers and function as consistency regulators for liquid media. Last but not least, they are also excellent dispersants for pigments.

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The Emulan grades are high-performance emulsifiers, especially suitable for the preparation of oil-in-water emulsions and dispersions of solids. They thus form the basis for a series of products for impregnation, lubrication, cleaning and care as well as for the protection of surfaces. Futhermore, mixtures of Emulan® grades often improve the stabilization of emulsions.

The Emulphor® grades are high-molecular-weigth ether sulphates which are preferentially used in the emulsion polymerization of acrylate and methacrylate esters, styrene and vinyl esters. They can be used in homopolymerization as well as in copolymerization of these monomers. These anionic emulsifiers are also combined with nonionic Emulan® grades in order to achieve the desired properties such as particle size or emulsion stability. Emulphor® FAS 30 is employed as an alkylphenolethoxylate-free ether sulphate.

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