A Sustainable, Dioxane-free Alternative to Traditional Alcohol Ethoxylates in Liquid Laundry Detergents

Monday, April 28, 2025

3:35 PM – 3:55 PM PST

Room: B110-112

Presenting Author(s)

DH

Dustin D. Hawker

Technical Manager
BASF Corporation
Southfield, Michigan, United States

Co-Author(s)

MH

Mohamed A. Hammami

Scientist III
BASF Corporation, United States
AA

Anna Li A. Aguirre

Scientist III
BASF Corporation, United States
DM

Deija A. Morton

Scientist I
BASF Corporation, United States
LM

Lillian A. Ma

Marketing Manager
BASF Corporation, United States

Abstract:

The detergents industry has faced challenges due to increasing regulations on 1,4-dioxane, an impurity in ethoxylated surfactants. Consequently, a market need has arisen for 1,4-dioxane free alternatives to widely surfactants such as Alcohol ethoxylates (AEOs) and sodium lauryl ether sulfates (SLES). Anionic surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) are potential substitutes but may cause skin irritation and are sensitive to hard water. Additionally, while anionic surfactants tend to be excellent at lifting and suspending particulate soils, nonionic surfactants excel at emulsifying oils and removing organic soils. Therefore, SLS and LAS are not ideal replacements for alcohol ethoxylates, as their differing charges and mechanisms of action suit them to different categories of stains and give them different performance profiles. This talk will present a novel blend of alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) developed by BASF for laundry applications as a dioxane-free alternative to traditional AEOs without compromising performance, while providing improved sustainability and efficiency.