Methyl Ester Sulfonate: A High-Performance Surfactant Capable of Reducing Builders Dosage in Detergents

The detergency performance of α-sulfo fatty-methyl ester sulfonate (α-MES) under different water hardness conditions was compared against the dominant workhorse in Home Care products, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). Results demonstrate that α-MES has a higher soil removal index and its detergency performance is not drastically affected by water hardness, compared to that of LAS. The addition of α-MES to LAS also shows an improved cleaning performance and better water hardness resistance, due to the structural characteristics of α-MES, which allow the molecules to be relatively insensitive toward polyvalent ions such as Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The washing performance of α-MES, α-MES/LAS, and LAS with different builders at various dosages was studied, and the results indicated that the dosage of builders in the detergent product could be reduced up to 33% with the application of α-MES, while the detergency is not sacrificed.