Effect of alkyl carbon chain length and ethylene oxide content on the performance of linear alcohol ethoxylates

A grid of 30 surfactants varying from C₈ to C₁₈ in carbon chain length and from 40 to 80% in ethylene oxide (EO) content were examined to determine the effect of molecular structure on the physical properties (density, melting point, solution viscosity) and performance properties (surface activity, detergency, hard-surface cleaning, foaming, wetting) of linear alcohol ethoxylates. Results show that while physical propeties are influenced primarily by EO content, both carbon chain length and EO content are important to performance. Optimum carbon chain length is also shown to depend strongly on surfactant concentration. Presented at the AOCS meeting in New Orleans in May 1987.