BTC Europe's surfactants portfolio includes a variety of different application areas for the detergent and cleaning agent industry. Our surfactants or WAS (washing active substances) support dirt detachment and "floating posture", prevent re-contamination and act as solubilizers as well as surface-active or amphiphilic substances.

 

Nonionic surfactants

 

BTC Europes nonionic surfactants are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols. They are used in cleaning agents due to their strong washing performance and reduced foaming properties. They act mainly in combination with anionic surfactants in the detergents and cleaning industry.

 

With our versatile product grades we offer outstanding detergency and cleaning quality to manufacture liquid dishwashing and technical cleaning agents as well as liquid duty detergents. According to the temperature of the application the cloud point of each product determines the performance. Because of their lower sensivity against water hardness the products are suited for a wide range of cleaning applications. Especially the short fatty alcohol products show fast action in water containing solutions. In cases where less foam is needed at temperatures below 40°C or even at higher temperatures BTC Europes broad portfolio of nonionic surfactants offers the right product.

 

Considering the alkyl chain and the degree of ethoxylation respectively alkoxylation the properties change with respect to chain lengths and alkoxylation degree. The detergency performance is  provided by nonionics with medium degree of alkoxylation. With respect to ethoxylation or alkoxylation the foaming and wetting qualities are affected. Alkyl polyglucosides are nonionic surfactants without ethoxylated units and give strong foaming property whereas other nonionics provide less foaming properties. In general nonionic surfactants are 100% active or in dependency on their alkoxylation degree water-diluted solutions. Further dilution with water is possible. In some cases extra energy is needed to overcome the gelling phase. In addition to the less sensivity of water hardness nonionics are less sensitive against pH values. They do not decompose in acidic or alkaline conditions.

 

Anionic surfactants

 

Our anionic surfactants are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols. They act mainly as primary surfactants in the detergent and cleaning industry and as cleaning agents due to their strong washing performance and foaming properties.

Applications of our anionic surfactants for detergents and cleaning agents

The variety of cleaning applications in the industry induces the use of multitude anionic surfactants.

 

With our Texapon® grades we offer outstanding detergency and cleaning quality to manufacture liquid dishwashing and technical cleaning agents as well as liquid duty detergents. Because of its good foam characteristic and the easy thickening with salt, the products are suited for a wide range of cleaning applications. Especially the short fatty alcohol products show significant fast action in water containing solutions.

 

Under the brand name Texapon® we offer fatty alcohol ether sulfates and fatty alcohol sulfates. Under the brand Disponil® and Maranil® we offer linear alkybenzene sulfonates (LAS).

 

The manufacturing of the Sulfopon® granule grades is based on fluidized bed granulation and the resulting granule structure allows the convenient addition of fatty alcohol sulfates (FAS) into laundry detergents and cleaning agents, based on solid and powdered recipes. The granules are not only suitable for home care applications, but also for the industrial and institutional sector.

 

The Lutensit® surfactants are suitable for a wide range of household, all-purpose, sanitary and floor cleaners applications on account of their outstanding surface activity.

 

Our Texapon® grades (linear alcohol ether sulfates), Sulfopon® grades (alcohol sulfates) and Lutensit® grades (anionic surfactant blends) are the workhorses of the household, institutional and industrial detergents industry.

 

Depending on product type, our anionic surfactants can come in a variety of forms, from water-thin and viscous liquids to paste or even powders and granules for dry product formulations. We offer convenient product forms for convenient formulations.

 

Surfactants as wetting agents

 

Surfactants with wetting properties are applied in a variety of formulations. They are added as a component where the fast wetting of substrates is mandatory. Our wetting agents are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols.

 

The use of wetting agents is needed in cleaning applications and chemical-technical applications like in emulsion polymerisation processes. Even in crop protection-formulations wetting agents are required. The performance of the wetting property and the compatibility with other inert of a formulation is the decisive criteria. The wetting performance is described by several methods. For wetting a fibre or cotton the method EN 1772 is used. For wetting a surface the measurement of contact angle is used. In general the measurement of the dynamic surface tension informs about the wetting properties and such values are helpful to select the appropriate surfactant for the requested application.

 

Low foaming surfactants

 

Our low foaming surfactants are used in the detergents and cleaning industry as cleaning agents due to their strong washing performance and reduced foaming properties. They are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols.

 

Low foaming surfactants are nonionic surfactants which are modified either by degree of alkoxylation or modified alkyl chain. The modification reduces the foam capacity. Most of the low foaming surfactants are available in liquid form, either 100% active or in a water diluted solution. The solubility of the low foaming surfactants increases in line with their cloud point. Products with a cloud point below room temperature can be made to form clear solutions by adding solubilizers such as alcohols and glycols.

 

Cationic surfactants

 

Our cationic surfactants are derived from natural compounds. They act mainly as surface modifiers in the detergent and cleaning industry and as degreasing agents due to their strong wetting performance.

 

Dehyquart® CSP is an esterquat component developed especially for car care applications. It acts as a surface modifier to dry the car surface with high gloss properties.

 

Demelan® grades can be used for home care and I&I applications such as kitchen cleaners, oven cleaners, automatic car wash, traffic film remover, engine cleaners and metal treatment (degreasing and metal oxide remover).

 

Dehyton® grades are amphoteric surfactants. They are often used as co-surfactants in cleaning formulations. For example in manual dishwashing applications they act as foam booster and foam stabilizer.

 

Surfactants as Solubilizers

 

Surfactants with solubilizing properties are used in a variety of formulations. The surfactants are added as a component where solubilizing performance is needed to obtain clear formulations. BTC Europes surfactants are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols.

 

Turbid or cloudy appearance in formulations can be avoided by applying solubilizers. Their use is independent of the respective application. Especially when alkoxylated surfactants are part of a formulation turbidity can occur. In such cases solubilizers are mandatory to obtain a clear formulation. In addition solubilizers enable the formulation of concentrated products.

 

Our Lutensol® grades, Emulan® grades and Dehydol® grades are alcohol ethoxylates. The Glucopon® grades are alkyl polyglucosides. Deriphat® is a sodium-N-lauryl-b-iminodipropionate. Solubilisation is applied to bring water-insoluble substances into a solution by incorporation into micelles. Our Lutensol®, Emulan®, and Dehydol® solubilizers with a nonionic structure are soluble in polar and unpolar (mineral oil) formulations and thus provide the required properties. Glucopon® is soluble in alkaline and acidic solutions as well as in potable water (2.7 mmol Ca2+ Ions/l). 

 

Surfactants as defoaming agents

 

BTC Europes surfactants with foam suppressing properties are used in a variety of formulations. They are added as a component suppressing in-situ build foam. They are derived from natural and synthetic alcohols.

 

Our Degressal® SD grades are available in liquid form. They are especially not water diluted products. They are easy to solubilize in aqueous solutions with hydro tropes, glycols, alcohols or other surfactants. Such solubilizers are for example cumene sulphonate or Lutensol® CS 6250. Some products in the Degressal® range form clear solutions in water when they are solubilized.

 

Degressal® SD grades are silicone free foam suppressors for versatile applications. They are in particular a preferred choice for use in applications where the presence of silicone is undesired. Such applications are requested e.g. in emulsion-polymerisation and in pulp & paper. Degressal® SD grades are applied also as a formulation additive for concrete, in chemical processes and in textile applications.