Alcohol Ethoxylates
| Names | |
|---|---|
Other names
| |
| Identifiers | |
| ChEBI | |
| ECHA InfoCard | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 879: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 879: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| E number | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 879: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
|
|
| Properties | |
| CH 3(CH 2) m(OCH 2CH 2) nOH | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
| Infobox references | |
Alcohol ethoxylates, also known as ethoxylated alcohols or alkyl PEG ethers, are a class of chemical compounds produced by the ethoxylation of fatty alcohols.[1][2][3] They are commonly used as nonionic surfactants and consist of a hydrophobic alkyl chain derived from the fatty alcohol and a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) chain formed from repeated ethylene oxide units. Alcohol ethoxylates can be represented by the general chemical formula CH
3(CH
2)
m(OC
2H
4)
nOH. In addition to their surfactant applications, alcohol ethoxylates are also used as humectants, skin-conditioning agents, and solvents in cosmetic formulations.[3]
Nomenclature
Alcohol ethoxylates used in cosmetics are often named based on the fatty alcohol they are derived from and the number of ethylene oxide units in their hydrophilic tails.[3] For example, the name steareth-10 is given to the ethoxylated alcohol derived from stearyl alcohol appended with an average of 10 ethylene oxide units, i.e. CH
3(CH
2)
17(OC
2H
4)
10OH.[4][3] The fatty alcohols used for ethoxylation are typically mixtures and naming conventions depend on the average Cn chain length.[1]
For alcohol ethoxylates, chemists often use the shorthand formula CmEn, where m denotes the average number of carbon atoms in the fatty alcohol chain and n denotes the average number of ethylene oxide units in the poly(ethylene oxide) chain.[1]
Synthesis
Alcohol ethoxylates are formed by reacting fatty alcohols with ethylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst, i.e. an ethoxylation reaction.
Properties
Uses
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tadros, Tharwat F. (2014-12-31). An Introduction to Surfactants. DE GRUYTER. p. 12. doi:10.1515/9783110312133. ISBN 978-3-11-031212-6. Search this book on
- ↑ Nace, Vaughn (2017-10-19). Nace, Vaughn M., ed. Nonionic Surfactants: Polyoxyalkylene Block Copolymers (1 ed.). CRC Press. doi:10.1201/9780203745656. ISBN 978-0-203-74565-6. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Fiume, Monice M.; Heldreth, Bart; Bergfeld, Wilma F.; Belsito, Donald V.; Hill, Ronald A.; Klaassen, Curtis D.; Liebler, Daniel; Marks, James G.; Shank, Ronald C.; Slaga, Thomas J.; Snyder, Paul W.; Andersen, F. Alan (2012). "Safety Assessment of Alkyl PEG Ethers as Used in Cosmetics". International Journal of Toxicology. 31 (5_suppl): 169S–244S. doi:10.1177/1091581812444141. ISSN 1091-5818. PMID 23064774.
- ↑ "CIR Portal Ingredient Status Report". cir-reports.cir-safety.org. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
This article "Alcohol Ethoxylates" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Alcohol Ethoxylates. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
