Structural Logic of Nonionic Surfactants: Mechanisms of Action, Classification Features, and Selection Principles
Structural Logic of Nonionic Surfactants: Mechanisms of Action, Classification Features, and Selection Principles
1 Core Problems Addressed by Nonionic Surfactants
In personal care and household formulations, many key challenges are related to oil, water, and interfaces. Sebum, oily soils, fragrance oils, and oil-soluble actives usually do not readily enter the aqueous phase; water also does not easily wet oily, waxy, or low-surface-energy surfaces. Cleansing, emulsification, solubilization, and wetting are essentially different ways of addressing the same underlying problem: how to enable the aqueous phase to effectively contact, disperse, and remove oily substances, or how to allow an oil phase to remain stably present in an aqueous system.
This is where nonionic surfactants become important. They have the amphiphilic structure common to surfactants, while their uncharged hydrophilic groups provide good formulation adaptability. They can reduce interfacial tension and help water wet surfaces; they can surround and disperse oily soils; they can stabilize oil-water emulsions; and they can solubilize small amounts of fragrance oils, essential oils, or oil-soluble ingredients into aqueous systems.
2 What Are Nonionic Surfactants?
2.1 Basic Meaning of Surfactants
Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules that can significantly reduce surface tension or interfacial tension. Their molecules usually contain two parts:
Structural part | Primary affinity target | Role in formulation |
Hydrophobic group | Oils, sebum, waxes, fragrance oils, oily soils | Inserts into the oil phase or adsorbs onto hydrophobic surfaces |
Hydrophilic group | Aqueous phase | Enables the molecule or aggregate to disperse in water |
This structure causes surfactants to adsorb at oil-water interfaces, air-water interfaces, or solid-liquid interfaces. The hydrophobic end avoids water, while the hydrophilic end remains in water. As the molecular arrangement at the interface changes, interfacial tension decreases.
2.2 Meaning of “Nonionic”
Nonionic surfactants are surfactants whose hydrophilic groups do not dissociate into positively or negatively charged ions in aqueous solution. “Nonionic” does not mean nonpolar, nor does it mean non-hydrophilic. Their hydrophilicity usually comes from structures such as polyoxyethylene chains, hydroxyl groups, sugar groups, polyol structures, amide groups, ether bonds, and other polar structures.
These groups carry no net charge, but they can interact with water through hydrogen bonding, hydration, and dipole interactions. The essence of nonionic surfactants is that they are hydrophilic without relying on ionic charge; they can enter the aqueous phase, but they do not participate in strong charge-based interactions in ionic form.
This determines how they differ from anionic and cationic surfactants. Anionic surfactants interact with water through negatively charged hydrophilic head groups, while cationic surfactants function through positively charged hydrophilic head groups. Nonionic surfactants, by contrast, mainly rely on hydration of polar groups to maintain dispersion in the aqueous phase.
3 Typical Structural Features of Nonionic Surfactants
3.1 Typical Structural Types
The common feature of nonionic surfactants is the presence of uncharged hydrophilic groups, but the hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups vary greatly among different categories. Different structures lead to differences in hydrophilicity, emulsifying ability, solubilizing ability, foam behavior, and mildness.
Type | Typical structural expression | Representative ingredients | Structural characteristics |
Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers | R-O-(CH₂CH₂O)n-H | Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (AEO), lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (Laureth), cetearyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (Ceteareth) | The fatty alkyl chain provides hydrophobicity, while the polyoxyethylene chain provides hydrophilicity. The length of the polyoxyethylene chain affects water solubility, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, cloud point, and solubilizing ability. |
Alkyl glycosides | R-O-(glycosyl)n | Alkyl glycosides (APG), decyl glucoside, coco-glucoside, lauryl glucoside | The alkyl chain provides lipophilicity, while the multiple hydroxyl groups on the sugar moiety provide hydrophilicity. Commonly used in mild cleansing, foam adjustment, and blended surfactant systems. |
Sorbitan fatty acid esters | Sorbitan structure + fatty acid chain | Sorbitan laurate (Span 20), sorbitan palmitate (Span 40), sorbitan stearate (Span 60), sorbitan oleate (Span 80) | Relatively lipophilic; commonly used in water-in-oil emulsification, co-emulsification, and low-HLB emulsifying systems. |
Polysorbates | Sorbitan fatty acid ester + polyoxyethylene chain (EO chain) | Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20), polysorbate 60 (Tween 60), polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) | Polyoxyethylene chains are introduced onto the sorbitan fatty acid ester structure, increasing hydrophilicity. Commonly used in oil-in-water emulsification, fragrance solubilization, essential oil dispersion, and solubilization of oily substances. |
Polyglyceryl fatty acid esters | Polyglycerol structure + fatty acid chain | Polyglyceryl laurate, polyglyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl oleate | The polyglycerol structure contains multiple hydroxyl groups, providing hydrophilicity and hydration. The fatty acid chain provides lipophilicity. Commonly used in emulsification, co-emulsification, solubilization, and cream structure adjustment. |
PEG hydrogenated castor oil derivatives | Hydrogenated castor oil backbone + polyethylene glycol chain (PEG chain) | PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil | The hydrogenated castor oil backbone provides lipophilic regions, while the PEG chain provides hydrophilicity. Commonly used for solubilizing fragrance oils, essential oils, and oil-soluble actives, and in transparent aqueous systems. |
Alkanolamides | Fatty acid amide + hydroxyl group | Cocamide MEA (CMEA), cocamide DEA (CDEA), cocamide MIPA (CMIPA) | The fatty acid chain provides hydrophobicity, while the amide group and hydroxyl groups provide polar interactions. Commonly used for detergency boosting, foam stabilization, thickening, and viscosity adjustment in cleansing systems. Irritation potential, impurity control, and regulatory requirements should be considered during use. |
3.2 The Hydrophobic Chain Determines Lipophilic Affinity
The more readily the hydrophobic chain enters the oil phase, the stronger the surfactant’s affinity for sebum, oily soils, fragrance oils, and oily ingredients usually is. Fatty chain length, degree of branching, degree of saturation, and source all affect performance.
In general:
① When the hydrophobic chain is shorter, water solubility is better, but affinity for oily substances may be weaker.
② When the hydrophobic chain is longer, lipophilicity increases, and oil-removal, emulsifying, or solubilizing ability may improve.
③ When hydrophobicity is too strong, water solubility decreases, and a stronger hydrophilic group or a blended system may be required.
The differences among cleansing, emulsifying, and solubilizing nonionic surfactants largely arise from the balance between the hydrophobic chain and the hydrophilic group.
3.3 The Hydrophilic Group Determines Water Solubility and Hydration State
The hydrophilic groups of nonionic surfactants are uncharged, but they can interact with water. Different hydrophilic groups provide different hydration capabilities. In polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants, hydrophilicity comes from hydrogen bonding and hydration between the EO chain and water. The higher the EO number, the more hydrophilic the molecule is, and the better its water solubility usually becomes. When the EO number is lower, the molecule is more lipophilic.
The hydrophilicity of glycoside-type nonionic surfactants comes from the multiple hydroxyl groups on the sugar moiety. Polyhydroxy structures can form strong hydrogen bonds with water, giving them good applicability in mild cleansing systems. Structures such as polyglyceryl esters, sorbitan esters, and polysorbates form different hydrophilic-lipophilic balances through combinations of polyols, ester groups, ether bonds, and fatty chains.
3.4 HLB Reflects the Balance Between Hydrophilicity and Lipophilicity
HLB, or Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance, is an important tool for understanding nonionic surfactants. It describes whether the overall molecule is more hydrophilic or more lipophilic.
HLB tendency | Structural meaning | Common functional direction |
Lower HLB | Molecule is more lipophilic | W/O emulsification, co-emulsification, oil-phase stabilization |
Medium HLB | Hydrophilicity and lipophilicity are relatively balanced | Wetting, dispersion, synergistic emulsification |
Higher HLB | Molecule is more hydrophilic | O/W emulsification, cleansing, solubilization |
4 Mechanisms of Action of Nonionic Surfactants
4.1 Interfacial Adsorption: The Starting Point of Wetting and Soil Removal
Water tends to form droplets on hydrophobic surfaces because the interfacial energy between water and the surface is high. After a nonionic surfactant is added, it actively adsorbs at the interface: the hydrophobic chain points toward air, the oil phase, or the hydrophobic surface, while the hydrophilic group points toward the aqueous phase. This arrangement changes the molecular state at the interface and reduces surface tension and interfacial tension. As a result, water spreads more easily and can more readily enter skin texture, fabric fibers, and crevices within oily soils.
4.2 Soil Removal: Transferring Oily Soil from the Surface into the Aqueous Phase
The cleaning process of nonionic surfactants can be summarized as:
Lowering interfacial tension → wetting the soil surface → hydrophobic chains inserting into oily soil → weakening adhesion between the soil and the substrate → dispersing the soil into small droplets or tiny aggregates → carrying it away with water flow.
The key point is that oily soil is dispersed and stabilized in the aqueous phase by the surfactant. The hydrophobic chains approach the oily soil, the hydrophilic groups maintain the dispersed state, and mechanical force and water flow help detach the soil from the surface.
4.3 Micelles: The Structural Basis of Solubilization
When the surfactant concentration reaches the CMC, or Critical Micelle Concentration, the molecules spontaneously aggregate in water to form micelles.
In a typical micelle:
① The hydrophobic chains gather inside, forming a lipophilic microdomain.
② The hydrophilic groups face outward and remain in contact with the aqueous phase.
③ The micelle as a whole can remain stably dispersed in water.
This structure explains the solubilizing ability of nonionic surfactants. Fragrance oils, essential oils, small amounts of oils, or oil-soluble actives can enter the hydrophobic microdomain inside the micelle, thereby appearing macroscopically as being accommodated in the aqueous system.
The loading capacity of micelles is affected by surfactant structure, use concentration, type of oily substance, salt content, temperature, and other additives. When the amount of solubilizer is insufficient, the system may become cloudy, show oil floating, or develop precipitation. When the solubilizer is excessive, it may cause foam, a sticky feel, or irritation.
4.4 Interfacial Film: The Key to Emulsion Stability
Emulsification is the process of dispersing one liquid phase as small droplets in another liquid phase. In an O/W emulsion, oil droplets are dispersed in water; in a W/O emulsion, water droplets are dispersed in oil. Without an emulsifier, oil droplets collide, coalesce, and eventually separate into layers. After a nonionic emulsifier adsorbs at the oil-water interface, its hydrophobic chain enters the oil phase, while its hydrophilic group extends into the aqueous phase, forming an interfacial film. This film reduces oil-water interfacial tension, allowing oil droplets to be more easily sheared into smaller particle sizes. At the same time, it reduces droplet coalescence through hydration layers and steric hindrance.
4.5 Uncharged Hydrophilic Groups: Hard-Water Tolerance and Formulation Compatibility
The hydrophilic groups of nonionic surfactants carry no net charge, so they generally do not easily form insoluble salts with calcium and magnesium ions in the way fatty acid soaps do. Compared with some anionic surfactants, especially soap-based systems, their effectiveness is usually more stable in hard water. However, hard water, electrolytes, and salt content may still affect cloud point, foam, viscosity, transparency, and emulsion stability, so actual formulation testing is still required.
The uncharged structure also gives nonionic surfactants good compatibility with other surfactants in blended systems. They can be combined with anionic surfactants to improve detergency and wetting ability, and they can also be used with amphoteric surfactants to improve mildness and foam quality. In some systems containing cationic conditioning agents, nonionic surfactants are also easier to make compatible than strongly anionic components.
4.6 Hydration Changes of Polyoxyethylene Chains: The Origin of Cloud Point and Temperature Sensitivity
The hydrophilicity of polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants mainly comes from hydrogen bonding and the hydration layer formed between the EO chain and water. As temperature increases, the hydration layer around the EO chain gradually weakens, and the hydrophilicity of the molecule decreases. After a certain temperature is reached, the system may change from transparent to cloudy. This temperature is called the cloud point.
The cloud point illustrates an important fact: the hydrophilicity of nonionic surfactants is not fixed, but depends on their hydration state. Therefore, the cloud point of polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants must be considered in transparent cleansing liquids, fragrance solubilization systems, wet wipe liquids, and high-temperature processing systems. If storage or transportation temperature approaches the cloud point, cloudiness, precipitation, oil floating, or reduced stability may occur.
For EO/PEG-type nonionic surfactants, in addition to EO number, cloud point, and temperature stability, attention should also be paid to trace impurity control, such as ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which may be introduced by ethoxylation processes. This is especially important for cosmetics, personal care products, and export-market applications.
4.7 Mildness: A Possibility Created by Structure
Nonionic surfactants are often used in mild cleansing systems. Because nonionic surfactants do not rely on charge-based strong interactions with skin proteins, it is relatively easier to design a milder cleansing system when the structure, concentration, and blend are appropriate.
For example, alkyl glycoside surfactants have a polyhydroxy sugar-based hydrophilic head and a fatty alkyl hydrophobic chain, and are commonly used in mild cleansing systems. However, mildness still needs to be assessed based on the specific raw material, active matter concentration, blend system, pH, application area, and residue.
5 Classification of Nonionic Surfactants
5.1 Classification by Hydrophilic Group
Classification | Source of hydrophilic group | Representative ingredients | Main performance direction |
Polyoxyethylene type | Polyoxyethylene chain (EO chain, ethylene oxide adduct chain) | Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (AEO), lauryl alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (Laureth), cetearyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (Ceteareth), polysorbates (Tween) | Cleansing, emulsification, solubilization, wetting |
Glycoside type | Sugar-based polyhydroxy structure | Alkyl glycosides (APG), decyl glucoside, coco-glucoside | Mild cleansing, foam adjustment, synergistic blending |
Polyol ester type | Polyhydroxy structures such as glycerol, sorbitan, and polyglycerol | Glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters (Span) | Emulsification, co-emulsification, skin feel adjustment |
Polyethylene glycol oil derivatives | Polyethylene glycol chain (PEG chain) + oil-derived backbone | PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil | Solubilization of fragrance oils, essential oils, and oily substances |
Alkanolamide type | Amide groups and hydroxyl groups | Cocamide MEA (CMEA), cocamide DEA (CDEA) | Foam stabilization, detergency boosting, thickening |
5.2 Classification by Main Function
Functional type | Main mechanism | Representative direction |
Cleansing type | Wetting, oil removal, micellar dispersion | Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers, some alkyl glycosides (APG, alkyl polyglucosides) |
Emulsifying type | Formation of an oil-water interfacial film | Sorbitan fatty acid esters (Span), polysorbates (Tween), polyglyceryl fatty acid esters, glyceryl fatty acid esters |
Solubilizing type | Micelles or associative structures accommodating oily substances | Polysorbates (Tween), PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil |
Wetting and dispersing type | Reduction of surface tension to promote spreading and dispersion | Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers (AEO), some alkyl glycosides (APG) |
Foam stabilizing and foam boosting type | Improvement of foam film stability and foam fineness | Alkyl glycosides (APG), some alkanolamides |
6 Typical Representative Ingredients and Their Structural Logic
6.1 Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ethers
Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers are typical nonionic surfactants used for cleansing, wetting, and oil removal. Their structure can be expressed as:
R-O-(CH₂CH₂O)n-H
Here, R represents a fatty alkyl chain responsible for lipophilicity, while the EO chain is responsible for hydrophilicity. The higher the EO number, the stronger the hydrophilicity; the stronger the fatty chain, the more pronounced the lipophilicity.
These raw materials are suitable for systems requiring oil removal, wetting, and hard-water tolerance. Key control points include EO number, cloud point, foam behavior, and the blending ratio with anionic surfactants.
6.2 Alkyl Glycosides
The typical structure of APG consists of an alkyl chain linked to a sugar group. The alkyl chain provides hydrophobic interaction, while the sugar group provides polyhydroxy hydrophilicity. The value of APG lies in its ability to achieve a good balance among cleansing power, foam, and mildness. It is commonly used in mild cleansing systems, but its mildness still depends on dosage, blending, and product residue.
6.3 Polysorbates and PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Polysorbates, also known as Tweens, and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil are common solubilizing nonionic surfactants. Their shared feature is that they contain hydrophilic polyoxyethylene or polyethylene glycol chains, while retaining lipophilic structures such as fatty acid chains or oil-derived backbones.
These raw materials can form micelles or associative structures in the aqueous phase. Their lipophilic regions can accommodate fragrance oils, essential oils, or small amounts of oil-soluble substances, while the hydrophilic outer layer interacts with the aqueous phase, allowing these oily components to exist in the aqueous system in a stably dispersed form.
When using these raw materials, attention should be paid to the ratio of solubilizer to oily substance, system transparency, temperature stability, preservative effects, and skin feel. Solubilization does not mean that the amount of oily substance can be increased without limit; rather, it requires a balance among transparency, stability, and sensory properties.
6.4 Span, Tween, and Polyglyceryl Esters
The Span series generally has a lower HLB than the Tween series and is commonly used in low-HLB emulsification, W/O emulsification, co-emulsification, or in combination with Tween to adjust the emulsifying system. The Tween series becomes more hydrophilic due to the introduction of EO chains and is commonly used in O/W emulsification, fragrance solubilization, and dispersion of oily substances. The two series reflect a typical approach to HLB adjustment. Polyglyceryl esters and glyceryl esters are commonly used for emulsification, co-emulsification, and structural build-up in creams and lotions. They affect not only the oil-water interface, but also the viscosity, spreadability, and skin feel of emulsions.
7 How to Determine Whether a Nonionic Surfactant Is Suitable for a Specific System
7.1 First Look at the Type of Hydrophilic Group
The hydrophilic group determines the hydration mode and system suitability.
① EO type: attention should be paid to EO number, cloud point, and temperature stability.
② Glycoside type: attention should be paid to mildness, foam, and blending performance.
③ Polyol ester type: attention should be paid to emulsion type and skin feel.
④ PEG oil derivatives: attention should be paid to solubilizing ability and transparency.
7.2 Then Look at the Hydrophobic Chain and HLB
The hydrophobic chain determines affinity for oils, fragrance oils, and oily soils; HLB determines whether the overall molecule is more suitable for the aqueous phase or the oil phase. The selection direction can be simplified as follows:
Target | Structural consideration |
Oil removal and cleansing | Requires a sufficiently hydrophobic chain while still having the ability to disperse in the aqueous phase |
Fragrance solubilization | Requires relatively high hydrophilicity and a hydrophobic microdomain suitable for accommodating fragrance oils |
O/W emulsification | Usually requires a higher-HLB emulsifier |
W/O emulsification | Usually requires a lower-HLB emulsifier |
Mild cleansing | Requires a balance among cleansing power, CMC, residue, and irritation from the blended system |
7.3 Pay Attention to CMC, Cloud Point, and Foam
CMC is an important parameter for assessing micelle formation, and it is also a reference point at which micellar solubilization begins to become significant. After the CMC is reached, micelles are more likely to form in the system and accommodate some oily substances. However, excessive dosage may increase irritation, foam, or residue. Cloud point mainly affects polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants. Transparent systems, high-temperature processing systems, and products requiring long-term storage stability should place particular emphasis on verifying cloud point and temperature stability. Among fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers, some are low-foaming while others produce moderate foam. APG usually provides good foam and fine foam texture. Foam behavior should be judged based on the specific structure and blended system.
7.4 Avoid Several Common Misjudgments
① Nonionic surfactants are not necessarily mild. Mildness is determined jointly by the specific raw material, concentration, blend, pH, contact time, and application area.
② Nonionic surfactants do not necessarily have weak cleansing power. Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether raw materials have strong cleansing ability for oily soils and are very important in detergent systems.
③ HLB is not a universal formula. It can help guide screening, but it cannot replace emulsion stability testing, heating-cooling cycles, centrifugation, transparency evaluation, and long-term storage tests.
④ Solubilization does not mean unlimited dissolution. Fragrance oils, essential oils, and oil-soluble substances have different structures and therefore different requirements for solubilizers. Solubilizing systems must be verified through actual formulation testing.
⑤ Cloud point is not a raw material defect, but the result of changes in the hydration state of polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants. Understanding cloud point helps in selecting suitable product types and processing conditions.
8 Representative Product Classification and Application Tables for Nonionic Surfactants
Table 1 Polyoxyethylene Fatty Alcohol Ether Nonionic Surfactants
Classification | CAS No. | Aladdin Item No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Polyoxyethylene stearyl ether | 9005-00-9 | SP Brij® S2 MBAL | Main component: diethylene glycol stearyl ether | Low-ethoxylated long-chain fatty alcohol ether, used for lipophilic emulsification, water-in-oil emulsification, emulsifier blending, and interfacial film structure studies | |
Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether | 9002-92-0 | Decaethylene glycol monododecyl ether | Nonionic surfactant | Laureth-type model surfactant, used for critical micelle concentration studies, micellar solubilization, membrane protein solubilization, and interfacial adsorption research | |
Polyoxyethylene cetyl ether | 9004-95-9 | P684403 | Polyethylene glycol monocetyl ether | n = approx. 23 | Long-chain fatty alcohol polyether, used for oil-in-water emulsification, solubilization of oily substances, polyoxyethylene chain hydration, and cloud-point-related studies |
Polyoxyethylene oleyl ether | 9004-98-2 | BRIJ™ O10 polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether | Nonionic surfactant | Unsaturated fatty alcohol polyether, used for solubilization of oily substances, emulsification, studies on the influence of hydrophobic chain structure, and micellar behavior research | |
Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether | 68131-39-5 | Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether | Mw 400–500 | Typical fatty alcohol ethoxylate, used for cleansing and oil removal, wetting, hard-water tolerance, and surfactant blending studies | |
Cetearyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether | 68439-49-6 | C196296 | Ceteareth-13 | 100% | Ceteareth-type emulsifier, used for oil-in-water emulsification, creams and lotions, interfacial film stabilization, and emulsifier blending studies |
Table 2 Alkylphenol Polyether and Block Polyether Nonionic Detergents
Classification | CAS No. | Aladdin Item No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether | 9016-45-9 | Nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (Tergitol NP-40) | Isomer mixture, white flakes | Alkylphenol polyether nonionic detergent, used for micellar solubilization, membrane protein treatment, surfactant performance comparison, and experimental research | |
Octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether | 9036-19-5 | Triton™ X-114 | Reagent grade | Temperature-responsive nonionic detergent, used for cloud-point phase separation, membrane protein separation, enrichment of hydrophobic components, and solubilization studies | |
Octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether | 9002-93-1 | Triton X-100 (Triton™ X-100) | Biochemical reagent, peroxide value ≤7 meq/kg | Classic experimental nonionic detergent, used for cell lysis, membrane protein solubilization, micellar solubilization, and interfacial activity studies | |
Polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer | 9003-11-6 | Synperonic® F 108 | Nonionic surfactant | Block polyether nonionic surfactant, used for micelle formation, dispersion stabilization, emulsion stabilization, and temperature-responsive system studies |
Table 3 Sorbitan Ester and Polysorbate Nonionic Surfactants
Classification | CAS No. | Aladdin Item No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Sorbitan laurate | 1338-39-2 | Span® 20 | Suitable for synthesis | Sorbitan laurate nonionic emulsifier, used for emulsifier synthesis, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance comparison, and oil-water interfacial activity studies | |
Sorbitan palmitate | 26266-57-9 | Span 40 | Reagent grade | Sorbitan palmitate emulsifier, used for lipophilic emulsification, oil-phase co-emulsification, emulsion stabilization, and emulsifier blending studies | |
Sorbitan stearate | 1338-41-6 | Span 60 | Nonionic surfactant | Sorbitan stearate low-HLB emulsifier, used for water-in-oil emulsification, cream co-emulsification, and interfacial film stabilization studies | |
Sorbitan oleate | 1338-43-8 | Span 80 | Viscosity 1000–2000 mPa·s (20 °C) | Sorbitan oleate lipophilic emulsifier, used for water-in-oil emulsification, co-emulsification, oil-water interfacial film studies, and emulsifier blending research | |
Polysorbate 20 | 9005-64-5 | Tween 20 (TWEEN® 20) | Viscous liquid | Highly hydrophilic polysorbate nonionic surfactant, used for fragrance solubilization, essential oil dispersion, oil-in-water emulsification, and micellar solubilization studies | |
Polysorbate 60 | 9005-67-8 | Tween 60 | Nonionic detergent | Polysorbate oil-in-water emulsifier, used for emulsion preparation, oil-phase dispersion, nonionic detergent systems, and emulsion stability studies | |
Polysorbate 80 | 9005-65-6 | T274282 | Tween 80 (TWEEN® 80) | Reagent grade | Polysorbate solubilizer and emulsifier, used for solubilization of hydrophobic substances, oil-phase dispersion, micellar behavior studies, and oil-in-water emulsification |
Table 4 Glycoside, Sugar Ester, and Polyol Ester Nonionic Surfactants
Classification | CAS No. | Aladdin Item No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Alkyl glycoside | 58846-77-8 | Decyl pyranoglucoside | Biochemical reagent | Single-structure alkyl glycoside, used for studies of sugar-based hydrophilic heads, mild cleansing systems, micellar behavior, and biochemical detergent experiments | |
Alkyl glycoside | 68515-73-1 | Decyl glucoside (APG) | Moligand™, 60% in H2O | Alkyl glycoside mild surfactant, used for mild cleansing, foam adjustment, blended surfactant systems, and glycoside-based nonionic surfactant studies | |
Alkyl glycoside | 110615-47-9 | Lauryl glucoside | ≥40% | Long-chain alkyl glycoside, used for mild cleansing, foam performance, interfacial adsorption, and studies on the influence of alkyl chain length | |
Sucrose fatty acid ester | 25339-99-5 | Sucrose monolaurate | UltraBio™, ultrapure grade, ≥97% (TLC) | High-purity sugar ester nonionic surfactant, used for biological experiments, mild cleansing, micellar solubilization, and biocompatibility studies | |
Sucrose fatty acid ester | 25168-73-4 | Sucrose stearate | Monoester content 70%, HLB value 15 | Sugar ester high-hydrophilicity emulsifier, used for oil-in-water emulsification, mild formulations, emulsion stabilization, and sugar-based emulsifier studies | |
Polyglyceryl fatty acid ester | 34406-66-1 | Polyglyceryl-10 laurate | Cosmetic grade, HLB 15.5 | Polyglyceryl high-hydrophilicity emulsifier, used for oil-in-water emulsification, solubilization, mild cleansing systems, and studies of polyhydroxy hydrophilic structures | |
Glyceryl fatty acid ester | 31566-31-1 | Glyceryl monostearate, emulsifying type | ≥99% | Glyceryl ester nonionic emulsifier, used for creams and lotions, co-emulsification, lamellar structure construction, and sensory feel adjustment | |
Polyethylene glycol fatty acid ester | 9004-99-3 | Polyethylene glycol monostearate | n ≈ 55 | Highly hydrophilic polyethylene glycol stearate, used for oil-in-water emulsification, creams and lotions, emulsifier blending, and interfacial stabilization studies | |
Polyethylene glycol glyceryl fatty acid ester | 68201-46-7 | PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate | ≥98% | Oil-derived nonionic surfactant, used for refatting in cleansing systems, makeup removal, dispersion of oily substances, and sensory feel improvement | |
Polyethylene glycol hydrogenated castor oil | 61788-85-0 | PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil | Cosmetic grade, HLB 14.0 | Ethoxylated oil-derived solubilizer, used for solubilization of fragrance oils, essential oils, and oil-soluble actives, as well as transparent aqueous systems | |
Cocamide alkanolamide | 68603-42-9 | N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)cocamide | Model: 6501 (1:1) | Cocamide nonionic co-surfactant, used for foam stabilization, thickening, detergency boosting, and viscosity adjustment in cleansing systems |
Note: The above products are representative Aladdin products for scientific research and formulation studies, and may be used as references for understanding structure-property relationships, laboratory experiments, and formulation screening. For specific CAS numbers, item numbers, names, specifications, purity, grades, COA, SDS, and applicable scenarios, please refer to the Aladdin official website and product pages. For applications involving cosmetics, personal care, disinfection, food, pharmaceutical excipients, or export markets, confirmation should be made in combination with target-market regulations, impurity control, toxicological assessment, and finished-product stability testing. For alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ethers, DEA-type alkanolamides, and EO/PEG-type nonionic surfactants, attention should also be paid to relevant regulatory restrictions and trace impurity control requirements, including free amines, nitrosamines, ethylene oxide, and 1,4-dioxane.
For more related articles, please see below:
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