Ethoxylated fatty acids or polyethylene glycol fatty esters are produced from the reaction of ethylene oxide with fatty acids. This method of ethoxylation is known as ethoxylation of fatty acids. The products produced by this method are non-ionic surfactants that are used in household and industrial formulations. Due to their non-ionic nature, these products are stable in both alkaline and acidic conditions and are compatible with other ethoxylated substances. Ethoxylated fatty acids do not ionize in water and therefore work well in hard water and low temperatures.
Ethoxylated fatty acids can be clear liquid, paste or waxy solid. This property of the product depends on the length of the fatty acid alkyl chain and the number of ethylene oxide groups. In other words, these non-ionic surfactants are composed of two parts in their structure; One part of the hydrophobic chain, which is the fatty acid alkyl chain, and the other part of the hydrophilic head, which is the ethylene oxide chain. This feature allows these products to dissolve in both water and fat phases and reduce the surface tension between the two liquids. The use of more hydrophilic groups such as ethylene oxide makes the final product more soluble in water due to the formation of a higher number of hydrogen bonds. By changing the molecular weight of polyethylene glycol and fatty acid, the final product can have different HLB values. In general, products with an HLB less than 13 are oil soluble and products with an HLB greater than 13 are water soluble.
In general, PEG fatty esters and specifically PEG oleate (ethoxylated oleic acid) and PEG stearate (ethoxylated stearic acid) are very good emulsifiers with low foam and are generally better than ethoxylated alcohols in this regard. or ethoxylated nonylphenols perform much better.
Other desirable features of this category of materials are:
Low floor level
Dispersant and high homogeneity
Low toxicity, which makes them widely used in cosmetic products.
Biodegradability
Safety during transportation
Relatively high stability: these materials are hydrolyzed under harsh conditions such as hot alkaline environments.
applications
The general application of these products is as water/oil emulsifiers to emulsify water in various oils including mineral oils, fatty oils and solvents. These materials are used in the preparation of lubricants, emollients, spin finishes and textile antistatic agents. In the leather-making process, the fatty ester of polyethylene glycols is used as a lubricant and softener.
Ethoxylated fatty acids are used in cutting oils and metalworking fluids, emulsifying cleaners and degreasers, emulsifiers for pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, creams, cosmetic products, and emulsifiers for the production of polymer latexes. has it.
In the ink industry, ethoxylated fatty acid is used as an emulsifier for oil pigments to prepare ink. Also, with the help of this product, it is possible to determine the brightness, fluidity and smoothness of the final produced ink.
Ethoxylated stearic acids are used in the cosmetics industry as emulsifiers in creams and to emulsify fatty oils in water.
Other uses of this product are based on the dispersing agent of these chemical products. For example, ethoxylated fatty acids are used as homogenizers of pigments (organic and inorganic) in aqueous and non-aqueous systems, plasticizers and viscosity improvers of resins, adhesives, emulsion paints, and PVC plastisol. turn around
Ethoxylated fatty acids as substitutes for ethoxylated nonylphenols
The harmful environmental effects associated with ethoxylated nonylphenols have been proven, and hence it is better to use their substitutes. PEG oleates (ethoxylated oleic acids) are more similar to ethoxylated nonylphenols than ethoxylated alcohols in terms of solubility and emulsification. Therefore, they are suitable substitutes for ethoxylated nonylphenols.