Product Description: Sodium Alcohol Ether Sulfate (CAS# 68891-38-3)

Sodium Alcohol Ether Sulfate—also known as Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) or Sodium Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether Sulfate (AES)—is an anionic surfactant. Its molecular formula is RO(CH₂CH₂O)nSO₃Na (where R is a C₁₂–C₁₄ alkyl group and n represents the degree of polymerization); common specifications include active matter contents of 28% and 70%. At room temperature, it appears as a white to pale yellow paste or liquid and is readily soluble in water. Regarding solubility, the 28% concentration product is miscible with water in all proportions, while the 70% concentration product dissolves easily in water but forms a gel during the dissolution process. Industrially, it is primarily produced by sulfonating fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether with sulfur trioxide or chlorosulfonic acid, followed by neutralization. Sodium Alcohol Ether Sulfate exhibits excellent detergency, emulsification, foaming capabilities, and hard-water tolerance; its mild cleansing properties ensure it does not damage the skin. It is biodegradable and demonstrates good compatibility with other anionic and non-ionic surfactants as well as alkaline builders. These unique properties make it highly valuable for applications across various sectors, including personal care products, textiles, papermaking, leather processing, and industrial cleaning.

Applications of Sodium Fatty Alcohol Ether Sulfate (CAS# 68891-38-3)

Sodium fatty alcohol ether sulfate is a key anionic surfactant widely used across various industries, including personal care, textiles, papermaking, leather processing, and industrial cleaning.

In the personal care and household product industry, it serves as a primary raw material for formulating shampoos, body washes, hand soaps, dishwashing detergents, liquid laundry detergents, and laundry powders. It offers excellent detergency, foaming capabilities, and hard-water tolerance, while its mild cleansing properties ensure it is gentle on the skin. It exhibits outstanding thickening performance in dishwashing detergent formulations, allowing for effective thickening with salt even at low active-matter concentrations. It is also used to formulate hard-surface cleaners, such as glass and automotive cleaners. In the textile industry, it functions as a wetting agent, detergent, and dyeing auxiliary. It also finds extensive application in the papermaking, leather, machinery, and petroleum extraction sectors. In the field of industrial cleaning, it is used to formulate various industrial cleaners and foaming agents. It is frequently used in combination with surfactants such as K12 (SLS), LAS-Na, and Detergent 6501.