Page 32 - Microsoft Word - Sulfo and Sulfa 1.doc

Future Trends

The detergent market is rapidly changing as a result of three interrelated drivers. The
first is the "green" movement in which consumers are demanding environmentally
friendly products and packaging. The second is the move toward compact detergents
which eliminate large bulk fillers from detergent formulations. The third is a desire on
the part of consumers for "natural" products which are perceived as purer and less
harmful to the environment. All of these forces are moving detergent producers to
modify their processes and their choice of feedstocks.

The rapid increase in the market share of compact detergents indicates that large
quantities of sulfates are no longer acceptable in detergent actives. This trend, in
conjunction with the increased cost of spent sulfuric acid disposal, has helped eliminate
oleum sulfonation as a viable technology for detergent manufacture. This change has
been accentuated by a move toward use of natural feedstocks such as oleo chemical
based alcohols and methyl esters. Because the feedstocks are made from renewable
resources, they are perceived by consumers to be somehow cleaner and purer than
petrochemical-based raw materials. The net result is that oleum sulfonation and sulfation
technology is increasingly being replaced by air/SO technology.
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The purity issue is being hastened by consumers' interest in products containing low
levels of impurities or by-products. Colorless products carry the perception of purity and
are therefore currently favored by consumers. Again the movement is toward very light
colored materials which are typically air/SO sulfated alcohols and alcohol ether sulfates.
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Manufacturers of other feedstocks such as linear alkylbenzene have responded to this
challenge by introducing new grades of feedstocks. These new feedstocks are specially
prepared so that color formation on sulfonation via air/SO is minimized. Some of these
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feedstocks will produce sulfonates which rival alcohols for lightness of color.

Another by-product which has received wide spread attention in Europe is 1,4-dioxane.
This by-product is formed during sulfation of ethoxylated alcohols. The mechanism for
its formation has been studied extensively and most sulfonation equipment suppliers can
guarantee 1,4-dioxane levels of less than 30 ppm on a 100% active basis in ether sulfates
without stripping. The most obvious strategy in dealing with 1,4 dioxane is to avoid
forming it. However, if you have an existing plant or if undetectable levels are required,
equipment is available to strip the neutral product to remove any traces of 1,4-dioxane.
This technology allows existing equipment to be run at full capacity while permitting
manufacturers to produce essentially 1,4-dioxane-free product.

The attention focused on compact detergents has created an interest in very high active
sulfonates and sulfates. If active levels are sufficiently high, these products can be

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