Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylate

Other names: Fatty alcohol ethoxylate

Fatty alcohol ethoxylate, referred to as Fatty Alcohol Ethoxylate in English, belongs to the group of non-ionic surfactants. These substances are widely used in industry and their main role is to mediate the interaction between different substances. This is achieved by their specific properties, in particular their ability to reduce surface tension. Fatty alcohol ethoxylate is obtained by ethoxylation of fatty alcohols, a process in which ethylene oxide is added to a fatty alcohol.

Products containing fatty alcohol ethoxylate can be found in many applications. Its use in the cosmetics industry is very common, especially in shampoos, shower gels and various creams. In these products, its ability to create foam and reduce surface tension is exploited. Another important sector is the textile industry, where it is added to washing powders and fabric softeners. Interestingly, it is also used in the agrochemical industry where it is added to pesticides and herbicides to improve their efficacy. Fatty alcohol ethoxylate is also used in industry to make soaps, cleaning products and various industrial lubricants.