Surfactants based on fatty acids and other natural hydrophobes

In the search for environmentally safer surfactants from renewable sources, the interest has lately been focused on new fatty acids and derivatives like ethoxylated fatty acid methyl esters and cu-sulfo methyl esters. For the latter more efficient production procedures have been developed opening up for new application areas. In parallel, knowledge about the physico-chemical properties of this group of products has steadily grown. Thus fatty acids and soaps have a high potential to remain the biggest surfactant type especially if their use as raw materials is included. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.