Surfactants
Surfactants are the cleaning molecules in detergents, shampoos and industrial processes; a $49 billion, roughly 18 Mt market split between oil-based and palm- or coconut-based chains.
Specialty chemicals · Industrial & consumer specialties · No. 86
- Product family
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 17-20 Mt a year excluding soap (indicative, basis: about 5.8 Mt LAS from 4.4 Mt LAB, about 6-7 Mt of ethoxylates from about 4 Mt EO, plus alcohol sulphates, cationics and amphoterics)
- 2.5 t CO₂e per t
- HS 340211, 340213
Every detergent, shampoo and toothpaste relies on a molecule with a water-loving head and a grease-loving tail.
Chart: Illustration: Surfactants
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
The oily tail comes from kerosene and benzene or from palm kernel and coconut oil; a tonne of LAS acid needs about 0.74 t of LAB.
Three things to know
- LAS, made from linear alkylbenzene, is roughly 30% of surfactant volume because it is the cheapest strong cleaner.
- Petro-based fatty alcohol averages about 2.97 kg CO2e per kg, against about 5.27 kg for palm-kernel based.
- India is a net exporter of LAS but imported 44% of its LAB raw material in 2020.
The journey
- 1 Oil or palmKerosene and benzene, or palm kernel oil
- 2 HydrophobeLAB or fatty alcohol makes the oily tail
- 3 Head groupSulphonated, sulphated or ethoxylated
- 4 Neutralised paste28-70% active pastes and liquids
- 5 Cleaning productsDetergents, shampoos, industrial cleaners