Lauryl Polyoxyethylene Ether LAE-9 is a multifunctional nonionic surfactant widely used in many industries such as daily chemical care, household and industrial cleaning, textile printing and dyeing, pesticide formulations, metal processing, and leather treatment.
Detailed Description
Lauryl Polyoxyethylene Ether LAE-9 (PEG-9 Laurate) is an ester-type nonionic surfactant with lauric acid as the hydrophobic group and 9 ethylene oxide (EO) units. With its balanced HLB value and excellent emulsifying, solubilizing, wetting, and dispersing capabilities, LAE-9 plays an irreplaceable role in many industrial and domestic formulations, especially in O\/W (oil-in-water) emulsion systems and formulations requiring high compatibility.
The molecular structure of LAE-9 gives it unique performance advantages: the presence of ester bonds makes it milder and more biodegradable than similar ether-type products; the hydrophilic chain length of 9 EO units provides good water solubility while maintaining excellent oil-water balance. This allows it to maintain chemical stability in acidic, alkaline, and hard water conditions, and it can be well compounded with anionic, cationic, and other nonionic surfactants for synergistic effects.
Application Fields and Processes
1. Daily Chemical and Personal Care Industry
- Cream\/Lotion Process: As an O\/W emulsifier, it builds a stable oil-in-water system in the homogenization emulsification process, ensuring a fine and uniform texture, providing a refreshing and non-greasy feel.
- Transparent Water-based Products: As a solubilizer, it dissolves fragrances, essential oils, and oil-soluble active ingredients into transparent formulas such as toners, shampoos, and body washes, making the finished product clear and bright, enhancing product quality.
2. Household and Industrial Liquid Detergents
- Household Cleaning Products: Widely used in laundry liquids, dishwashing liquids, and multi-purpose hard surface cleaners, effectively emulsifying and removing stubborn stains like grease and sebum, while enhancing penetration into fabrics.
- Industrial Cleaning: In professional cleaning formulations for textiles, hotels, and catering, it provides strong emulsifying and degreasing effects, suitable for high-temperature and high-alkali cleaning environments.
3. Textile Printing and Dyeing Auxiliaries
- Leveling Dyeing Process: As a component of leveling agents, it promotes uniform adsorption and penetration of dyes on fiber surfaces, effectively preventing color spots, color differences, and other dyeing defects, improving the first-time dyeing success rate and quality.
- Softening and Antistatic Finishing: Applied to the fiber surface, it reduces the coefficient of friction, giving the fabric a soft and smooth feel while eliminating static buildup, optimizing finishing processes and enhancing wearing comfort.
4. Pesticide Formulations
- Emulsifiable Concentrates and Microemulsions: As an environmentally friendly emulsifier, it can automatically disperse pesticide technical materials into extremely fine droplets and stably suspend them in water, enhancing the wetting and spreading properties of the spray liquid on plant leaves and target surfaces, ensuring uniform application concentration and stable efficacy.
5. Metalworking Fluids
- Cutting and Grinding Fluids: During metal cutting, grinding, stamping, and other processes, it provides lubricating and cooling effects, effectively protecting tools and workpieces, extending equipment life, and preventing metal surface corrosion.
- Industrial Hard Surface Cleaning: Quickly stripping and emulsifying heavy grease and carbon deposits on metal parts, achieving deep cleaning.
6. Leather Industry
- Leather Fatliquoring Process: As an emulsifying and dispersing component in fatliquoring agents, it helps oils penetrate evenly into leather fibers, making the finished leather soft, full, and elastic, improving quality and feel.
7. Synthetic Fiber Oils
- Spinning and Drawing Processes: In the spinning and drawing of synthetic fibers, it provides smoothness and cohesion, reducing filament breakage, eliminating static buildup, ensuring smooth production and fiber quality.
Technical Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|
| Product Name | Lauryl Polyoxyethylene Ether LAE-9 |
| INCI\/Chemical Name | PEG-9 Laurate |
| CAS Number | 9004-81-3 |
| Aliases | PEG-9 Laurate, Polyoxyethylene (9) Laurate, Polyethylene Glycol-9 Laurate, Polyoxyethylene Monolaurate |
| Product Type | Nonionic Surfactant (Ester type) |
| EO Number | 9 |
| Emulsion Type | O\/W (Oil-in-Water) |
| Ionicity | Nonionic |
| Chemical Stability | Resistant to acid, alkali, and hard water |
| Main Functions | Emulsifying, solubilizing, wetting, dispersing, penetrating |
| Appearance (Reference) | Not available |
| HLB Value | Not available |
Application Recommendations
Formulation Advice: LAE-9 is suitable as a primary or auxiliary emulsifier in O\/W emulsion systems. In cleaning formulations, it is recommended to combine with anionic surfactants (such as LAS, AES) for synergistic effects to enhance detergency and foam performance. When used as a solubilizer in transparent water-based products, the typical dosage is 1-5 times the amount of fragrance\/oily components, but the actual amount should be optimized through experiments.
Compatibility: LAE-9 can be well compounded with anionic, cationic, and other nonionic surfactants, maintaining stable performance in acidic, alkaline, and hard water environments, making it very suitable for developing complex formulations.
Dosage Reference: The specific usage amount varies depending on the application scenario and formulation requirements. It is recommended to determine the optimal dosage through small-scale experiments. For emulsification, a typical dosage is 2%-5% of the total formula weight; for cleaning, 1%-3%.
Precautions
- Safety Protection: This product is classified as a hazardous chemical under GHS - harmful if swallowed (H302), causes skin irritation (H315), causes serious eye damage (H318), very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects (H410). When handling, be sure to wear chemical safety goggles, impermeable gloves (such as nitrile rubber), and protective clothing.
- Environmental Control: Do not discharge this product directly into water bodies, sewers, or soil. Collect spills with inert absorbent materials and dispose of as hazardous waste. Wash hands and face thoroughly after operation.
- Storage Conditions: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated dedicated warehouse at temperatures between 5°C and 40°C, keep containers tightly closed, away from strong oxidizers and strong acids.
- First Aid Measures: In case of eye contact, immediately rinse with plenty of water for several minutes and seek medical attention; skin contact, wash with soap and water; if swallowed, do not induce vomiting, seek immediate medical attention.
