MOA-4 (AEO-4) is a typical nonionic surfactant, with a chemical full name of C12-14 alcohol polyoxyethylene (4) ether, and CAS number 68439-50-9. It is produced by the ring-opening polymerization of natural C12-14 fatty alcohols (lauryl alcohol/dodecanol, etc.) as initiators with ethylene oxide (EO) under the action of a catalyst, with an average ethoxylation number (EO number) of about 4. The molecular formula can be expressed as C12-14H25-29O(C2H4O)nH (n≈4), molecular weight is about 362 (based on C12 alcohol), and it appears as a colorless to slightly yellow transparent liquid.
Due to the molecular structure containing both a long carbon chain hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic polyoxyethylene ether chain segment (EO number 4), this product exhibits characteristics of low to medium polymerization degree. Its active content is as high as ≥99%, with low free alcohol content (≤1%), stable chemical properties, resistance to acid, alkali, and hard water, and excellent emulsifying, wetting, penetrating, and dispersing properties.
According to actual measurement data from Guoli Chemical, the heavy metal content (as Pb) is ≤10 mg/kg, arsenic ≤2 mg/kg, and moisture ≤0.5%, making it a high-purity industrial-grade nonionic surfactant.
| Project | Index / Value |
|---|---|
| Chemical Name | C12-14 alcohol polyoxyethylene (4) ether |
| Alias | Laureth-4, Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether AEO-4, Laureth-4 |
| CAS Number | 68439-50-9 |
| Molecular Formula | C12-14H25-29O(C2H4O)nH, n≈4 |
| Molecular Weight | Approximately 362 (based on C12 alcohol) |
| Appearance (25°C) | Colorless to slightly yellow transparent liquid |
| Active Content | ≥99% |
| Free Alcohol | ≤1% |
| HLB Value | 9~10 |
| Cloud Point (1% aqueous solution) | Approximately 25~30°C |
| pH (1% aqueous solution) | 5.0~7.0 |
| Moisture | ≤0.5% |
| Hydroxyl Value | 150~165 mgKOH/g |
| Iodine Value | ≤1 gI₂/100g |
| Density (20°C) | Approximately 0.96 g/cm³ |
Because its effective component is C12-14 alcohol polyoxyethylene (4) ether (EO number ≈4), this product has good lipophilicity and moderate hydrophilicity. It is dispersed rather than completely dissolved in water. It is especially suitable for O/W systems with high requirements for emulsification and penetration, and is widely used as an effective degreasing component in household liquid detergents and industrial cleaning agents, as well as a raw material for textile printing and dyeing pretreatment penetrants, leather degreasing agents, pesticide emulsifiers, and emulsion polymerization emulsifiers.
In formulations, the recommended dosage usually depends on the application system (e.g., 0.5%~5% in cleaning agents). When used as an intermediate for AES (alcohol ether sulfate), it is a starting material for further processing through sulfation/neutralization processes.