MOA-7 (AEO-7), namely C12-14 fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene (7) ether, belongs to medium to high polymerization degree nonionic surfactants, with CAS number 68439-50-9. Its molecular structure achieves a good balance between the hydrophilic polyoxyethylene chain and the lipophilic fatty alcohol carbon chain, endowing the product with excellent emulsifying, wetting, penetrating, and detergency capabilities. The product appears as a colorless to slightly yellow transparent liquid or white paste, remains stable in a wide range of acidic and alkaline environments, and shows good tolerance to hard water.
In the textile dyeing and finishing industry, MOA-7, with its outstanding wetting and penetrating properties, is widely used as a leveling agent and penetrating agent, ensuring uniform dispersion of dyes within fibers, effectively preventing color spots, and improving dye uptake. In the leather industry, it serves as an efficient degreasing agent, effectively removing natural oils from raw hides and accelerating the soaking process. In metal surface treatment, MOA-7 can strongly strip mineral oils, polishing waxes, and cutting fluids from metal parts, while also providing anti-rust and corrosion inhibition functions.
In personal care and cosmetics, MOA-7 acts as an emulsifier and solubilizer for building stable oil-in-water emulsions, suitable for creams, lotions, and makeup removers. In pesticide formulations, it disperses hydrophobic active ingredients uniformly in the aqueous medium, forming highly stable emulsions and enhancing the wetting and spreading ability of the spray liquid on plant leaves. Additionally, it plays a key emulsifying and dispersing role in emulsion polymerization, paper deinking, and oilfield chemicals.
| Application Industry | Specific Process/Use | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial and Household Cleaning | Laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, hard surface cleaners, heavy-duty cleaners | Core active component, providing detergency, emulsification, and dispersion |
| Textile Dyeing and Finishing | Leveling, penetration, degreasing pretreatment | Leveling agent, penetrating agent, degreasing agent |
| Leather Industry | Soaking, degreasing processes | Leather degreasing agent |
| Metal Surface Treatment | Parts cleaning, oil and wax removal | Core component of hard surface cleaners |
| Personal Care and Cosmetics | Creams, lotions, makeup removers, solubilizing fragrances and essential oils | Emulsifier, solubilizer |
| Pesticide Formulations | Emulsifiable concentrates, microemulsions preparation | Pesticide emulsifier |
| Emulsion Polymerization | Synthesis of acrylics, styrene-butadiene latex | Polymerization emulsifier, providing micelle nucleation sites |
| Papermaking Industry | Waste paper deinking process | Deinking agent, promoting ink separation and suspension |
| Oilfield Chemicals | Drilling fluids, produced water treatment | Emulsifier, viscosity reducer, paraffin inhibitor |
The recommended dosage of MOA-7 varies by application scenario: in detergent formulations, typically 2% to 10%; as a textile leveling agent, recommended at 0.5 to 3 g/L (based on working solution); for leather degreasing, recommended concentration 0.5% to 2%; in cosmetic emulsion systems, dosage is generally 1% to 5%; as a pesticide emulsifier, addition amount is usually 5% to 15%. These dosages are for reference only; actual formulations need adjustment and optimization based on specific systems and process requirements.
MOA-7 has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of about 12 to 13, leaning towards hydrophilicity, making it particularly suitable for preparing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion systems. If constructing water-in-oil (W/O) systems, it is recommended to combine with low HLB surfactants. This product can also be well compounded with anionic, cationic, and other nonionic surfactants for synergistic effects.