SURFACTANTS
Surfactants were first known in ancient Babylon
alkyl benzene sulfonate ( BABS ). Work on BABS started in the 1940s but the real breakthrough came in the 1950s with the conversion of kerosene plants to produce tetra propylene . It was produced when tetra propylene was coupled with benzene and then sulfonated .
BABS represented a significant breakthrough as it helped provide low-cost , highly efficient synthetic detergents at scale . It soon emerged , however , that this came at a cost . The problem was noticed not long after in the persistent foaming in rivers and water bodies , which meant that BABS was not biodegrading effectively . The scientific community worked on a linear alkyl chain that could be pretty readily broken down by bacteria . The result was linear alkyl benezene sulfonate ( LABS ), its replacement .
It is widely acknowledged that the era of environmental awareness within the surfactant industry began at this stage . In recent decades , there has been an increase in environmental awareness and stricter regulations . The 1970s saw the passing of the Clean Water Act in the US , while Europe increased its scrutiny over detergents .
Over the next few decades , legislation such as the Toxic Substances Control Act ( TSCA ) in the US and REACH in the EU have sought to focus on the question of the safety of chemicals , surfactants included . Every country now has its own regulations with the increasing focus on sustainability and green chemicals .
There has been a similar rise in awareness about products that adversely affect human health . An example from the last decade is 1,4-dioxane , an unplanned byproduct in the manufacture of some surfactants , which has been labelled as a probable carcinogen . Certain jurisdictions have followed up on this with stringent regulations .
Companies in the industry have done a few things in response , banning certain substances , introducing improvements in processes and developing alternatives . This will be an ongoing evolution as we understand chemistries and their impacts better and keep moving towards greener chemistries .
Emergence of biological
The science behind biosurfactants , which are produced by microorganisms , evolved against the backdrop of environmental concerns about petrochemical sources . With their propensity for faster biodegradability , low toxicity and availability from renewable sources , biosurfactants tick all the right boxes .
Therefore , it is little surprise that they are more widely accepted by consumers . Also , because they are eco-friendly , governments and regulatory bodies in many countries encourage the use of biosurfactants in consumer products .
Biosurfactants are not structurally uniform . One reason they differ is that they are derived from different microorganisms . They can be classified into various types , each with distinct properties and applications ( Figure 1 ).
Glycolipids , for instance , are useful in oil recovery and as emulsifiers in food . Lipopeptides are natural preservatives , and , therefore , valuable in pharmaceuticals . Phospholipids are vital in drug delivery systems while lipoproteins feature in detergents .
While biosurfactants offer many advantages , challenges remain in scaling up production to meet industrial demands and reducing costs to compete with traditional surfactants . Buyers and users want performance , cost and sustainability in that order , which poses a challenge to new green innovations .
Summary & outlook
Surfactants are an essential part of modern life today and the direction is to become more eco-friendly without losing the application power they bring , and at an affordable cost . The industry is working on this today and in the future .
Synthetic surfactants , which dominate the industry today , are likely to yield more space to renewable sources and biosurfactants in the coming years . Society and governments are becoming more tuned to sustainability and environmental issues , which are already taking shape as environmental , social and governance ( ESG ) rules across the world .
As in the past , it is essential to keep driving new technology and developments to meet the demands of the new age and the new consumer , while keeping the planet safer and greener for future generations . ●
Shreya Singh
SENIOR EXECUTIVE
GODREJ INDUSTRIES J shreya . singh @ godrejinds . com j https :// www . godrejchemicals . com /
46 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981