Ammonium Laureth Sulphate is an anionic surfactant that is used in several key industries. Its main advantages are its high reactivity, very good solubility in water and effectiveness. In industrial applications, it is mainly used as a foaming and cleaning agent.
Ammonium Laureth Sulphate is an anionic surfactant. Those substances are often called surface active because of their properties. Ammonium Laureth Sulphate is the valid INCI name (International Cosmetic Ingredient Nomenclature). The full chemical name is: alcohols, ethoxylated, sulfated, ammonium salts. The CAS number is 32612-48-9. In products, this substance acts as a foaming agent.
The physical and chemical properties of Ammonium Laureth Sulphate:
High foaming action is a typical feature of Ammonium Laureth Sulphate. Therefore, it is used in many applications as a foaming agent.
In cosmetic products, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate can be found mainly in body wash gels, liquid soaps and shampoos. There, where it is important to create a large amount of stable foam.It is particularly willingly chosen for the production of transparent or pearl shampoos of medium and high viscosity. Thanks to the foaming substances, the cosmetic forms foam, and the foam is actively involved in the mechanism of dirt removal. Surfactant particles, such as Ammonium Laureth Sulphate, surround the dirt and detach it from the cleaned surface, and then it is rinsed off with water. And so, thanks to foaming agents, both lipophilic impurities (e.g. excess sebum) and hydrophilic (water-soluble) impurities can be effectively removed. Ammonium Laureth Sulphate is used as an ingredient in bath products in which gentleness and high foaming are essential. Importantly, the substance has very good properties both in hard water and in the presence of a large amount of impurities.
Ammonium Laureth Sulphate is also one of the ingredients of detergents used in industrial applications. It can be found in the composition of, among others, window cleansers or detergents dedicated for car cleaning.
It is also used in the production of synthetic extinguishing agents, where it generates and stabilizes the extinguishing foam.
When using Ammonium Laureth Sulphate, it is worth to remember that the pH of the formulation should be lower than 9, because ammonia release occurs in an alkaline environment. The substance is more effective when combined with amphoteric and amino acid surfactants.
