Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylates: SOFTANOL™ Secondary alcohol ethoxylate
- Main Applications
Surfactant, detergents for household, shampoo, various industrial detergents, scouring agent
- Applications
- Functions
Basic Information
SOFTANOL™ is a linear secondary alcohol product made with the raw material of normal paraffin that has been commercialized by Nippon Shokubai. The SOFTANOL™ series of products are used in a wide range of fields including in general detergents and in the textile industry, paper and pulp industry, and metals industry as surfactants with outstanding properties such as excellent wetting and penetration, unique foam properties, superior surface tension reduction, low viscosity, and a low pour point for easy handling.
SOFTANOL™ has excellent biodegradability, making it easy to treat in wastewater and sufficiently degradable even in river water. This has enabled SOFTANOL™ to build a solid reputation as a product that can meet society’s need for environmental sustainability, especially in this day and age where wastewater treatment is becoming increasingly strict from the perspectives of maintaining and improving the natural environment and preventing water pollution. Please try SOFTANOL™ for your products.
Composition of SOFTANOL™
SOFTANOL™ is a composition containing a unique T-shaped molecular structure and numerous isomers. SOFTANOL™ have a structure in which a polyethylene glycol chain branches from a non-terminal carbon (an internal carbon atom) of the raw material, normal paraffin.
Thanks to this distinctive structure and composition, SOFTANOL® exhibits a wide range of excellent properties.
Features and Properties
1. Extremely Easy to Handle
Low viscosity, low pour point, narrow (or no) gelling range
2. Excellent Surface Activation
Excellent wetting and penetration, superior surface tension reduction, high detergency even at low temperatures, excellent solubility, solubilizing, unique foam properties and good defoaming properties
Improved Cleaning through Superior Wetting Ability
3. Easy Wastewater Treatment
Good biodegradability
4. Highly Safe
Low toxicity, Low irritation
5. Extremely Weak Odor
Does not have a distinctive alcohol odor due to the removal of unreacted alcohol
6. Antiviral
Has antiviral properties against the novel coronavirus COVID-19
Product Details
SOFTANOL™ M
The SOFTANOL™ M series of products are non-ionic surfactants with ethylene oxide added to linear secondary alcohol of the alkyl group carbon C12-14.
This series has the most versatile products with various HLB values, which enable them to be used for a variety of purposes.
（Existing Chemical Substances Number 7-97)
| Product Name | Appearance （25℃） | Cloud point※1 （℃） | Viscosity※2 （ｍPa・s） | pH※3 | Surface tension※4 （X10-3 N/m） | HLB※5 | Main applications and features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOFTANOL™ 30 | Clear liquid | < 0 | 25 | ─ | 28 | 7.9 | Emulsifiers, Defoamers, Spreading agents, Special ty cleaners |
| SOFTANOL™ 50 | 33 | ─ | 10.5 | ||||
| SOFTANOL™ 70 | 33 | 52 | 5～7.5 | 12.1 | General Purpose Cleaning Agent Liquid cleaning agents Various industrial applications (Textiles, Agriculture, Paper, Pulp) | ||
| SOFTANOL™ 90 | 56 | 65 | 29 | 13.3 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ 120 | Clear liquid （30℃） | 83 | 87 | 32 | 14.5 | ||
| SOFTANOL™ 150 | White paste | > 100 | 44（50℃） | 5～7 | 33 | 15.3 | Emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization, Dispersants, Scouring Agents |
| SOFTANOL™ 200 | White solid | 64（50℃） | 36 | 16.3 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ 300 | 105（50℃） | 39 | 17.4 | ||||
| SOFTANOL™ 400 | 70（80℃） | 40 | 18.0 | ||||
| SOFTANOL™ 500 | 74（80℃） | 42 | 18.3 |
*2 Viscosity: Measured with a B-type viscometer (25°C)
*3 pH: 5% pure aqueous solution
*4 Surface tension: Wilhelmy method, 0.1% aqueous solution at 25℃
*5 HLB: Griffin HLB calculation value
SOFTANOL™ EP
The SOFTANOL™ EP series of products are linear secondary alcohol-based and extremely low foaming non-ionic surfactants.
This series of products are particularly suitable for use in industrial fields due to their excellent permeability and low pour point.
（Existing Chemical Substances Number 7-97）
| Product Name | Appearance （25℃） | Cloud point※1 （℃） | Viscosity※2 （ｍPa・s） | pH※3 | Surface tension※4 （X10-3 N/m） | Main applications and features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOFTANOL™ EP 5035 | pale yellow liquid (slightly cloudy) | 21 | 55 | 6～8 | 30 | Various industrial applications (Textile, paper, pulp, metal industries) Detergents for Automatic Dishwashers *Not subject to PRTR |
| SOFTANOL™ EP 7025 | 36 | 61 | 29 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ EP 7045 | 30 | 74 | 30 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ EP 7085 | 22 | 84 | 31 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ EP 9050 | 37 | 83 | 31 | |||
| SOFTANOL™ EP 90150 | 15 | 45 | 5.5～7.5 | 32 | ||
| SOFTANOL™ EP 12030 | 59 | 92 | 6～8 | 33 |
*2 Viscosity: Measured with a B-type viscometer (25°C)
*3 pH: 5% pure aqueous solution
*4 Surface tension: Wilhelmy method, 0.1% aqueous solution at 25℃
SOFTANOL™ MES
The SOFTANOL™ MES series of products are linear secondary alcohol-based and sulfosuccinate half ester anionic surfactants.
This series of products are particularly suitable for use as detergents for household such as in shampoos, as they are extremely low irritant for the skin and eyes and also lower the irritant properties of other surfactants.The SOFTANOL™ MES series of products are also suited for industrial applications that make use of their special emulsifying effect.
（Existing Chemical Substances Number 7-118）
[Foam Properties]
The graph below shows foam characteristics measured by the Ross-Miles method.
SOFTANOL™ is a surfactant with unique foam quality and excellent defoaming properties.
You can choose from high-foaming or low-foaming types depending on your application.
[Measurement Conditions]
Ross-Miles Method
JIS K-3362-1978 Compliant
Surfactant Concentration: 0.1 wt.%
Temperature: 25°C
Examples of Applications
Utilization of SOFTANOL™ for Metal Surface Cleaning
SOFTANOL™ demonstrates excellent cleaning power against contaminants on metal surfaces such as stainless steel (SUS).
It quickly lifts and rolls up oil stains from metal surfaces.
The video on the right shows the time-lapse of oil removal from a SUS mesh immersed in a surfactant solution.
(Left: SOFTANOL™ 70, Right: Primary Alcohol Ethoxylate (EO 5.5 mol))
SOFTANOL™ enables faster roll-up of oil stains.
Test piece: SUS304, surfactant concentration: 0.1wt%, temperature: 25℃
Agitation speed: 600 rpm, washing time: 3 minutes, rinsing time: 1 minute