Surfactants from Renewable Resources-Part II: A Comparative Study of Sucrose Esters with Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate

Our earlier work on developing general purpose surfactants from indigenously available renewable resources gave very encouraging results. A systematic study has now been made to extend this work further with a view to select the right raw materials and the most economically viable and technically feasible process. The choice lay between four alternate processes and over a dozen conventional as well as non-conventional oils. Different surfactant properties viz. surface tension, detergency, lime soap dispersion and emulsification of some of these products, technical as well as purified, have been determined to assess their suitability and afford a comparison with the conventional surfactants likes sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Due to the non-toxic nature and complete biodegradability, these sucrose esters are highly recommended for use in pharmaceutical and food industries besides the normal usage.