TECHNOLOGY BROKERAGE

SURFACTANTS

Surfactants, or surface active agents, have a diverse range of applications from cosmetic and personal care products, detergents, inks, paints, coatings to pharmaceuticals and foods. This area has been identified as the first cross-sectorial theme to be undertaken by the GC&C project, to provide a technology brokerage facility to encourage more research related to greener chemical products.

UK Academics working in the area include:

Prof Brian Vincent, Polymer and Colloid Group, The University of Bristol

Prof Julian Eastoe, Advanced surfactants and interfaces research group, The University of Bristol

Prof Terence Cosgrove, Polymers at Interfaces Group, The University of Bristol

Dr Pete Griffiths, Cardiff School of Chemistry, Cardiff University

Dr Brian Saunders, The University of Manchester School of Materials

Prof Gordon Tiddy, Molecular Materials Centre, University of Manchester

Dr Brent Murray, Food Colloids, Procter Department of Food Sciences, University of Leeds

Surfactant and Colloid Group, The Universty of Hull

The Bristol Colloid Centre

Case Studies

CleanGredientsTM

GreenBlue and the US EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) Programme have jointly developed CleanGredients™, an online database of environmental fate and toxicology data and other information on institutional and industrial (I&I) cleaning products. The database is designed to meet formulators' needs for more environmentally friendly ingredients, while allowing suppliers to showcase and market such ingredients. Although CleanGredients™ currently contains information on surfactants only, ingredient classes such as solvents, fragrances, builders, chelators, etc. will be added in future. The surfactants listed in CleanGredients™ are at a minimum, ultimately biodegradable. Data for aquatic toxicity, biodegradability and the ingredient formulations are also reviewed by a third party (NSF International) using a set of criteria defined by the U.S. EPA DfE Program that selects surfactants with particularly positive environmental characteristics.

Surfactants derived from wheat products Presentation given by Dr Boris Estrine, Head of Green Chemistry Department, ARD at the Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Conference held in Ghent in September 2005

Synthesis and interfacial properties of polymeric surfactants based on inulin Presentation given by Tina Rogge of the Research Group SynBioC, Department of Organic Chemistry at Ghent University at the Renewable Resources and Biorefineries Conference held in Ghent in September 2005

Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant - A Natural Low Toxicity Alternative to Synthetic Surfactants, Jeneil Biosurfactant Co., winners of the Small Business Award in the 2004 US EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, produced a series of commercially available rhamnolipid biosurfactants, which are a natural low toxicity alternative to synthetic surfactants. They are made from naturally occurring extracellular glycolipid found in soil and on plants, and are hence rapidly biodegradable and also leave no harmful or persistent degradation products.

Events

2005 Workshop

A one-day workshop was held on 8 December 2005 at the RSC, Burlington House, London, UK. The aim of the workshop was to explore opportunities and challenges for surfactants in the creation of greener consumer products. A workshop report and a list of opportunities and challenges are given below:

2006 Symposium

A one-day symposium was held on 28 February 2006 at the SCI, London, UK. The theme of the symposium was surfactants. A brief summary and the talks from the symposium are given below:

BACS Speciality workshop - Surfactants and Green Chemistry Following on from the GC&C workshop and symposium, the GCN and BACS jointly held a workshop on 30th March 2006 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK for BACS members to address how green chemistry impacts upon surfactant producers, formulators and retailers of finished household cleaners and personal care products. Presentations were given by Prof. James Clark, GCN; Dr David Karsa, TensioMetrics Ltd and BACS; Dr Warren Smith, NNFCC; Dr Bob Crawford, Unilever Home and Personal Care R&D and Dr Paul Wilkes, The Body Shop International plc.

Published Articles

• On the use of waste frying oil in the synthesis of sphorolipids, S. J. J. Fleurackers, Eur. J. Lipid Sci. Technol., 2006, 108, 5

• Fate, behaviour and effects of surfactants and their degradation products in the environment, G-G Ying, Environmental International, 2006, 32, 417

• Chemicals from wastes: compost-derived humic acid-like matter as surfactant, P. Quagliotto et al., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2006, 40, 1686

• Preparation and surface active properties of biodegradable dextrin derivative surfactants, H-R. Wang & K-M Chen. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 2006, 281, 190

• Green and Natural Surfactants: Recent Developments, M. Pietnev SÖFW J. 2006

• Household and personal care: awash in new rules, Focus on Surfactants Feb 2006, p5

• New green surfactants for emulsion polymerisation, A.M. Fernandez et al., Process in Organic Coatings, 2005, 53, 246

• Preparation and Surface Activity of Biodegradable Polymeric Surfactants. I. Preparation and Surface Activity of Dextrin Derivatives, H-J Wang & K-M Chen, J. Applied Polymer Sci., 2005, 98, 711

• "Green" amino acid-based surfactants, M.C. Morán et al., Green Chemistry, 2004, 6, 233

• Vegetable-Derived Surfactants as a Reply to the Natural Trend in the Household and Personal Care, M Pietnev, SÖFW J.,2004, 130, 40

• Surfactin sodium salt: A bio-surfactant for cosmetics, T. Yoneda & E. Ogata, Speciality Chemicals Magazine, November 2004, p42

• Novel Surfactants: Preparation, Applications and Biodegradability, K. Holmberg, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, Surfactant Science Series, ed. K. Holberg, Marcel dekker, New York, 2004

Relevant Reports and Other Information

Guidance for the Responsible Public Procurement of Cleaning Products
The joint BACS/UKCPI Public Procurement Task Force have produced a draft document for 'Guidance for the Responsible Public Procurement of Cleaning Products'. The guidance has used scientific risk assessments to provide information aimed at Local Authorities to aid their purchasing of cleaning products that are safe for humans and the environment.

IMPACT Faraday Technology Roadmap for Colloid and Interface Science in the UK

LINKS

Trade Associations

The British Association of Chemical Specialities (BACS)
One of its subject-oriented sector groups, the Speciality Surfactants Group consists of representatives from raw material producers, surfactants manufacturers and formulators. The group meets regularly at a series of seminars featuring speakers from industry, government and academia and gives members an opportunity to keep up to date with the latest information on surfactant issues. Every 2-3 years the Group co-organises an International Surfactant Symposium with the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKCPI)

Group for Organic Surfactants and Intermediate Products (GOSIP)
The Chemical Industries Association's surfactant manufacturers sector group

Special Interest Groups

SCI Colloid and Surface Chemistry

RSC Colloid and Interface Science Group

Other

Human and Environmental Risk Assessment on ingredients of household cleaning products

Focus on Surfactants - an international newsletter monitoring technical and commercial developments for all surface active agents