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Sodium laureth sulfate

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Alphamatrix (talk | contribs) at 04:18, 24 March 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 04:18, 24 March 2009 by Alphamatrix (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Not to be confused with Sodium lauryl sulfate.
Sodium laureth sulfate
File:Sodium laureth sulfate.png
Identifiers
CAS Number
ECHA InfoCard 100.036.281 Edit this at Wikidata
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Properties
Chemical formula CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na
C11+nH23+4nNaO4+nS
Molar mass around 420 g/mol
(274.35 + 44.05n) g mol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa). Infobox references
Chemical compound

Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), is a detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste etc.). It is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent made by mixing sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, and sodium salt.

Its chemical formula is CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na. Sometimes the number represented by "n" is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate. The commercial product is heterogeneous, both in the length of the alkyl chain (12 being the mode of the number of carbon atoms), and in the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean. n=3 is common in commercial products. SLES can be derived from ethoxylation of dodecyl alcohol used to make SDS.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate or SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are commonly used alternatives to SLES in consumer products.

Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) are surfactants (“surface – active agent”: a substance, like a detergent, which enables a liquid to foam), which are used in many cosmetic products for its cleansing and emulsifying properties.

An old internet rumour is routinely re-circulated, and is often perpetuated in media articles, alleging that SLS can cause irritation and may even cause cancer.

See also

References

  1. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sodium-lauryl-sulfate.htm
  2. Sodium Laureth Sulfate POE(2). Chemical Land 21, Seoul, Korea. Product Identification

External links

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