Sodium myreth sulfate

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Sodium myreth sulfate
File:Sodium myreth sulfate skeletal.svg
style="background: #F8EABA; text-align: center;" colspan="2" | Identifiers
Abbreviations SMES
CAS number 025446-80-4
style="background: #F8EABA; text-align: center;" colspan="2" | Properties
Molecular formula CH3(CH2)12CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Sodium myreth sulfate is a mixture of organic compounds with both detergent and surfactant properties. It is found in many personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste. It is an inexpensive and effective foaming agent. Typical of many detergents, sodium myreth sulfate consists of several closely related compounds. Sometimes the number of ethylene glycol ether units (n) is specified in the name as myreth-n sulfate, for example myreth-2 sulfate.

Production

Sodium myreth sulfate is very similar to sodium laureth sulfate; the only difference is two more carbons in the fatty alcohol portion of the hydrophobic tail. It is manufactured by ethoxylation (hence the "eth" in "myreth") of myristyl alcohol. Subsequently, the terminal OH group is coverted to the sulfate by treatment with chlorosulfuric acid.[1]

Safety

Like other ethoxylates, sodium myreth sulfate may become contaminated with 1,4-dioxane during production,[2] which is known to the state of California to cause cancer under Proposition 65.[3]

See also

References

  1. Eduard Smulders, Wolfgang von Rybinski, Eric Sung, Wilfried Rähse, Josef Steber, Frederike Wiebel, Anette Nordskog “Laundry Detergents” in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2007, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a08_315.pub2.
  2. Your baby’s shampoo may be toxic. The Canary Report.
  3. "California Files Prop 65 Lawsuit Against Whole Foods, Avalon". Bloomberg. 

External links