Sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, ammonium salt; Dodecyl ester of sulfuric acid,
ammonium salt; Dodecyl sulfate ammonium salt; Ammoniumdodecylsulfat (German); Sulfato de amonio y dodecilo (Spanish); Sulfate
d'ammonium et de dodécyle (French);
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL
STATE
light yellow Viscous
Liquid
MELTING POINT
BOILING
POINT
>
100 C
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
0.998
SOLUBILITY
IN WATER
pH
5
- 10 (1% sol.)
VAPOR DENSITY
AUTOIGNITION
NFPA RATINGS
REFRACTIVE
INDEX
FLASH
POINT
>
93 C
STABILITY
Stable under ordinary conditions
APPLICATIONS
Sulfonic acid is
a compound with general formula RSO2OH, where R is an
aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a derivative of sulfuric acid
(HOSO2OH) where an OH has
been replaced by a carbon group or a compound where a hydrogen atom has been
replaced by treatment with sulfuric acid; for example, benzene is converted to
benzenesulfonic acid (water-soluble). Sulfonic acid has a sulfur atom bonded to
a carbon atom of a hydrocarbon and bonded also to three oxygen atoms, one of
which has been attached to a hydrogen atom. Sulfonic acid is acidic due to the
hydrogen atom, stronger than a carboxylic acid. Sulfonic acid is one of the most
important organo sulfur compounds in organic synthesis. Sulfonic acids are used
as catalysts in esterification, alkylation and condensation reactions.
Sulfonates are salts or esters of sulfonic acid. Sulfonic salts are soluble in
water. Sulfonic acid and its salts present in organic dyes provide useful
function of water solubility and or improve the washfastness of dyes due to
their capabiltity of binding more tightly to the fabric. They are widely used in
the detergent industry. Alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is the largest-volume
synthetic surfactant because of its relatively low cost, good performance, the
fact that it can be dried to a stable powder and the biodegradable environmental
friendliness. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), prepared by sulfation of lauryl alcohol and
neutralisation with sodium carbonate, is another common surfactant which has an
amphiphilic properties due to C12 chain ( lipophilic) attached to a sulfate
group (hydrophilic). This bifunctionality in one molecule provides the basic
properties useful in cleaners and detergents. SLS is used as a wetting agent in
textiles, foaming and cleaning agent in detergent, cosmetic emulsifier, and
sometimes in toothpastes. Sulfonate cleaners do not form an insoluble
precipitates in hard water. Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) is a structurally
related compound, replacing ammonium group for sodium. They have same
applications. But they cause skin and eye irritation, and are therefore not
useful in in products that are on the skin for a long time. The ethoxylated SLS
and ALS are less irritant on the skin; sodium laureth sulfate (sodium lauryl ether
sulfate, SLES) and ammonium laureth sulfate (ammonium lauryl ether sulfate,
ALES) which are prepared by addition of ethylene oxide. SLES and ALES are used
as a foaming and viscosity builder in shampoos and personal care products (such
as bubble bath, shaving cream , ointment, and tooth pastes sometimes)
particularly of low pH products. One more common feature of them appears to be
the compatibility with other surfactants.