Sodium laureth sulfate

Template:Cs1 config Template:Distinguish Template:Chembox

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), an accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate, also called sodium alkylethersulfate, is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) and for industrial uses. SLES is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent.<ref name="Ullmann">Kurt Kosswig,"Surfactants" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 2005, Weinheim. Template:Doi</ref> SLES, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium pareth sulfate are surfactants that are used in many cosmetic products for their cleaning and emulsifying properties. It is derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. In herbicides, it is used as a surfactant to improve absorption of the herbicidal chemicals<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and reduces time the product takes to be rainfast, when enough of the herbicidal agent will be absorbed.

Its chemical formula is Template:Chem2. Sometimes the number represented by n is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate. The product is heterogeneous in the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean. Laureth-3 sulfate is the most common one in commercial products.

Production

SLES is prepared by ethoxylation of dodecyl alcohol, which is produced industrially from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. The resulting ethoxylate is converted to a half ester of sulfuric acid, which is neutralized by conversion to the sodium salt.<ref name=Ullmann /> The related surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS (also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate or SDS) is produced similarly, but without the ethoxylation step. SLS and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are commonly used alternatives to SLES in consumer products.<ref name=Ullmann/>

Safety

Tests in the US indicate that it is safe for consumer use. The Australian government's Department of Health and Ageing and its National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) have determined that SLES does not react with DNA.<ref name="NICNAS">Template:Cite web</ref>

Irritation

Like many other detergents, SLES is an irritant.<ref name="Final Report">Template:Cite journal</ref> It has been shown that SLES causes eye or skin irritation in experiments conducted on animals and humans.<ref name="Final Report" /> The related surfactant SLS is also a known irritant.<ref name="Agner_T">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="A._Nassif_1994">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Allergic_Contact_Dermatitis">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Shampoo_Dermatitis">Template:Cite journal</ref>

1,4-Dioxane contamination

Products containing SLES can be contaminated with up to 300 ppm of 1,4-dioxane, a by-product of SLES production. 1,4-Dioxane is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 2B carcinogen: possibly carcinogenic to humans. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that these levels be monitored,<ref name="Occurrence_Dioxane">Template:Cite journal</ref> and encourages manufacturers to remove 1,4-dioxane, though it is not required by federal law.<ref name="FDA_Dioxane">FDA/CFSAN--Cosmetics Handbook Part 3: Cosmetic Product-Related Regulatory Requirements and Health Hazard Issues. Prohibited Ingredients and other Hazardous Substances: 9. Dioxane</ref>

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:CPID

Template:Use dmy dates

Template:Authority control