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September 2, 2026

Anionic Functional APGs

Blog
Personal Care

A Solution for Every Need

Alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) are naturally derived nonionic surfactants produced from renewable feedstocks and are well known for their excellent foam, detergency, and relatively low irritation potential. Nonetheless, their functionality is limited in most personal care cleansing formulations, where gel viscosity with low to moderate surfactant concentration is desired. By adding anionic functional groups, Colonial Chemical produces surfactants that keep or even further improve the gentle, plant-based profile of an APG while gaining the cleansing power and foam performance formulators expect from anionic chemistry. In some instances, the APGs are further polymerized to create novel, EO-free polymer surfactants with unique surface properties.


With so many demands today on formulators for high biobased, low irritation, high viscosity, and high foam, where can they turn to? It seems most replacement products have serious negative tradeoffs, but Colonial’s wide range of APG anionics provide excellent solutions for every formulation need. They are all very high (up to 100%) biorenewable carbon and readily biodegradable.

A Portfolio Built for Flexibility

Colonial Chemical’s Suga® and Poly Suga® lines illustrate how much range this chemistry actually offers. Rather than a single surfactant solution, our platform spans several anionic groups, each suited to different formulation goals:


Our flagship sulfonate-based (Poly Suga®Nate 100P NC, Poly Suga®Nate 160P NC, Suga®Nate 100NC, Suga®Nate 160NC) deliver robust foam and cleansing, positioning them as sulfate alternatives for shampoos and body washes. These 100% biorenewable carbon products are produced from Decyl (100/100P) or Lauryl (160/160P) Glucosides to give a wide range of performance and compliance features. SugaNate 160NC is completely unique in the fact that it’s a non-irritant, even as supplied, making it the product of choice for advanced care products for babies, distressed skin, sensitive intimate areas, and more. APG sulfonates are incredibly robust, with excellent clarity and stability even in harshly acidic, caustic, or oxidative conditions. The Decyl Glucoside derivatives have very high flash foam properties while the Lauryl Glucoside derivatives deliver higher viscosity response. SugaNate 160NC has a wide array of certifications, including USDA Biopreferred and NSF/ANSI 305 compliance.


Phosphate-based (Poly Suga®Phos 1000P, Poly Suga®Phos 1200P) derivatives are mild, low-irritation options often used where phosphate esters’ conditioning and emulsifying properties are wanted. These products feature strongly in our SugaDet EcoPearl, providing outstanding control over pearl appearance.


Another unique option is our recently introduced citrate-based APG (Suga®Citrate L1C MB), where the anion is completely biorenewable. It is derived from Lauryl Glucoside and offers many of the same benefits as SugaNate 160NC, but with added COSMOS approval.


Our APG carboxylate (Suga®Mate LGC MB) rounds out the toolkit with a high biobased option that has significant market acceptance.


Global compliance status varies by product, ranging from limited-market clearance to global regulatory acceptance. Please check the sales bulletin and RDS (available upon request) for additional details.
Having options across these anionic groups means a formulator isn’t locked into just one performance profile or claim or regulatory scheme. A sulfate-free shampoo, a low-irritation baby wash, and a naturally positioned cleanser can each pull from the same underlying APG platform while landing on the specific derivative that fits the claim, texture, and cost target.

Where APG Anionics Fit in a Formulator’s Toolkit


In practice, these surfactants show up as primary or secondary cleansers in:

  • “Sulfate-free” and “sulfate-alternative” shampoos and conditioners (properly said, those without SLS or SLES)
  • Facial and body cleansers marketed on mildness or sensitive-skin claims
  • Baby and kids’ personal care lines, where low-irritation profiles are non-negotiable
  • Natural and organic-positioned brands needing ingredients that can actually support the claim, not just the marketing copy


APG-based anionic surfactants are more than a single ingredient swap for traditional SLS and SLES. They’re a category that lets formulators dial in cleansing strength, mildness, and sustainability positioning from one related chemistry family instead of stitching together unrelated surfactants to hit each goal separately. As biobased and environmentally safe claims move from niche to expected, having a portfolio of sulfonate, phosphate, citrate, and carboxylate options built on the same renewable backbone gives brands real flexibility instead of forcing a trade-off between performance and a clean ingredient story.


Since they are not produced from fatty acids or fatty acid chlorides like many other sulfate-free surfactants, our APG derivatives are inherently more stable in low pH environments, which is a problem for many applications requiring high clarity and stability at low pH.


Ready to see which anionic group fits your next formula? Explore the full Poly Suga® and Suga® product listing or reach out to Colonial Chemical’s technical team for formulation support.

August 20, 2026

The Chemistry of Ether Carboxylates – Part Two

Blog
Industrial Lubricant Additives
Oil & Gas

Part II: The Chemistry of Ether Carboxylates

Ether carboxylates can be produced through several routes, but they are most commonly manufactured by Williamson ether synthesis using alkoxylates (alcohols) and a strong base to introduce the terminal carboxymethyl group. This process has several drawbacks, including relatively low yield (about 90%), the use of sodium chloroacetate which brings in a classified hazardous material, formation of organic by-products such as diglycolic and glycolic acids, and generation of significant, aqueous inorganic salt waste. Although alternative processes may offer higher yields and fewer by-products, etherification remains the most cost-effective route because it is easier to scale and provides a high degree of carboxymethylation. The structure and alkoxylation pattern of the starting alkoxylate, along with the base used, directly affect the final product composition and performance.


In general, the Williamson etherification process produces the corresponding ether carboxylic acid after acidification and removal of aqueous waste. At the customer’s request, the acid form can be converted to salt through neutralization with alkaline hydroxides or amines, often with intentionally added water.


Key quality indicators include acid value, degree of carboxymethylation, residual water content, and residual inorganic salts. In most, if not all, commercial ether carboxylic acid products, the final material contains the acid or salt form together with unreacted alkoxylate substrate. The acid value directly indicates the degree of etherification when compared with the estimated theoretical acid value. As noted above, the alkoxylate substrate and base selection affect the product’s acid value.


Commercial ether carboxylates typically contain low levels of inorganic salts, generally below 1 wt%. For applications requiring ultra-low inorganic salt content, an additional aqueous wash is needed, which significantly increases production cost and can reduce yield.


In addition to inorganic salts, ether carboxylates typically contain organic acid impurities, such as glycolic acid and diglycolic acid. The levels of these impurities vary by supplier and product. Academic and industrial research has explored ways to reduce hydroxylation and dimerization of chloroacetic acid, but neither side reaction has been shown to be completely avoidable.


Overall, etherification remains the primary manufacturing process after balancing performance, cost, scalability, and impurity considerations. In addition to the intended acid component, ether carboxylates contain unreacted alkoxylates, minor organic by-products, and residual inorganic salts.

August 5, 2026

Salt-Free Thickening (A Slight Return)

Blog
Personal Care

First of all, I want to thank everyone for their valuable feedback on the blog. It really does help us tailor content for your specific formulation needs. Please keep that feedback coming, either to [email protected] or to me at [email protected]

Missing Details

Our salt-free series generated interesting feedback, and I also realized that there was an important point that I glossed over quickly regarding how to thicken these formulations. Using anionic surfactants as primary surfactants is deeply entrenched in the industry, and for good reasons. They tend to have relatively compact head groups and long aliphatic tails (the classic tadpole), making them outstanding foamers and detergents. They also have a very high potential to form wormlike micelles which are needed for surfactant thickening.

There’s one thing that stands in the way of anionic surfactants readily forming wormlike micelles at low concentration: since all the surfactant heads are the same charge, they repel each other and the surfactant monomers cannot pack closely enough to facilitate the transition to wormlike micelles. There are two methods for fixing this fundamental property:

Electrolyte Addition

Adding electrolytes, usually in the form of Sodium Chloride (though advanced formulations may incorporate alternative salts) reduces the electrostatic repulsion between anionic head groups and facilitates the transition to wormlike micelles and highly viscous solutions at relatively low concentrations. A traditional surfactant like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate will generate substantial viscosity at 10% active matter or less with sufficient addition of electrolytes. But the amount tends to be quite high relative to the amount of surfactant and the aesthetics of SLS by itself are not conducive to a product with a high degree of consumer delight.

Secondary Surfactants

Another way to facilitate the transition to wormlike micelles at relatively low surfactant concentration is through the addition of a wide variety of secondary surfactants. Their efficacy is variable but the effect is the same; they reduce electrostatic repulsion between anionic head groups and ensure viscous solutions are achievable. Most commonly the secondary surfactant system is a combination of amphoteric and nonionic chemistries, allowing for extremely high efficiency and outstanding aesthetics.

Specific effects of secondary surfactants can vary from subtly shifting the salt curve toward lower salt addition or dramatically increasing the overall viscosity performance, widening or narrowing the salt curve, and dramatically shifting the salt curve. Specific formulation goals will help dictate which secondaries to use and how much. There are few hard and fast rules here and it’s mostly left to the formulator’s discretion how they want to approach this.

The Surfactant Triad

In a forthcoming webinar I’ll be discussing in more detail what I call The Surfactant Triad, a practically ideal combination of anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic chemistries that become the basis almost all personal care cleansing formulations. In “Low-No Salt Shampoos Part 3” I mentioned the use of nonionics as key additives for those systems. This is due to their potent ability to shift the salt curve so that no additional salt is needed to achieved the desired aesthetics. While rare, there are commercial examples of products that have been streamlined down to simply an anionic and nonionic surfactant together to achieve good aesthetics for body wash. The most commonly used nonionics are alkanolamides like Cocamide MIPA (Cola®Mid CFPA) or Cocamide DIPA (Cola®Liquid DC-5) but I have helped formulators use more unique ingredients like Glyceryl Laurate (Colonial Monolaurin) and Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate (Cola®Mulse 3GO) as more potent and mutli-functional additives. Additionally, we have explored non-traditional amphoterics in depth via two posters and a webinar as potent viscosity boosters that can also quite dramatically shift the salt curve toward low or no salt addition.

Conclusion

I don’t expect the number of formulator requests for improved foam and higher viscosity in “sulfate-free” systems to decrease any time soon. Adding “salt-free” as a claim on top creates a new level of difficulty and challenges that few formulators are prepared to handle. I hope this provides some additional insight into how to tackle these challenges. As always, we eagerly anticipate your feedback.

July 8, 2026

Breaking Interfacial Tension – Part Two

Blog
Vehicle Care

Replacing Mineral Seal Oil in Car Wash Drying Aids

Part II: Beyond MSO and Implementing the New MSO-Free Standard

Advances in raw materials have completely rewritten the rules of vehicle surface protection and drying within carwash chemistry. Since the development of ceramic technology, blenders have faced a forced compromise: cheap but flawed MSO microemulsions versus premium, cost-prohibitive ceramic luxury coatings. Colonial Chemical has broken this economic barrier by engineering MSO/oil-free drying technologies that solve legacy issues at highly competitive price points. These ready-to-use solutions deliver a competitive cost per car and stable pricing while eliminating labor-intensive manufacturing by utilizing electrostatic deposition instead of a traditional microemulsion. These non-flammable formulas require no expensive additives, provide improved dilution stability, and deliver drastically improved durability with highly efficient water removal. By outperforming MSO formulas and eliminating hidden costs, these technologies give your operation a major economic edge.

Cola®Dry CAV delivers high-end ceramic results at a lower cost by pairing our proven ceramic technology with a novel, multi-functional, non-ceramic chemistry. This formulation allows us to balance ceramic materials and maintain peak performance while securing an optimal price point. While both Cola®Dry CAV and our first-generation Cola®Dry CR-502 are highly versatile and can scale across the entire range of applications from economy drying aids to premium ceramic offerings, each is optimized for opposite ends of that spectrum. Engineered with chemistries unique to Colonial Chemical, Cola®Dry CAV focuses specifically on water-sheeting action to maximize drying-aid performance while also offering a newfound cost efficiency. Similarly, Cola®Dry CR-502 utilizes its own unique blend of chemistries but optimized for premium ceramic coatings using balanced sheeting and beading for a more traditional action with efficient blower removal. Regardless of selection, being 100% MSO-free ensures flawless optical clarity, zero glass smearing, and a high-gloss finish. Which product you choose depends entirely on what stage of the wash you’re trying to optimize. Both options leverage ultra-lean dosing to help blenders reduce shipping and freight costs while protecting profit margins through the growing trend of highly concentrated chemistry.

These versatile MSO-free technologies are highly adaptable across various wash formats. Perfect for self-service applications, these solutions make air drying easier and provide reduced toweling for washes that offer these options. Furthermore, they achieve these performance results with consumer-safe chemistry. While many in-bay automatics (IBA) typically follow the drying aid with a spot-free rinse, some tunnel operations bypass the rinse and send vehicles straight to the blowers. These formulations feature unique dual functionality that serves either set-up: they deliver an effective water break both with and without a subsequent rinse stage. Additionally, because of exceptionally high dilution rates, they do not leave product films or contribute to water spotting when left on the surface as a final stage without a rinse. The versatile performance from high to low dilution allows operators of any format to implement the products upstream, significantly reducing total MSO usage in premium offerings as well. Across all wash categories, these products can extend the ultra-lean dilution range for drying aids past 1:2000 when preceded by other protectants. Water utility optimization is also a key benefit. The complete lack of MSO ensures significantly lower chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), which reduce wastewater costs and make these products not just reclamation compatible but optimal reclaim efficient options.

Successful integration of these technologies requires adhering to mandatory application and deployment rules. The vehicle surface must be pre-neutralized to a neutral or acidic pH before application. Without thorough surface preparation, the drying aid will need to break through any residual alkalinity before becoming effective, limiting the dilution-performance of the products. Second, the lack of viscous oils in these water-thin products causes rapid draw rates with venturi injectors. Fortunately, operators without the option of adjusting flow rates can easily manage this fast draw by installing precision metering modules. These highly cost-effective tools unlock the true profit potential of the ultra-lean performance window (1:250 to 1:2000) with zero over-dosing waste or risk of clogged injector tips. While pre-dilution is another viable path to lower the required injection ratio, using a metering module delivers the highest efficiency and lowest chemical footprint. Moving away from the 50-year-old liabilities of mineral seal oil does not require complex operational overhauls, just a smarter chemical strategy that protects the car, the facility, and the bottom line.

Recap

Colonial Chemical provides innovative products, Cola®Dry CAV and Cola®Dry CR-502, that resolve the issues typical of mineral seal oil drying aid formulations:

Manufacturing Challenges

  • Labor intensive production related to microemulsion preparation
    • RTU products don’t rely on microemulsion but electrostatic deposition
  • Formulation required
    • Simple dilutions are all that’s needed to unlock product performance
  • Limited performance claims
    • Ceramic products provide a durable coating that protects and improves shine on top of improved water-breaking
  • Requires additives and other formulation costs
    • The additives needed to optimize water break, durability and claims are part of these products
  • Oil price volatility
    • Our MSO/Oil-free products are drastically separated from oil prices
  • Flammability and associated operations costs
    • Non-flammable

Operation Challenges

  • Dilution-Performance failures
    • Significantly wider dilution-performance window providing more reliable drying
  • Micro-droplets and water spotting
    • Highly efficient water removal action to prevent water spotting
  • Oil residues
    • MSO/Oil-free with no residue even at lower dilutions
  • Instability and gelling
    • No microemulsion means a stable product and stable pre-dilutions
  • Wastewater costs and reclamation incompatibility
    • Lower TOC and COD lead to lower wastewater costs and products optimized for reclamation systems
  • Low durability leads to difficult soil removal for return customers
    • High durability even at dilute drying aid levels means soils do not adhere as strongly to vehicle surfaces, making return vehicles easier to clean and customers happier

Requirements

  • Neutral-to-acidic surface pH before application ensures dilution-performance of these products
  • Water-thin viscosity can increase draw rates on venturi injectors; cheap and easily integrated metering modules are available to operators with limited dilution strategies for low-viscosity products.
June 23, 2026

Low-No Salt Shampoos – Part Three

Blog
Personal Care

Salt‑Free Technologies, Low‑Salt Surfactants, and No‑Added‑Salt Strategies

Welcome to part 3 of our analysis of formulating cleansers to meet claims regarding “salt-free” or “no salt added”, especially for hair care. In part one we looked at the reason for these claims. In part two we examined some commercial products and how they’re navigating the claim. We learned that while the primary approach was toward surfactants that contained minimal or no sodium chloride by‑product, it’s worth noting that many of the surfactants were themselves salts, and may carry other salts as processing aids (chelants, preservatives) without disqualifying a well structured claim.

Since amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants are the largest contributors of salt byproducts, they’re often the first product formulators are switching out. Some amphoteric/zwitterionic options that are free of salt byproducts exist:

  • Aminopropionates (e.g., sodium lauraminopropionate) and iminodipropionates (sodium lauriminodipropionate, Cola®Teric HLA) are true ampholytes with pH‑dependent charge, structurally related to β‑alanine derivatives.
  • Amphopropionates (sodium cocoamphopropionate, Cola®Teric CA-35, disodium cocoamphodipropionate, Cola®Teric 2CM-40CG) are already workhorses in mild shampoos; they bring low irritation, good foam, and no NaCl byproduct.
  • Amine oxides (lauramine oxide, Cola®Lux LO, cocamidopropylamine oxide, Cola®Lux CAO-35) contribute foam and thickening, and can behave as cationic at low pH, although they are often classified and used as nonionics in practice.

On the anionic side, straight sulfated alcohols (SLS/SLES, ammonium laureth sulfate) are typically avoided in salt‑free, keratin‑care contexts due to the negative perception of sulfate surfactants in general. Alternatives include:

  • Sulfonated olefins (sodium C14‑16 olefin sulfonate, Colonial AOS-40 UP): low‑cost, high‑foam sulfate replacements.
  • Isethionates (sodium cocoyl isethionate): very popular sulfate replacements with good foam and improved mildness; widely used in syndet bars and liquid systems.
  • Sulfosuccinates (disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, Cola®Mate DSLS-BA, disodium oleamido MIPA sulfosuccinate, Cola®Mate OPV): mild, but weaker viscosity builders, often requiring co‑surfactants or nonionic thickeners.
  • Phosphate esters (e.g., potassium lauryl/laureth phosphate): potentially attractive, but salt content is highly route‑dependent and must be confirmed with the supplier.

Nonionics are the primary viscosity and solubilization tools in no‑added‑salt systems:

  • Alcohol ethoxylates (laureth‑3, laureth‑4) act as dispersants and co‑thickeners
  • PEG‑150 distearate and PEG‑7 glyceryl cocoate provide emollience and rheology control
  • Polyglyceryl esters and polysorbates solubilize oils and fragrances
  • Alkanolamides like cocamide MIPA (Cocamide MIPA) or dimethyl lauramide boost viscosity and foam.

Properly balanced, these packages can deliver shampoo‑like viscosities without a NaCl addition, with good freeze–thaw behavior.

Some surfactant options can be considered “low salt”, not technically salt-free, but with minimal amount of sodium chloride:

  • Low‑salt surfactants such as ether carboxylates (trideceth‑7 carboxylic acid, laureth‑6 carboxylic acid) are supplied substantially anhydrous and neutralized in situ, with typical free NaCl specs below 1%.
  • Reduced‑salt CAPB is technically achievable via processes like reverse osmosis or solvent fractionation, but tends to be costly or involve flammable solvents, and there are few commercial examples. As a result, formulators usually lean on inherently low‑salt amphoterics and nonionics rather than demanding ultra‑low‑salt variants of standard betaines.

As we’ve explored in part two, most formulators trying to meet the “salt-free” claim simply take a no‑added‑NaCl route. There are several ways to build a formulation similar to existing salt-thickened systems. Strategies include:

  • Pushing total surfactant actives higher so that base viscosity is adequate without salt.
  • Increasing amphoteric content, exploiting their inherent thickening and synergistic effects with anionics.
  • Increasing nonionic content (PEG esters, alkanolamides, alcohol ethoxylates) to shift the salt curve upward and create structure at zero added NaCl.
  • Using pre-blended “no salt needed” concentrates like Cola®Det EQ‑18 (Decyl Glucoside, CAPHS, CAPB, Cocamide MIPA, disodium laureth/ lauryl sulfosuccinate), Cola®Det EQ‑19/EQ‑20 (olefin sulfonate or laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate with cocoamphoacetate and CAPHS), and Suga®Det Mild (laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, CAPHS, crosslinked glucoside polymer, sodium stearoyl lactylate).

To formulators tasked with creating a “salt-free” or “no added salt” shampoo to meet the associated market demands: Fear not: a wide variety of salt‑free and reduced‑salt options exist. It is technically possible to formulate truly salt‑free systems, but they sit further from “workhorse” architectures and are rarely necessary outside niche constraints. Thoughtful ground rules including pre-determining what counts as “salt,” which ions are excluded, and how strict the brand wants to be, are essential to effective product selection and credible claims.

June 11, 2026

Breaking Interfacial Tension – Part One

Blog
Vehicle Care

Replacing Mineral Seal Oil in Car Wash Drying Aids

Part One: The Traditional Petroleum Standard

In the specialized world of carwash chemistry, people may think that innovations in hydrophobic technologies have peaked, but the standard drying technology is due for an upgrade. Oil microemulsions have served as the unchallenged drying aid standard for carwash operators over the last half-century. The chief example is a microemulsion of mineral seal oil (MSO) and quaternary ammonium emulsifiers like dicocodimonium chloride. While historically effective at shedding water, MSO formulations carry a long list of familiar complications that drain the entire supply chain. To understand why a shift in surface chemistry is long overdue, we must look at the problem from two distinct angles: the hidden production and raw material penalties hitting chemical manufacturers, and the real-world performance headaches plaguing carwash operators in the tunnel.

Issues for the Manufacturer (Blenders)

Continuing to manufacture MSO drying aids requires a labor-intensive manufacturing process along with a list of other complications. A stable microemulsion must be formulated and if raw material consistency fluctuates rework increases batch times and cost. Relying on MSO ties raw material costs directly to highly unpredictable global oil markets as well, hurting long-term pricing stability for clients. Furthermore, many MSO-formulations carry low flashpoints, introducing heavy regulatory friction regarding flammable liquid classifications, plant safety compliance, shipping logistics, and insurance costs. These formulas also have numerous hidden formulation cost penalties for blenders. MSO formulas come with limited performance claims and expensive additives are required to achieve any further product benefits. Additionally, these formulas break water aggressively into tiny micro-droplets that are difficult to remove even with the assistance of blowers. These remaining droplets leave the car wet, can cause water spotting, and lead to customer complaints; remedies for this issue come with additional costs to the formulation. To make matters worse, these legacy formulas possess limited dilution stability, which heavily restricts operational flexibility and application options for carwash operators. 

Issues for the Operator

Downstream field performance failures lead directly to operator headaches and customer complaints. Oily MSO residue builds up on bay floors, while also coating vehicle glass causing dangerous nighttime glare and windshield wiper smearing. These traditional formulas also suffer from physical instability and severe viscosity spikes in cold weather, causing chemical line gelling that triggers unscheduled tunnel shutdowns. Mineral seal oil raises wastewater costs and hinders modern water reclamation loops resulting in increased utility costs that continue to rise in areas prone to drought. MSO formulas operate within a narrow performance window where over-dosing leads to immediate water-break failure, heavy oil films, and unhappy carwash customers. Finally, the short-lived protection of these formulas leaves vehicles vulnerable to stubborn soil deposits, UV damage, and a water-break that immediately fades after leaving the carwash. Because soils adhere more thoroughly to unprotected surfaces, basic package customers often return with difficult-to-clean cars, making customer complaints more likely.

The era of mineral seal oil could be positioned for change, and there are solutions through Colonial Chemical for MSO-free, advanced ceramic-based innovations to grab a competitive edge. Part II details how Colonial Chemical’s modern surface chemistries will eliminate manufacturing and operator headaches, improve performance, and lower costs for blenders and carwash operators alike.

Recap

Mineral seal oil drying aid technology comes with a host of issues that should be familiar to manufacturers and carwash operators alike:

Manufacturing Challenges

  • Labor intensive production related to microemulsion preparation
  • Formulation required
  • Limited performance claims
  • Requires additives and other formulation costs
  • Oil price volatility
  • Flammability and associated operations costs

Operation Challenges

  • Dilution-Performance failures
  • Micro-droplets and water spotting 
  • Oil residues 
  • Instability and gelling 
  • Wastewater costs and reclamation incompatibility 
  • Low durability leads to difficult soil removal for return customers 

Part II will detail Colonial Chemical’s innovative technologies to resolve these troubles.

June 2, 2026

Introduction to Ether Carboxylates – Part One

Blog
Industrial Lubricant Additives
Oil & Gas

Versatility, High Performance, Multifunctionality, and Environmental Friendliness

Colonial Chemical is a leading global manufacturer of ether carboxylates, offering a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet ever-increasing industry performance needs. This 9-part series is intended to provide a better understanding of ether carboxylate chemistry, mechanisms of action, applications, and product selection.

Introduction

Ether carboxylates are a unique class of surfactants characterized by a three-part structure: a lipophilic alkyl chain (R¹), a hydrophilic alkoxylate chain, and a terminal carboxylic acid group, as shown in the scheme below. The hydrophilic alkoxylate portion may be composed entirely of ethylene oxide (EO), as in ethoxylates, or of both ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (EO-PO copolymers), where R² may be H or Me.

The General Structure for Ether Carboxylates

The structure and performance of ether carboxylates can be highly customized by varying the length and branching of the hydrophobic alkyl chain, as well as the degree of ethoxylation or alkoxylation, to achieve the desired performance profile. Not all ether carboxylates are created equal. In many cases, co-application of ether carboxylates with complementary performance attributes is required, leading to the development of a wide range of ether carboxylate blends tailored for optimal performance.

The ionic state of ether carboxylates is pH-dependent because they contain a weakly acidic terminal carboxylic acid group. As a result, ether carboxylates are often regarded as nonionic-anionic surfactants, or “crypto-anionic” surfactants, because they behave more like nonionic surfactants under acidic, low-pH conditions and more like anionic surfactants under alkaline conditions. Their degree of ionization depends on the pH of the application medium. Although ether carboxylates are used in both acidic and alkaline environments, they are most commonly applied under alkaline conditions.

Ether carboxylates are typically marketed in free acid, alkali metal salt, or alkanolamine salt form, with the free acid form dominating the market.

Ether carboxylates are known by several names, including ether carboxylates (ECs), ether carboxylic acids, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether carboxylic acids (AECs), and alkoxylate acetic acids. Regardless of the terminology, the underlying chemistry and mechanism of action remain the same.

As surfactants, ether carboxylates can deliver ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions. Ether carboxylates are generally low to medium foaming depending on the actual usage. And most of them are generally viewed biodegradable. Ether carboxylates generally offer emulsification, emulsion stabilization, lime soap dispersing, surface wetting, lubrication, and corrosion protection. Ether carboxylates are well known for their outstanding hardwater tolerance and lime-soap dispersing capabilities under harsh application environments.
Ether carboxylates had their prime time in personal care related applications. Although they are still being used in the personal care products, because of the regulatory campaign against 1,4-doxane in recent years, they are no longer as popular as before as emulsifiers and foaming agents in the personal care space. For industrial applications, they are extensively and increasingly used in industrial lubricants, i.e. metalworking fluids, hydraulic fluids, treatment fluids, etc., oilfield operations, i.e., water-based drilling muds, enhanced crude oil recovery, etc., industrial cleaning, construction (concrete admixtures as superplasticizers), textile industry, and other industrial applications,

The global market for ether carboxylate has been witnessing a significant increase on account of growth of its expanding industrial applications as bio-based, eco-friendly technology alternates.

In Part 2 we will explore more in depth the chemistry for Ether Carboxylates.

May 13, 2026

Low-No Salt Shampoos – Part Two

Blog
Personal Care

Commercial “Salt‑Free” Shampoos and What They Teach Us About Claims

Welcome to Part 2 in our series on low and no-salt shampoo formulations! In this part we’ll look at how brands bring to life the claims of “salt‑free” and “no added sodium chloride” while still using conventional surfactant chemistry. From a formulation standpoint, they provide instructive case studies in both formula design and claims.

Keratin Complex Keratin Care Smoothing Shampoo is a top salon brand in this space, available on Ulta and in salons throughout the USA. It claims the following benefits:

  • Fights frizz and smooths for all hair types
  • Helps restore resilience, smoothness, and brilliance
  • Locks in moisture and enhances softness, smoothness, and shine
  • Formulated without sodium chloride to protect the longevity of Keratin Complex smoothing treatments
  • Can be used with or without a smoothing treatment
  • No added sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

Note the claim regarding Sodium Chloride. Looking at the ingredient list we see:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PEG/PPG-20/6 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycol Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Fragrance/Parfum.
The presence of Cocamidopropyl Betaine indicates one of two possibilities: the claim covers added sodium chloride, ignoring the sodium chloride typically found in the betaine or the product is formulated using Cocamidopropyl Betaine that has been specially treated to substantially remove the sodium chloride byproduct (it is technically impossible to remove it entirely at commercial scale).
The label indicates a higher than typical loading of Cocamide MEA, which is enabling this formulation to be viscous without the addition of sodium chloride.

Acure Simply Smoothing Shampoo, often recommended by bloggers for keratin‑treated hair, does not claim “salt‑free” on pack but is a formula for a similar consumer and the ingredient list indicates no added Sodium Chloride:
Water / Aqua / Eau, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Liquid Endosperm, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos) Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Oil, Juniperus Mexicana (Texas Cedarwood) Oil, Aleurites Moluccanus (Kukui) Seed Oil, Dipteryx Odorata (Cumaru) Seed Oil, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Cocoglucosides Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Betaine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Vanillin, Limonene
The high loading of Cocamidopropyl Betaine allows for the formulation to have good viscosity without adding Sodium Chloride.

NYK1 Salt Free Sulphate Free Aftercare Shampoo makes every effort to highlight its formulation claims around salt: “Salt Free and Sulphate Free Shampoo… to protect hair keratin and colour treatments.”
The ingredients tell a more nuanced story:
Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauryl Sulphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-150 Distearate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin.
Anionic surfactants themselves are salts and even if you think this is being pedantic then the Sodium Chloride byproduct of the Cocamidopropyl Betaine (even if substantially removed as discussed earlier) or the Sodium Sulfate byproduct of the Disodium Laureth Sulfate must be considered salts. Again, what’s important is that no salts have been intentionally added to build viscosity. A combination of high surfactant solids and Decyl Glucoside can easily account for the lack of added Sodium Chloride to build viscosity here.

Finally, Damila Salt & Sulfate Free Shampoo follows a similar formulation platform closely mirroring the NYK1 product above.
Across these examples, several themes emerge:

  • “Salt‑free” in practice almost always means no intentionally added sodium chloride as a separate component, not absence of sodium salts or zero NaCl analytically.
  • The surfactant cores are high‑foaming anionic/amphoteric systems (sulfoacetates, sulfosuccinates, isethionates, taurates, amphoacetates, betaines) already familiar to sulfate‑free formulators.
  • Rheology is managed with the ratios of surfactants in the formulation, overemphasizing amphoteric and nonionic surfactant additives.
  • The product claims focus on protecting keratin and color treatments, aligning with salon and brand narratives that sodium chloride and sulfates prematurely strip treatments, despite limited published quantitative data.

For chemists, these market formulas reinforce that “salt‑free” is first a labeling and communication strategy, then a formulation challenge. Understanding exactly which salts marketing intends to exclude guides raw‑material selection and helps avoid over‑engineering systems where “no added sodium chloride” will suffice as a strategy. Ultimately, the goal should be first and foremost to achieve the claim of hair smoothness and maintenance of a home or salon hair smoothing treatment. Specific “free-from” ingredient claims may distract from this goal, but are important for many consumers and cannot be ignored.

In Part 3 we will more thoroughly explore formulation strategies and ingredient options for formulators trying to achieve claims of “salt-free” or “no Sodium Chloride” or “no added Sodium Chloride”.

Next: Low-No Salt Shampoos – Part Three
April 22, 2026

Low-No Salt Shampoos – Part One

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Personal Care

Why Salt‑Free? Drivers Behind Low‑Salt Hair‑Care Formulation

Welcome to the first part of a new blog series! In this series we’ll be examining the claim of “salt-free” or “no added salt” in shampoos, from consumer perception to the existing market to product suggestions for formulators trying to achieve high quality formulations around this concept.

The “salt‑free” conversation in personal care starts from a foundational concept in formulating foaming gel cleansers: sodium chloride is routinely added to anionic/amphoteric systems to navigate the salt curve and deliver aesthetically pleasing viscosity at modest surfactant actives. It is cheap, easy to titrate at the bench and at scale, and familiar to every shampoo formulator. At the same time, it is seen on the product list of ingredients, and that visibility has become a marketing liability in certain categories.

Chemically, anhydrous sodium chloride behaves as a desiccant, readily binding water from the environment (imagine caked salt in humid climates). Extrapolating from that behavior, online content often frames sodium chloride in shampoos as intrinsically “drying” to hair. In practice, in‑use conditions are very different: a few percent NaCl in an aqueous surfactant matrix, rapidly diluted under the shower and rinsed off. The dominant contributors to perceived dryness remain cuticle damage and lipid loss from oxidative dyes, perms/relaxers, keratin/alkali treatments, high‑heat styling, and frictional grooming on wet fibers. Scanning electron micrographs of damaged hair show lifted, chipped cuticles that generate high inter‑fiber friction and “dry” feel, independent of actual water content. Conditioning agents and cationic polymers are what meaningfully reduce friction at those edges and restore slip.

Another major driver is keratin smoothing. Many brands and stylists explicitly instruct clients to avoid shampoos containing sodium chloride and sulfates after treatment, claiming that these ingredients accelerate loss of the deposited keratin layer. Peer‑reviewed data isolating sodium chloride in realistic shampoo usage is sparse; most published work focuses on surfactant‑driven lipid extraction and internal porosity rather than salt itself. Nonetheless, the perception that “salt strips keratin” is entrenched.

There are also rational engineering cases for low‑salt systems. In unlined steel aerosols cans or other metal packaging, total ionic strength and specific ions can significantly influence corrosion, making low‑electrolyte formulations attractive. Certain industrial and institutional applications similarly require tightly controlled conductivity or ion profiles.

Against that backdrop, “salt‑free” emerges less as an absolute electrolyte prohibition and more as a practical design problem. How does a formulator deliver mild, high‑foaming cleansing systems that (a) do not list sodium chloride as an intentional ingredient, (b) satisfy keratin/color‑care marketing narratives, and (c) still hit target rheology and aesthetics? Most of the market resolves this by formulating “no added sodium chloride” systems, accepting trace sodium chloride byproducts and leaning on amphoterics, alternative anionics, nonionics, and polymers for structure.

For product developers, the industry needs honest technical positioning, acknowledging the limits of current keratin‑specific data, focusing on surfactant mildness and cuticle preservation, and treating sodium chloride as one variable in a broader damage and perception landscape rather than a villain.

Next: Low-No Salt Shampoos – Part Two
March 5, 2026

A Case Study in Substitution: From Sodium Laureth Sulfate to Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate

Personal Care
Blog

Introduction

As formulators seek to respond to market needs with easy to use and affordable technologies, one very common substation we’ve seen is the replacement of Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) with Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (AOS). In this blog post we’ll examine the potential benefits and drawbacks of such a replacement strategy.

Technical Differences

While SLES and AOS follow similar reaction schemes, there are important differences in feedstocks and end products. For SLES, Lauryl Alcohol is ethoxylated, typically with anywhere from 1-4 moles of ethylene oxide. Biobased carbon content cany vary from 0 to 100%, depending on supply chain. For AOS, narrow range hydrocarbons with a terminal (alpha) double bond follow a similar reaction process. Biobased carbon content is 0%. Both reaction schemes will produce sodium sulfate as a byproduct. Depending on the exact process, Sodium Chloride may also be produced as a byproduct. SLES will also produce 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct, which may be substantially removed by post-reaction treatment.

Performance Drivers and Stability

The INCI designation “Sodium Laureth Sulfate” can encompass a wide range of performance attributes. The purity of Lauryl Alcohol and degree of ethoxylation strongly influence performance characteristics like foam, viscosity building, and irritation potential. Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate can also exhibit a range of performance attributes, driven primarily by the precise alkyl distribution. Most grades of SLES will not exhibit a Krafft temperature above freezing, while most grades of AOS will exhibit a Krafft temperature, typically around 10°C. AOS also exhibits superior hydrolytic stability in low-pH formulations due to the inherent stability of the sulfonate functional group. In contrast, SLES shows poor stability below approximately pH 5, where sulfate ester linkages become increasingly susceptible to hydrolysis. As a result, AOS is generally preferred for highly acidic formulations.

Foam Profile & Viscosity Response

The foam profile of AOS is comparable to higher-ethoxylated SLES grades such as SLES-3, but lower than low-ethoxylated grades like SLES-1. With optimized formulation strategies, AOS systems can achieve near parity with SLES-2. In terms of salt response, SLES-based systems typically achieve peak viscosity with lower salt levels compared to AOS-based systems, which may require higher levels of secondary or tertiary surfactants.

Irritation Potential

While the stated goal of replacing SLES with AOS is for improved mildness due to the “harshness” of sulfates, AOS has been demonstrated in formulated systems to be close to SLES with the lowest degree of ethoxylation. More frequently used higher ethoxylates of SLES like two and three mole

versions have much lower irritation potential, even in formulated systems. Increasing the use of secondary amphoteric surfactants and/or introducing other zero irritation surfactants in AOS-based formulations can allow formulators to achieve much closer parity in irritation or even improvements on the most commonly used grades of SLES.

Cost, Regulatory & Market Drivers

AOS is experiencing rapid global adoption primarily due to its cost advantages. These are driven by historically low crude oil prices, high lauryl alcohol costs, fewer processing steps, and the absence of dioxane removal requirements. SLES production requires additional processing and specialized equipment to reduce 1,4-dioxane levels.

Regulatory & Marketing Advantages

Regulatory pressure, particularly in the United States, has significantly impacted SLES usage due to strict limitations on 1,4-dioxane content. Achieving ultra-low dioxane levels is increasingly challenging. AOS, which does not generate dioxane, offers a clear regulatory advantage. From a marketing standpoint, AOS enables ‘SLS and SLES-Free’ and ‘PEG-Free’ claims, aligning strongly with current consumer and brand owner preferences.

Sustainability & Future Outlook

Although not yet widely commercialized, suppliers are actively developing AOS derived from biobased olefins. This development could enable AOS to transition from 0% to 100% biobased content, significantly strengthening its sustainability profile. This evolution is expected to further establish AOS as the surfactant of choice in the coming decades.

Conclusion

While SLES remains a well-established surfactant, AOS is an increasingly popular option with superior short-term advantages in cost efficiency, regulatory compliance, formulation ease, and consumer acceptance. Long-term continued development in biobased olefin technologies will improve its environmental footprint. Some reformulation work to maximize benefits of AOS is expected and needed to ensure all stated goals are met.