Sodium myreth sulfate

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.

Sodium myreth sulfate
Names
Other names
PEG-(1-4) myristyl ether sulfate, sodium salt;
POE(2) myristyl ether sulfate;
sodium diethylene glycol myristyl ether sulfate;
sodium myristyl ether sulfate
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
Abbreviations SMES
ECHA InfoCard 100.042.700
EC Number
  • 246-986-8
UNII
Properties
CH3(CH2)13(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na
Molar mass 448.590 g/mol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

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 converted 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 considered to be a Group 2B suspect carcinogen by the IARC.

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 Archived 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine. The Canary Report.
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