The evolution of anionic surfactant technology to meet the requirements of the laundry detergent industry

Surfactants are the single most important ingredients in laundry and household cleaning products, comprising from 15 to 40% of the total detergent formulation. They play a key role in the $60 billion detergent market, which is the focus of this review. The past, present, and future trends of mainframe anionic surfactants and the key technological developments Tor these surfactants are discussed. The focus of this review is on how surfactants are changed (i) to meet changing environmental requirements, 00 to take advantage of advances in process technology, and (iii) to address changes in consumer habits.