Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid ( LABSA 97) sulfocid 97

Labsa Introduction

Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid, also known as LABSA, stands as a renowned and versatile anionic surfactant. It’s recognized as the most common member of its family. Significant stain removal properties, reasonable cost, great emulsification, and its role as a rheology modifier, make LABSA to be a suitable choice across various industries.

Appearance of Labsa97%

LABSA presents itself as an anionic surfactant, taking the form of a light brown, thick liquid. Low pH value of the product, implies the necessity of proper containers, shipping, and storage.

Chemical structure and mechanism of action

The chemical composition of LABSA adheres to the general formula C₆H₅C_nH_2n+1. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid falls under the category of organosulfur acids. The arrangement of the alkyl chain and its positioning relative to the benzene ring exhibits variations across properties of the product. In most cases, commercial products encompass a blend of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate acid molecules featuring carbon ranges of 10-13, 12-15, or 12-13.

The chemical structure of the product is presented below. Typically, the sulfonate group occupies the para position with respect to the alkyl chain. The linear chain formed by R1 and R2 can collectively be referred to as R.

If R were to be branched, the molecule would belong to the category of Branched Alkylbenzene Sulfonates or BAS. While some members of the BAS family exhibit notable surface activity, foaming, and emulsification behavior, they lack biodegradability.

The challenge of biodegradability is the primary reason for BASs being phased out from the cleaning industry. BAS family members generate persistent foams in wastewater, complicating the purification and filtration processes.

LABSA’s  mechanism of action

labsa Application and target markets

Cleaning and Self-care

The most common application of the LABSA lies within the cleaning industry. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is a key raw material to produce various cleaning and health care products. It’s widely used in the formulation of detergents, soaps, shampoos, and bath gels.

As previously mentioned, the exceptional foaming, cleaning, and emulsification properties of LABSA make it highly suitable for deployment in both healthcare products and the cleaning sector.

Textile

LABSA has diverse applications in the textile industry. it could be used to remove the impurities on the surface of the textiles and consequently improve the dye absorption. Moreover, it could be used as a detergent in the dying process.

Polymer, Paint, Resin, and Coating

As an emulsifier, LABSA has a utility in emulsion polymerization and emulsion-based coatings. A recent application involves utilizing sulfonic acid as a drafting branch on polymer backbones. This process notably, enhances the solubility of the polymer in polar solvent, especially water.

Leather

Linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid might be used as a degreasing agent in the leather industry. The degreasing products are applied to remove the oil, fat and impurities from the hide and skin of the animal. In addition, owing to its high viscosity and low pH attributes, LABSA can be employed for pH adjustment or rheology modification in leather processing.

Adhesives

the surface-active nature of the LABSA allows it to function as a wetting agent. It could influence surface wettability and consequently improve the adhesive performance. Like previous applications, linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid can enhance product viscosity and serve as a rheology modifier or thickening agent of the adhesives as well. Moreover, LABSA exhibits promising properties to accelerate the curing rate of certain commercial adhesives.

It should be noted that with expansion of water-based adhesives to overcome environmental concerns has gained significant attention. In such systems, LABSA can act as an emulsifier to formulate eco-friendly adhesives.

Paper and Cellulose

 One of the widely known applications of the LABSA is to deink the paper during the recycling process. The removal of inks, colors, and stains from paper is a crucial treatment before the recycling process. Additionally, LABSA can act as a retention aid in the paper industry.

Agriculture and Food

Due to its antimicrobial properties, LABSA is an important component of some food contact sanitizers.  It is an inert ingredient that doesn’t participate in undesired chemical reactions. LABSA can be neutralized into a salt form and utilized for washing fruits and vegetables.

Furthermore, LABSA contributes to herbicide formulations and helps to control spray drift. It also enhances the mixability of various types of pesticides and agrochemicals in the same spray. Another application of LABSA is in the formulation of insecticides and fungicides; Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate improves the stability and helps the dispersion of the ingredients.

Construction industry

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid proves beneficial as a binder within asphalt or bitumen mixtures. Besides providing the desired cohesion, it also modifies the rheological properties of the mixture. LABSA’s incorporation can enhance fatigue cracking and rutting resistance.

In a different application, LABSA has utility in the formulation of concrete and cement. It could enhance the dispersion and workability or act as a plasticizer.

Safety Considerations

LABSA in its pure form is an acid with corrosive properties. Hence, precautions must be taken to prevent skin and eye contact. However, concerning the final product, multiple studies have affirmed that regular doses of LABSA do not induce any toxic effects. long-term studies have conclusively demonstrated that LABSA lacks carcinogenic attributes. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, LABSA qualifies as a biodegradable substance and can be categorized as an environmentally friendly material.

 Features and Advantages of labsa 97 :

• Detergent property
• stain remover
• antibacterial property
• viscosity enhancer
• cleaning property
• emulsifier
• compatible with all surfactants