Using secondary resources of sunflower seed processing to create new natural origin surfactants

Today great attention is paid to development of advanced technologies for production of ecologically safe, nonpolluting and biodegradable products, including without limitation cosmetic-hygiene detergents and household products. One of the main ingredients in formulation of such products is surfactants. For the purpose of widening of the assortment of such products it is essential to create new types of biodegradable surfactants derived from renewable, as a rule, plant raw materials. The object of this paper is development of technology for production of non-ionic surfactant, alkyl polyglycoside (APG), with improved characteristics on the basis of the alternative plant raw material, sunflower husks, being the waste by-product of sunflower processing, which is the most commonly available raw material in our country. The output of sunflower processing aiming at sunflower oil production is growing year by year and takes the leading place in the oil-and-fat industry, therefore processing of the waste product in the form of husks is of particular interest now. In the course of work the existing technologies of APG production were studied and their shortcomings were identified. According to such technologies alkyl polyglycoside is produced by combining glucose or aqueous syrupy solution of glucose with C10- C16 alcohol. As the sources of starch, from which glucose is produced further, there are used rice, corn, potatoes or wheat. Such products represent no wastes and have rather high production cost. Fatty alcohols are produced from imported palm or coconut oil. The new technology suggested by us is based on usage of the available and cheap raw materials. Glucose syrup is made with the help of the method of hydrolysis of sunflower husks cellulose, and fatty acids are derived from the sunflower processing cycle at the stage of alkali refining of sunflower oil, comprising C16-C18 atoms. Analysis of organoleptic, physical-and-chemical characteristics and evaluation of consumer properties of the resulting alkyl polyglycoside were performed. It was established that according to the suggested method it is possible to produce a non-ionic surfactant with improved detergent (CCM) and foaming power (foam height, foam stability), and also having soft dermatological action. The alkyl polyglycoside, created and produced with the help of our technology, can be used as an alternate substitute of expensive foreign non-ionic surfactants, can be helpful for extension of the assortment of biodegradable foam detergents, nonpolluting and safe for the environment.

Preparation of Microemulsion from an Alkyl Polyglycoside Surfactant and Tea Tree Oil

Preparation and characterization of microemulsions consisting of a plant-derived alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactant and the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) was studied. This nonionic APG surfactant used was Triton CG-110 with a CMC at 1748 ppm at 25 °C. Tea tree oil (TTO) was extracted from tea tree leaves by Triton CG-110-assisted hydrodistillation method. The preparation of the microemulsion was aided by the construction of pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, which were investigated at the different weight ratios of surfactant mixtures (Smix = Triton CG-110/PPG) as 0.6:1, 1.8:1, 1:0 with hydrodistilled and commercial TTO by water titration method at room temperature. Particularly, structure of microemulsion was identified by electrical conductivity and viscosity. Moreover, shelf stability of some microemulsion made of 1% TTO with various concentration of Triton CG-110/PPG (1.8:1 w/w) were monitored for over a two-month period with dynamic light scattering. These results showed that microemulsion made of 1%TTO, 9% Triton CG-110/PPG (1.8:1 w/w) was insensitive with time and temperature of storage.

Effects of Dietary Alkyl Polyglycoside Supplementation on Lactation Performance, Blood Parameters and Nutrient Digestibility in Dairy Cows

This study evaluated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), which is a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in dairy cows. Twenty dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups and fed a basal diet that included pelleted concentrate, distillers grains, and fresh limpograss. The four treatments included 0, 5.5, 11 and 22 mL APG per kg of pelleted concentrate on a dry matter basis; treatments were defined as APG0, APG5.5, APG11, and APG22, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by APG supplementation. There was an increase in milk yield (from 13.96 to 16.71 kg/day) and increases in milk fat (quadratic, p = 0.04), protein (quadratic, p = 0.10), and lactose concentrations (linear, p = 0.07) with increasing APG supplementation. In addition, APG supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.03) the milk fat, protein, solid non-fat, and total solid yields, while the lactose yield increased (linear, p = 0.01) as the APG level increased. Dietary APG supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites. It was concluded that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate had positive effects on the milk composition in dairy cows.

Preparation and Property of Perfluoropolyether Emulsions

Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) glycerol emulsions were prepared. Three different green surfactants (AES (sodium laureth sulfate), APG (alkyl polyglycoside), and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)) were chosen to emulsify the PFPE. Their properties and performance in shampoo were also investigated. Centrifuge stability measurements show that three PFPE emulsions have good stability. They are stable for 60 min when the centrifugal speed is 6000 r/min. In addition, a change of droplet size was observed with time. Moreover, its rheological properties and application performance was studied. The AES emulsion was the most stable emulsion and it was found to improve the slip and lubricity performance of the cotton, so it has potential applications in shampoo.