SLES 70%

SLES 70% is sodium lauryl ether sulphate (sodium laureth sulphate, CAS 68585-34-2) supplied as a high-active anionic surfactant paste: 70% ±1.5% active matter, 2–3 ethylene-oxide units, sodium sulphate below 1.5%, Hazen colour below 50 and a pH of 7.5–8.5 in 10% solution. It is made by ethoxylating lauryl alcohol, sulphating the ethoxylate and neutralising it with sodium hydroxide. Global Chemicals LLC supplies it from stock in Muscat in 200 kg HDPE drums, in a technical grade as standard and a cosmetic grade with low 1,4-dioxane on request for formulations under the EU Cosmetics Regulation.

SLES is the primary surfactant in most shampoos, body washes, shower gels, liquid and foam hand soaps, bubble baths and facial cleansers, and the high-active base of dishwashing liquids, liquid laundry detergents and car-wash shampoos. Finished products run at 5–15% active matter, so one drum of paste makes roughly one tonne of a typical shampoo base. The ethoxylate chain makes it milder on skin and more tolerant of hard water than sodium lauryl sulphate, and it builds a rich, stable foam that thickens readily with sodium chloride or cocamide DEA and pairs with cocamidopropyl betaine in mild systems. It is readily biodegradable.

Handling the 70% paste is the one thing to plan for. It is viscous at room temperature and passes through a thick gel phase between roughly 30% and 60% active when diluted, so warm the drum or use a heated transfer pump, add the paste to the full quantity of water with good agitation rather than water to paste, and keep mixing through the gel band until the solution thins. Store drums closed at moderate temperature out of the sun; the paste is not flammable and not classified as hazardous for transport.

Every drum carries a technical data sheet, safety data sheet and certificate of analysis giving active matter, pH, sodium sulphate and colour. Delivery is same day within Muscat, next day to Sohar, Salalah and Duqm, and by road to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain with a certificate of origin. Request a quote with the grade, number of drums and monthly volume.