Investigating the impact of propylene oxide and 1,2-butylene oxide on the structure-activity relationship offatty alcohol ethersOA

This study aimed to elucidate the impact of propylene oxide(PO)and 1,2-butylene oxide(BO)incorporation on the properties of AEO_(7) surfactant.A comparative investigation was conducted on the salt tolerance,alkali resistance,foaming,emulsification,wetting ability,cloud point,pour point,and detergency of the pristine and modified surfactants.The results demonstrated that the introduction of PO or BO groups generally compromised the alkali resistance of AEO_(7),with BO exerting a more detrimental effect.Modification also altered salt tolerance,and BO incorporation notably reduced water solubility and salt tolerance.Both PO and BO significantly accelerated defoaming kinetics,with BO-modified variants exhibiting superior performance.Emulsifyingability was markedly enhanced due to improved compatibility between the surfactant hydrophobic tail and the oil phase.Wetting performance was also improved,particularly in BO-modified samples.Furthermore,the incorporation of PO/BO led to a distinct reduction in both cloud point and pour point,which showed a clear correlation with the type and extent of hydrophobic modification.Regarding detergency,PO modification improved the removal of sebum soil,whereas BO incorporation reduced the cleaning efficiency for both carbon black and sebum soils.This work provides fundamental experimental evidence and theoretical insights for the targeted molecular design and performance optimization of alkoxylated surfactants.