Nicole Plath

Biosurfactants – Exotic Specialties or Ready for Application?

Abstract Surfactants are the most important ingredients in laundry detergents, hand dish washing liquids and shampoos. It is a major challenge for the industry today to identify alternative materials that are biodegradable, based on renewable resources and that show reasonable cost-performance effectiveness. Biosurfactants are an emerging class of surfactants produced by microorganisms in processes usually running at low temperatures and without large amounts of waste or by-products, therefore complying with the rules of green chemistry and potentially resulting in a lower carbon footprint than conventional surfactants. We show in our work which biosurfactants can meet or even surpass conventional surfactants today when it comes to properties like interfacial tension reduction and wetting. Taking into account that further optimization and tailoring of materials, unique physicochemical properties and efficient production processes are within reach, the future perspectives for the broader use of biosurfactants are bright.

Formulation, Performance and Sustainability Aspects of Liquid Laundry Detergents

Abstract In this study, we have investigated the development of liquid laundry detergent formulations over the past 10 years with regard to performance and sustainability profiles. We found that between 2001 and 2011, wash performance has significantly increased while at the same time the surfactant level was substantially reduced, leading to lower Global Warming Potential and improvements in all other relevant lifecycle indicators. One driver is the partial replacement of surfactants with other, more effective ingredients like enzymes that allow for additional performance dimensions and new consumer-relevant benefits. Future surfactant systems that help increase and support the stability and functionality of enzymes will further boost performance at low temperature, improve storage stability and enable more concentrated formulations at competitive costs.