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Caflon® Amphoteric Surfactants

Amphoteric surfactants, also known as zwitterionic surfactants, are a class of surface-active agents that possess both anionic and cationic groups in their molecular structure. 

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    Amphoteric surfactants are a unique class that can behave as either anionic or cationic surfactants depending on the pH of the solution. They are a class of surfactants that possess both anionic and cationic groups in their molecular structure, allowing them to interact with charged materials of either polarity.

    Amphoteric surfactants have several key characteristics to remember when selecting a surfactant for your formulation.

    Structure: They contain both a positively charged cationic group (often an amine group) and a negatively charged anionic group (carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate) in the same molecule. Common examples include betaines, sultaines, amine oxides, propionates and acetates.

    pH dependent behavior: At low pH, the anionic groups are neutralized leaving a cationic surfactant while at high pH the cationic groups are neutralized, resulting in an anionic surfactant. At intermediate pH, they exhibit zwitterionic behavior with both charges present.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations: Shampoos, body washes, hair conditioners

    • Household and industrial cleaners: Hard surface cleaners, metal cleaners, bathroom cleaners

    • Emulsifiers and solubilizers: Used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and various formulations.

    Properties:

    • Mild and low irritation potential compared to typical anionics
    • pH responsive and can work over a wide pH range
    • Good wetting, foaming and cleansing abilities
    • Compatible with other surfactant types
    woman washing her back with a foaming body wash in the showerwoman washing her back with a foaming body wash in the shower

    Amphoteric surfactants offer unique benefits through their dual ionic character and pH responsive behavior, making them valuable ingredients in personal care, household and industrial cleaning formulations.

    Examples of the Caflon® line of amphoteric surfactants include Betaines – Caflon COPB 35 (cocamidopropyl betaine), Sultaines – Caflon CAPHS (cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine), Amino Oxides – Caflon LAO (lauramine oxide); Caflon MO (myristamine oxide); Caflon MCO (myristyle/cetyl dimethylamine oxide). Check out the full offerings of the Caflon line of amphtoeric surctants below. 

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    Product Information

    Betaines

    Betaines are a class of amphoteric surfactants containing a positively charged quaternary ammonium cation and a negatively charged carboxylate anion in their molecular structure.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Household and Industrial Cleaners

    Properties:

    • Mild, low irritation
    • Good foaming and viscosity building
    • Substantive to hair and skin
    • Compatible with other surfactant classes

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Generally biodegradable
    • Toxicity to aquatic life at high concentrations
    Cocamidopropyl Betaine

    Cocamidopropyl Betaine is an amphoteric molecule with a hydrocarbon chain as the hydrophobic tail and a zwitterionic head group composed of a quaternary ammonium cation and a carboxylate group.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Household cleaners

    Properties:

    • Exceptional mildness
    • High foam
    • Thickening ability
    • Hard water tolerance

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Biodegradable
    • Lower eco-toxicity than many other surfactants
    Sultaines

    Sultaines are amphoteric surfactants containing both a quaternary ammonium cation and a negatively charged sulfonate anion.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Hard surface cleaners
    • Emulsifiers

    Properties:

    • Low irritation
    • Good foaming and wetting
    • Stable in acids/bases

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Biodegradable
    • Can be toxic to aquatic life at high levels
    Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

    Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaines are amphoteric molecules derived from fatty acids, containing the hydroxysultaine group attached to ahydrophobic hydrocarbon tail.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations

    Properties:

    • Exceptional mildness
    • High foam
    • Viscosity building
    • Biostatic

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Biodegradable
    • Lower toxicity than many other surfactant classes
    Amine Oxides

    Amine oxides are amphoteric surfactants where the cationic amine group is combined with an anionic oxide group in the same molecule.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Household cleaners
    • Metalworking fluids

    Properties:

    • Good foaming
    • Emulsifying
    • Mild
    • Hard water tolerance

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Readily biodegradable
    • Relatively low toxicity
    Lauramine Oxide

    Lauramine oxide is an amphoteric molecule with a lauryl (C12) hydrophobic tail attached to the amine oxide head group.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Household cleaners

    Properties:

    • High foaming
    • Mild
    • Acid and hypochlorite stable
    • Hard water tolerance
    • Emulsification

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Readily biodegradable
    • Low toxicity to aquatic life
    Myristamine Oxide

    Myristamine oxide contains a myristyl (C14) hydrophobic tail and the amine oxide zwitterionic head group.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Industrial cleaners

    Properties:

    • Excellent foaming
    • Emulsification
    • Hard water compatibility

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Biodegradable
    • Low eco-toxicity
    Myristyl/Cetyl Dimethylamine Oxide

    An amine oxide mixture containing both myristyle (C14) and cetyl (C16) hydrophobic tails with a dimethylamine oxide head.

    Applications:

    • Beaty & personal care formulations
    • Home and Industrial cleaners

    Properties:

    • High foam stability
    • Hard water tolerance
    • Emulsification

    Environmental Considerations:

    • Readily biodegradable
    • Relatively low eco-toxicity

    Products Available

    Betaines

    Product Name Supplier Grade Package Type Weight Billing Price Price (Package)
    Caflon® COPB 35% - Technical Grade - 2205 lb Tote Caflon Branded Surfactants -- IBC 2,250.04 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon® COPB 35% - 2205 lb Tote
    Caflon® COPB 35% - Technical Grade - 485 lb Drum Caflon Branded Surfactants -- Drum 450.00 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon® COPB 35% - 485 lb Drum

    Sultaines

    Product Name Supplier Grade Package Type Weight Billing Price Price (Package)
    Caflon® CAPHS Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical IBC 2,250.00 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon® CAPHS
    Caflon® CAPHS Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical Drum 449.99 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon® CAPHS

    Amine Oxides

    Product Name Supplier Grade Package Type Weight Billing Price Price (Package)
    Caflon® LAO Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical IBC 2,000.04 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon
    Caflon® LAO Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical Drum 450.01 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon
    Caflon® MO Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical IBC 1,999.99 lbs --
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    --
    Caflon® MO
    Caflon« MCO Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical IBC 2,000.01 lbs --
    Request Quote
    --
    Caflon« MCO
    Caflon® MCO Caflon Branded Surfactants Technical Drum 450.01 lbs --
    Request Quote
    --
    Caflon® MCO

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