The effect of a non‐ionic detergent on the detergency of alkylaryl sulfonates and soap in hard water

Abstract

SummaryA non‐ionic detergent, Renex, has been shown to improve markedly the detergency of alkylaryl sulfonates in the washing of synthetically soiled cotton. This improvement was found to exist also when the alkylaryl sulfonates were built with CMC, salts, and alkalies.A combination of tallow soap with the non‐ionic detergent, Renex, has been shown to have greater effectiveness than tallow soap alone in hard water. Sodium laurate‐Renex combinations show less improvement over straight sodium laurate. When Renex replaces half the tallow soap in a formula containing CMC, sodium carbonate, and tetrasodium pyrophosphate as builders, it improves the detergency in hard water. When Renex replaces half the sodium laurate in a formula containing CMC, sodium carbonate, and tetrasodium pyrophosphate as builders, it improves the detergency.