Alkoxylated Terpenes as a Novel Surfactant Chemistry for Cleaning Lipophilic Soils

Abstract: Terpene chemistries are well known for being able to interact with lipophilic soils, adhesives, and lubricants when used as solvents. Alkoxylated Terpenes offer a sustainable, water-soluble, and productive option, imparting many solvent characteristics within a novel surfactant system for HI&I applications. This study compares Alkoxylated Terpenes against traditional nonionic surfactants within formulated systems for soil removal. This study uses alkoxylated terpenes as a primary surfactant for hard surface cleaning, industrial parts cleaning, and spray and wipe degreasing. The experiment considered multi-soil and substrates with their removal evaluated via reflectivity measurements of ASTM 4488 A5 and ASTM D7334 contact angle. The study aims to explore how alkoxylated terpenes might improve formulation performance in HI&I applications.