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BALLESTRA GROUPViii G. Fantoll, 21117·20138 Milano (Italy) -ll.'L IOZ} 50831 • 'bo, 31'519 lNGBA I .1'11: 32:5641 ING6A I· fax: 02·5066003

for inlonnotion circle 1178

SURFACTANTS 8. DETERGENTS

Hepworth

soap-dominated aqueous productswith nanionic surfactants; aqueousconcentrates based on zeolite/citratebuilder; aqueous liquids which includefabric conditioner. nonaqueous phos-phate-built with/without bleach; andnonaqueous citrate-built with/withoutbleach.

The nonaqueous products areadded directly into the washingmachine, with the outer cap of the bot-tle used as the dispenser. "No prob-lems of spotting due \0 optical bright-ener have been noted, probablybecause the brighteners are soluble inthe liquid medium employed," Hep-worth said. adding that it is importantthat the chemicals dissolve rapidly,particularly the builder to soften Ihewater. in order 10 achieve good washperformance. "The speed with which

Products and the environment top SDA talks

New trends in product formula-tion and industry issues con-ceming the environment, gOY'

ernmental legislation and productsafety were among the topics dis-cussed at The Soap and DetergentAssociation (SDA) annual conventionheld Jan. 29-Feb. 2 in Boca Raton,Florida.

The SDA annual convention drewa record registration of more than1,100 persons. including 650 companyand association representatives. Tech-nical presentations looked at new non-aqueous heavy-duty liquids developedin the United Kingdom. the attributesof alkyl polyglycoside surfactarus, theenvironmental fate of alkyl phenolethoxylates. the concept of Iifecycleanalysis. consumer ani tudes towardenvironmental issues. and cleaningproducts for the hospitality industry.

For highlights focusing on lifecycleanalysis and consumer attitudes, seethe accompanying article. A secondarticle summarizes business conduct-ed at the industry convention.

Nonaqueous liquidsSpeaking on "Heavy-Duty LaundryLiquids With Bleach-The Way forthe Nineties." Paul Hepworth of ICISurfacrants. United Kingdom. notedthat laundry liquids were introducedin Europe approximately 10 years agobased on technology developed in theU.S. during the previous decade.However. he said. these liquids havecaptured less market share than in theU.S.; currently in Europe, compactpowders have a 20% share and liquidsa 28% share.

ICI has developed compact non-aqueous laundry liquids which noware on the market in Europe. Theseinclude nonaqueous liquids with orwithout bleach that contain a phos-phate builder. and nonaqueous liquidswith or without bleach that contain acitrate builder. Thus, there are at leasteight types of laundry liquids avail-able in Europe: structured aqueousliquid with phosphate builder; struc-tured aqueous liquid with zeolite/cobuilder: aqueous blends of soap,nonicnic and anionic surfactants;

TARLE I

Naylor

this occurs is related to the viscosityof the liquid and also the temperatureof the wash water," Hepworth said.noting. "Clearly in America. wherewashing is carried out at much loweroverall temperatures. this will be animportant parameter."

Outlining typical nonaqueousphosphate formulas (Table I). Hep-worth added, "Citrate formulas aresimilar. essentially replacing the phos-phate with citrate and adjusting thesurfactant and anti-redeposition agentlevels. EDTA (ethylenediaminete-traaceric acid) is no longer required."

The ICI patented formulationfeatures a highly active solid phasesuspended in a polyethylene glycolmedium. It can be used with a varietyof detergent components which maybe vegetable oil-or petroleum based.

Ingredient

Typical Formulation of lei System Nonaqueous Detergents

Enzymatic(% WI ratio)

Bleach/En:lymatic(% wt ratio)

40.0s.s2.00.21.00.2

32.8

2.00.21.00.2

10.03.07.'2.5

40.00.30.5

Sodium tripolyphosphateSodium carbonateSodium silicateEOTACarboxymethylcelluloseOptical brightenerSodium perbcrate monohydrateTetraacetyl ethylenediamineSynperonic 87KSynperonic A3Polyethylene glycol 200EnzymePerfume

7.52.5

40.00.30.8

Source: Paul Hepworth. lei Surfactants. presented litThe Soap lind Detergent Associa-tion's 1992convention. Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 1992. Boca Raton. Plonde.

INFORM. Vol. 3. no. 3 (Morch 1992)

294

SURFACTANTS Be DETERGENTS

Hepworth said. Nonaqueous liquidsare produced by blending the liquidand solid components and milling themixture to reduce solid panicle size 10about 2.5 micron average. Heat-sensi-tive materials such as enzymes andperfumes are added at a final blendingstage.

The lei nonaqueous heavy-dutyliquid system provides comparableproduct performance 31 one-third thechemical use. according 10 Hepworth.noting that it also reduces the effluentburden by having lower oxygendemand and low inorganic use. It alsorequires less packaging and energy useto give comparable wash performance.

During the discussion period. Hep-worth confirmed that it is necessaryfor consumers to shake the product forbest performance. He noted that intheory polyethylene glycol should beinert, bUI in fact doesn't appear 10 be."We see it as a nice, not quite inert.washing material."

Alkylphenol ethoxytatesAddressing the question of the "Envi-ronmental Fate of AlkyJphenolErhoxylates," Caner G. Naylor of Tex-aco Chemical Co. said these surfac-rants are the second largest group ofnon ionic surfactants in commercialproduction in North America, with1989 U.S. volume exceeding 400 mil-lion pounds. Alkylphenol ethoxylates(APE) are used widely in cleaningproducts and as industrial process aids.

Noting that most APE are pre-sumed to enter the aquatic environ-ment after use. Naylor said past labo-ratory biodegradation studies indicat-ed nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE)degrade slowly and incompletely. Fiveyears ago. producers of NPE andnonylphenol (NP) and a number ofusers formed an alkylphenol andethoxylates panel under the CHEM-STAR program of the Chemical Man-ufacturers Association to addressthese concerns. Current panel mem-bership includes Chevron, Church &Dwight Co .. Exxon Chemical Co ..Henkel Corp., Kalama Chemical Co.,Monsanto Co .. RhOne-Poulenc Inc ..Schenectady Chemicals Inc., TexacoChemical Co.. Union Carbide Chemi-cals and Plastics Co., Uniroyal Chem-ical Co.. and Witco Corp.

After initial discussions with thepanel, the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) issued a consent ordermandating a battery of environmentalfate and effect tests on NP. At thesame time, the panel designed anenvironmental monitoring study 10measure NP and NPE concentrations

Nonaqueous liquids areproduced by blending theliquid & solid componentsand milling the mixture 10

reduce salid particle size to2.5 micron average.

in river waters. "Determining the real-world occurrence and distribution ofNPE was essential in order to viewenvironmental effects data in theproper context. Only with both sets ofdata can an accurate environmentalrisk be calculated." Naylor said.adding that environmental monitoringand most of the consent order testshave been completed. and NPE mate-rial balances around wastewater treat-ment plants have been measured.

"Our most pressing concern whenwe began the real-world analysis ofNP and NPE was to con finn or refutethe reported accumulation of NP andlow otigorners of NPE in treatedwastewater effluent and sludge," hesaid, noting that such reports had ledto NPE's removal from cleaning prod-

ucts in Switzerland and Gennany andto a decline in their use in other Euro-pean countries.

Six wastewater treatment plantsites receiving a variety of surfactant-containing wastewaters were studiedin order to confirm or refute the Euro-pean claims. "Removal of NPE bybiological treatment exceeded 92% inall but the second pulp mill." Naylorsaid. noting that the percentage therewas 84%.

For river sampling, 30 sites werechosen randomly from the EPA RiverReach File after the list was restricted10 the sites considered most likely tohave been exposed to NPE. Resultsshowed about 70% of the water sam-ples had no measurable amounts ofNP and NPE1• and about 60% hadNP~ levels below the detection limit.Ninety percent of the samples had 0.3parts per billion (ppb) of NP andNPE] or less, while 90% had 0.4 ppbof NP~ or less. The higher ethoxy-lates ( PEl_17) had an aggregatedetection limit of 1.6 ppb.

However. the majority of samplesof river sediments did contain measur-able amounts of the two analytes.Naylor said. adding, "The detection ofNP and NPE1 is proof that wastewatercontaining these species had been dis-charged into our rivers, whether or notthey were seen in the river waters."

Naylor said the Grund CalumetRiver in Gary. Indiana, accounted for nmajor share of the highest NPE con-centrations. "The Grand Calumet.

TABLE 1

Alk.ylPolyglycoside Surfactant Performance

Property Nooionics Anionics Alkyl polyglycosides

Ionic charge oeutrnl negative neutralFeam low to medium high medium to highDetergency good good good

(oily soils) (particutates) (oily soils)Critical micelle

concentration tow high tow to mediumMildness good variable goodFormulationcase good good excellent

Cloud point yo. "' "'Electrolyte impact medium high lewCompatibility good fair excellentGel range yo. y" no

Source: P.A.Siracusa. Henkel Corp .. presented at The Soap and Detergent Association'st992 convemion. Jan. 29-Feb. 2. 1992.

INFORM. VOl. 3. no. 3 (Morch 1992)

which receives effluent from manyheavy industries along its course, muchof it untreated. is one of the most pol-luted streams in the U.S. We considerit a 'worst case' for water quality."

Naylor said that under an EPA con-sent order effective Feb. 21. 1990. thepanel has collected toxicity data onNP concerning aquatic organisms.Preliminary results show a substantialmargin of safety between .worst case'environmental concentration and themost subtle environmental effects. "Afinal judgment of the risk 10 the envi-ronment of nonylphenol awaits com-pletion of the toxicity studies and aformal risk assessment," Naylor said.adding that based on the evidencethus far. NP and NPE should nolonger be tenned non biodegradable,recalcitrant or persistent.

Alkyl polyglycosidesSpeaking on "Alkyl Polyglycosides:A New Category of Surfecrams," P.A.Siracusa of Henkel Corp. noted thaialthough alkyl palyglycosides (APG)have been known for many years,commercial use has been limited 10short alkyl chain glycosides that func-tion more as compatibility agents thanas primary or secondary surfacrants.However, technological advances dur-ing the past decade. in conjunctionwith new and expanded manufactur-ing capacity, have resulted in theavailability of dctcrgcm-range APGsurfactants that offer new applicaricnsfor the soap and detergent industry.

Although APG are classified asnonionic surtacmms. they exhibitother characteristics (Table 2) and thus"are best thought of as a new categoryof surfactants that combines many fea-tures of both non ionic and anionic sur-factants," according \0 Siracusa.

APG are formed by combiningfatty alcohols with a carbohydratesource in the presence of an acid cata-lyst. a process known as Fischer Gty-cosidation. The feedstocks are derivedfrom carbohydrates from corn andfatty alcohols from coconut and palmkernel oils. "Selection of a desiredfatty alcohol with a particular alkylchain distribution at a specified ratioto carbohydrate generates alkyl poly-glycoside surfactants with specificproperties corresponding 10 a targeted

OXYLATIONIROPOXYLA TION

PROCESSINGWORLDWIDE

Since 1965the Pressindustria EO/PO polycondensationprocess has been the preferred choice worldwide. Thishas resulted in the Implementation of 65 plants, includ-ing the wortd's largest (250,000Tons/yea~ to produce non-ionic surfactants.Recent contracts include:• Enichem, Gela (Italy)• Shanghai Auxiliary Factory, (P.R. China)• Shanghai Detergent Factory, (P.R. China)• Albright & Wilson, Lavera (France)

Since 1965the Presslndustria ethoxylation/propoxylationprocess has been considered Intrinsically safe.It is constantly up-dated and improved allowing manufac-turing of the widest range of top quality ethoxylated pro-ducts (fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, amines, amides, fat-ty acids, glycols, etc.) and high molecular weight adducts.

Since 1965 the Presslndustria EOIPO polycondensationreactors have featured:• Fastest reaction rates. Highest production yields·Highest plant capacity/reaction volume ratlo s Area re-quirements over 50% reduced. Good combination ofmodular design and customer tailored plants· Full corn-puterization • Best economics (EO/PO,raw materials con-sumption, high energy efficiency, very limited manpower)• Lowest environmental impact.

Now, the Pressindustria ethoxylation/propo-xylation units can also be designed explosionproof against external fire on customer demand.

Trustnew

Pressindustrla for the safety of yourethoxylatlon I propoxylatlon plant

Presslndustrla S.p.A.Via Porta d'Amolfo, 35 • 20046 Blassono (Milano) ItalyPh.: 39 (39) 4983.407 . Fax: 39 (39) 752.689 . TIx: 333322 P INO I

Pressindustria GroupFor information circle' 146

SURFACTANTS & DETERGENTS

hydrophilic-lipophilic balance," Sira-cusa said.

Regardless of alkyl chain length.APG exhibited significantly higherfoaming profiles than alcohol ethoxy-lares. and more closely resembled thevalues for anionic alcohol sulfate.according (0 Siracusa. Studies onbiodegradability showed APG werereadily biodegradable under aerobicand anaerobic conditions.

Siracusa noted that APG possessunique structures and oligomer distri-butions thai lead to physical and per-fonnance properties combining manyfeatures of both nonionic and anionicsurfactams. APG exhibit several fea-tures useful for soap and detergentapplications: excellent skin compati-bility; synergistic performance inter-actions with anionic surfactants indi-cated by enhanced surface-activeproperties and mildcr fcrmutauons:enhanced deposition or cationics onsubstrates: viscosity reduction proper-ties in crutcher slurries which bringnew benefits to spray-dry products:and viscosity-building properties inliquid detergents.

Siracusa said Henkel's new com-mcrcial-scale APG manufacturingfacility in Cincinnati which started upearlier this year )Nill increase theavailability or APG surfacuuus.

and the global scene, panicularly eco-nomically and politically. Summing upthe aim or such talks, David F. Webb,current SDA chairman, noted, "Ourthemc is 'We're Bullish on America.' ..

Perhaps the most entertaining talkwas a performance given by ClayJenkinson or Reno, Nevada, who tookon the character or Thomas Jeffersonin a commentary not only on the timesor Jefferson's lire but also ontoday'shappenings. In his performance billedas .,A Unique Perspective on Curren!Business Issues:' Jenkinson. alias Jef-ferson. noted he was "no great fricndto commerce" and was disappointedthat conference attendees were pre-dominately soap manufacturers andsalesmen. He stressed his approval forsetf-sufflciency. in which individualscould meet all their needs. includingmaking their own soap. "When youbecome dependent. you becomeslaves, and you lose your liberty." Heurged them all to resign and take upfarming. Saying he'd been told thegovernment tells soapers how to labelproducts they manufacture, he added."That's a symbol or tyranny."

Alluding to changes in the world,especially in the former Soviet Union,he warned. "Too much revolution toosoon could lead to ruin. This is a dan-gerous time."

Other speakers were fermer U.S.ambassador Vernon A. Walters, speak-ing on changes on the global scene;Donald T. Regan. former Secretary ofthe Treasury in the Reagan administra-tion, who spoke on the U.S. economy;and Richard B. Winhlin. former advi-sor to President Reagan, who summa-rized the current U.S. political scene.

Hospitality industryAlso in technical sessions, RaymondC. Ellis Jr., director of risk mnnngc-rucnt and operations for the AmericanHotel & Motel Association, spoke on"Cleaning Products and the Hospitali-ty Industry: Issues and Concerns."

These, he said. include effectivelycontrolling the quality or indoor air.overseeing employees' safe exposureto cleaning products and hazardousmaterials. properly handling and dis-posing of cleaning products, gaugingthe effectiveness of products marketedas environmentally friendly. meetingkitchen sanitation requirements andmeeting environmental concerns ofguests. The latter include cleanlinessor rooms. food service and such offer-ings as pools. spas and hot tubs.

General interest talksGeneral interest talks during the con-vention focused on the Slate of the U.S.

SDA elects officers,board of directorsDavid F. Webb, president and chiefexecutive officer or Lever BrothersCo.. was reelected to a one-year termas chairman or The Soap and Deter-gent Association (SDA) at its annualconvention.

Andrew S. Patti. president and chiefexecutive officer of The Dial Corp ..was reelected vice-chairman. with

[continned on pase 298)

For information circle' 149

297

Environmental issues are complex, confusing

The complexity of environmental issues requirescareful lifccycle analyses for companies 10 makeproduct improvements and clear communications

to help consumers make informed choices. speakers atSDA's 1992 industry convention pointed OUL

Speaking on "Lifecyclc Analysis (LCA)-PuttingThings Into Perspective:' Celeste C. KUla of Procter &Gamble Co. (P&G) noted that LeA has been viewed bysome as an environmental panacea and by albers as apublic relations gimmick.

"Regulators want LeA to validate environmentalclaims. Environmental activists want LeA to be a 100110 link products with toxic wastes and natural resources.In Europe. ecolabel groups want LeA 10 rank or rateproducts:' she said, noting that industry needs LeA as a1001to gauge the environmental quality of products andto provide a broader perspective on issues that usuallyare presented as black or white. However. she pointedout. there is no clear definition of LCA and it is prema-ture to make value judgments based on LCA.

In an attempt to create a definition. the Society forEnvironmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) hasdrawn up a three-component model of LAC: lifecycleinventory. impact analysis and improvement analysis.Industry thus far has conecntrutcd on the inventorystage which accounts for waste and energy used in thelife of a product. from conception to final disposal. Thisstep can take a year to complete and involves thousandsof pages of data ... It's a very complex step. but the prin-ciple is simple:' Kuta said.

Impact analysis. she explained. is the process to char-acterize and access ecological and human health effectsof the environmental loadings identified in the invento-ry. for usc in making public policy decisions. "Unfortu-nately. there's no agreement on which impact or whicheffect should be included and how you weigh them toeach other," she said. "Inventory can identify thousandsof wastes and many effects. The question is how do younarrow them down?"

Improvement analysis is an evaluation of the oppor-tunities to reduce environmental burdens associatedwith energy usc and emissions through a product's life-cycle.

"There's generally scientific agreement on the inven-tory methodology. Impact or improvement analyses.however. still are conceptual and require major develop-ment and acceptability by the scientific community,"Kuta said. cautioning. "Until LCA is fully developedand accepted. it is not a valid criterion to base environ-mental superiority judgments."

Companies such as P&G are using LCA inventory toimprove the environmental quality of products. Forinstance, P&G used it to evaluate the use of plasticpackaging for liquid detergents. As a result. P&G now

uses some recycled resins in packaging. However. KUlacautioned, although the common belief is that recyclingsaves environmentally. in some cases that may not betrue.

P&G and Freeman Associates currently are evaluat-ing "green alternative" cleaning products comparedwith commercial heavy-duty cleaning products. Notingthat a myriad of publications on store shelves offer"mix-your-own" recipes for cleaning products. Kutanoted. "There's no scientific basis to the belief these arebetter products. but certainly they create a warm andcozy feeling because these are products that your grand-mother used."

Most mix-your-own recipes use baking soda andvinegar. In a lifecyclc inventory of one "mix-your-ownrecipe for the nontoxic home" versus a typical hard sur-face cleaning solution. "preliminary results show bothresult in significant emissions. use energy and offeropportunities for improvement," she said.

Kuta cautioned that LCA currently cannot be used tomake public policy decisions. ··LCA will not providesimple answers to complex environmental questions.but can provide data to help individuals put productsinto proper perspective." she said.

Consumer attitudesAssessing consumer attitudes toward environmentalissues. pollster Anthony M. Casale of EnvironmentalResearch Associates said environmental issues aregrowing in importance.

"Concerns for the environment have eclipsed fearover possible nuclear war." he said. noting that con-sumers see environmental issues as affecting their day-to-day lives. However. tremendous fragmentation incnvironmcrual legislation from town 10county to regionto state "makes it very difficult for manufacturers." hesaid.

There also has been tremendous growth in environ-mental marketing. "This makes consumers pretty darnedconfused:' Casale said. warning that some companiesmay try to use LCA to claim one product is better thananother. "This is a nightmare waiting to happen."

Polls already indicate consumers are confused aboutenvironmental claims due in part to misinformation orconfusing information from environmental groups, thegovernment. companies. and marketers. In fact. pollsshow consumers arc confused about such terms as-green labeling," "recyclable," "biodegradable," "envi-ronmentally friendly" and "source reduction." Also.consumers do not understand symbols and numbersused on products to indicate recycled content. recycle-bility or the resin composition of plastic containers. "A

tcantinned on »ert PO.fld

INFORM. Vol. 3. no. 3 (March 1992)

298

had a shonfall in income during 1991.with dues and interest incometotalling $3,683,229, and budgetexpenses totalling $3.882,015. This.he said. led to a 10.2% decrease inreserves, which a1 the end of the yeartotalled $1,751,860. SDA's 1992 bud-get is set at $3.952.100. Bartlettreponed SDA currently has 139 mem-ber companies.

In other business at the conference,the Glycerine & Oleochemical Divi-sion announced that its 1992 ServiceAward recipient was Robert T.Schoepflin. currently internationalvice-president for Golden ValleyMicrowave Foods Inc .• a subsidiary ofConAgra Inc. He previously workedfor American Cyanamid Co. andUnion Camp Corp. and served aschairman of the Glycerine & Oleo-chemicals Division during 1978-79.

SURFACTANTS 8. DETERGENTS

[continuetl from pugt! 296)Theodore E. Brenner, SDA staff,reelected president and secretary. Otherofficers are Robert F. Bartlett of TheHewitt Soap Co.. reelected treasurer,and Paul A. Hiznay of Mona IndustriesInc., elected assistant treasurer.

Newly elected to the board ofdirectors were William C. Egan III ofChurch & Dwight Co. Inc., Ramon A.Llenado of The Clorox Co., Gary A.Mullenix of Huntington LaboratoriesInc .. Michael R. Gallagher of L & FProducts, David B. Price Jr. of Mon-santo Co.. and Robert J. Drennan ofUnichema North America.

Drennan was installed as the newchairman of SDA's Glycerine & Oleo-chemical Division. Other chairmeninstalled were Llenado, HouseholdDivision: Mullenix, Industrial & Insti-tutional Division: and Thomas M.King, Monsanto Co .. Technical &Materials Division.

Directors reelected for 1992 wereGregory T. Grochoski of AmwayCorp .. Edward T. Fogarty of Colgate-Palmolive Co.. Roger A. Moser ofEthyl Corp .. William F. Beck of FMCCorp.. Elva D. Walker Spillane of

Webb PaUl

ational Purity Inc .. Charles E. Stew-art of Occidental Chemical Corp.,Alan G. Lafley of The Procter &Gamble Co., June A. Stahl of StahlSoap Corp., Edwin R. Vath of StepanCo.. Ashley W. Lutz of Union CarbideCorp., John D. Bums of Vista Chemi-cal Co., and William E. Mahoney ofWitco Corp. Webb and Patti also serveon the board.

Retiring as directors were DonaldS. Farinella of Cap City Products Co.lnc., Wayne R. Sorenson of Church &Dwight Co. Inc., Eugene N. Wheelerof The Ctorox Co., Anhur F. Fitzgcr-aid of Monsanto Co .. Robert L. Yoheof Olin Corp., and Kenneth S. O'Neillof Shell Chemical Co.

In his treasurer's report at the SDAbusiness meeting, Bartlett noted SDA

Environmental issues (conrinul'd/rom pagt! 297)

lot of companies believe these codes are a way to communicate with con-sumers. II isn't working," Casale said.

Consumers view packaging changes and concentrated products asenvironmentally friendly. he noted. Some consumers indicate they willavoid buying products packaged in plastic ." ,A lot of people don't believeplastic can be recycled. When you communicate that it can be, their oppo-sition drops," he said.

However. he cautioned, "Business and industry have put so muchemphasis on recycling that they're ignoring other options. Becausethey're creating so many expectations concerning recycling. this couldlead to a backlash."

"In our polls, almost half of adults don't know other ways to cut downwastes than recycling," he said. However, when source reduction isexplained to them. more consumers do mention it as a favorable option."We haven't done a good job of communicating this yet," he said.

whether consumers will pay morc for an environmentally friendlyproduct depends on the product. its efficiency. convenience and perfor-mance, he said. "People will pay more for some products but not (or oth-ers."

Casale concluded, "We've created a tremendous amount of interest inthe environment on the pan of consumers but we haven't given them theinformation to make decisions."

Calgene one step closerto laurate from canolaCalgene Inc. has announced it hasgenetically engineered canota plantsto produce a new source of laurate, akey raw material for the soap, deter-gent, oleochero'cal, personal care andfood industries.

Currently. commercial sources oflaurate are limited to coconut andpalm kernel oils, which are importedinto the U.S. primarily from SoutheastAsia. Commercial production ofcanola varieties engineered to producehigh-purity laurate in North Americacould offer supply advantages tomajor U.S. industrial users.

"The transformation of canota intoa producer of lauraie is a major mile-stone in the field of plant genetic engi-neering," according to Toni Voelker ofCalgene, who made the announcementat the BiofI'echnology Winter Sympo-sium. Voelker noted that Calgene'sresults "clearly demonstrate that theinsertion of a single thioesterase(chain length modification) gene candramatically alter the Iauy acid chainlength profile in a useful manner."

Calgene announced the discoveryof the laurate tbtoesrerase enzyme inJuly 1990 and the cloning of the cor-

INFORM.Vol. 3. no. 3 (March 1992)

300

SURFACTANTS & DETERGENTS

responding gene in May 1991. Lau-rete-producing plants currently are ingreenhouse production. with initialfield trials planned for this year. ACalgene patent application coveringall plant rhioesterasc genes for pro-ducing medium-chain fatty acids

altered 10 produce a high level ofstearate. making the oil suitable formargarine and confectionery markets.

Crosfield completesdetergent zeolite plantCrosfield Co., a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Unilever United Stales, hascompleted the construction of a55.000-ton-per-year (anhydrous basis)detergent zeolite plant in Joliet, Illi-nois.

Company officials said limited pro-duction was to start immediately afterthe January completion. with full pro-duction expected before the end of thesecond quarter of 1992. The plant hasbeen designed for possible expansionto produce 110.000 anhydrous tonsper year.

The Joliet facility is CrosfieJd'ssecond detergent zeolite facility, Thefirst was brought on stream in thefourth quarter of 1990 in Eijsden. TheNetherlands.

The recent project at Joliet includedrecommissioning Crosfield's idled fur-nace to produce silicate feedstock forthe production of zeolites as well asthe new multi-million dollar facility.

Also in the United States. PQ Corp.was scheduled to complete a zeoliteplant in Jeffersonville, Indiana. duringthe first quarter of 1992. It will bePQ's third domestic zeolite plant.

American Cyanamidplans plant expansionAmerican Cyanamid Co. has an-nounced it will expand and modernizeits surfactant plant in Linden. NewJersey.

Set for completion in the fourthquarter of 1992. the expansion willincrease the company's "Aerosol" sur-factant capacity by approximately 10million pounds.

The multi-million dollar invest-ment is pan of a major restructuring atthe plant. according to the company.to include relocating surfactant pro-duction to a facility which uses glass-lined reactors. Sulfosuccinates pro-

(C6-CJ4) was published in Europe inOctober 1991.

Cal gene currently is conducting thefirst field trials with canola geneticallyengineered to produce a modified oil.These trials are evaluating plants inwhich the level of saturation has been

TABLE I

u.s. Fatty Add Produc:tion (in million pounds)

Production (by type) 1990 1995Saturated fatty acids (tolal) 924 1.070

Hydrogenated Ieuy acids 440 520Stearic acid 282 330Coconut-type acids 130 145Other saturated acids 72 7S

Unsaturated fatty acids (total) 740 870TaHoil Iany acids 484 560Oleic acid 138 160Other unsaturated acids 118 ISO

TOtalIany acid production 1.664 1.940Source: 'The Freedonia Group Inc.

u.s. fatty acid demand to top 2 billion poundsu.s. rauy acid demand will increase 3.6% a year. reaching two billionpounds in 1995. according to a report from The Freedcnia Group Inc.

Leading this growth will be increased opportunities in personal careproducts and plastic additives as well as additional uses in foods. thereport said.

U.S. fatty acid production in 1995 is expected to total 1.94 billionpounds (Table I). according 10 Freedonia analyst Elizabeth Hayes, whoprepared Report 8279 Fmt)' Acids. Thus, although historically a netexporter of Iauy acids, the United States has become a net importer.Hayes projects the actual value of fatty acids used in the United Slateswill increase 6.4% annually to reach $665 million in 1995.

The report predicts hydrogenated fatty acids to experience 3.4% pro-duction increases annually to reach 520 million pounds in 1995 due 10demand in cosmetics. personal care. soaps and detergents. lubricants andother products. Stearic acid, which has similar uses. is expected to see3.2% growth per year to reach 330 million pounds. Feedstocks-mostlybeef tallow-for stearic acid are projected to tighten due 10 stagnantgrowth for red meal production. As a result. some users may switch tohydrogenated fatty acids.

Tall oil Iany acids and oleic acid are expected to see slightly below-average production gains due to slower growth for use in oil-based paintsand textile processing. However. uses in detergents and cleaners and inderivatives such as dimer acids and esters will promote growth. Coconut-type acids and other long-chain saturated acid types also will experiencebelow-average production increases in the U.S. This is due to increasingproduction of reuy acids in Malaysia. the Philippines and Indonesia.

For more infonnation about the 93-page report. contact The FreedcniaGroup, 20600 Chagrin Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44122. fax: 216-921-5459.

INFORM, VOl. 3. no. 3 (March 1992)

duced at the plant are used in suchapplications as emulsion pclymeriza-non, textile finishing. mineral ore pro-cessing. general purpose cleaners,food additives, cosmetics, phanuaceu-ticals. plastics. paints, inks, coatingsand agricultural products.

European Commissionokays "green" labelThe European Economic Commission(EEC) has approved a voluntary labelto identify environmentally friendlyproducts marketed in Europe.

The label. which is scheduled toappear on products by late 1992,shows a flower stem topped by an "E"and surrounded by 12 stars to repre-sent the 12 EEC-member countries.according to a report in the Dec. 30,1991, issue of Suoermarket News.

The report noted that adoption ofthe label by manufacturers will be vol-untary, The label is meant to unifyexisting national schemes and to pro-vide a way for EEC shoppers to iden-tify "green" products. Product cate-gories to be covered are expected toinclude detergents, washing machines.paper products und paints, uccordingto Supermarket News.

Eka Nobel starts uphydrogen peroxide plantEka Nobel started up its first hydrogenperoxide facility in the United Stmcsin January.

The new 35.000-metrie-ton-per-year plant was built in Columbus,Mississippi. where Eku Nobel alsooperates a sodium chlorate facility.

Markets for the hydrogen peroxidewill include the detergent and pulpand paper industries.

Akzo announcesmajor restructuringAkzo N. v. of The Netherlands hasannounced it will reorganize its topstructure and consolidate two divi-

sions into one business group.Aarnout A. Loudon, com puny

chairman, said Akzo plans to mergeits headquarters staff and divisionalmanagement to eliminate 11 layer ofmanagement. Once this is done. themanagement board and group direc-tors. as well as their key staff depart-ments. will be located in Amhem. TheNetherlands. In addition. the companywill merge its current salt and basicchemicals division with its chemicalsdivision. beginning Feb. I. 1992. forcompletion by Jan. I. 1993.

After the merger. the company willhave four business grcups-ccberni-cats. coatings, fibers and pharmaceuti-cals-and will drop the term "divi-sion:'

May I. 1993, is the target date forcompleting the new structure andappointing four group presidents tothe company's board of management.An Akzo spokesman said approxi-mately 1,000 persons would be affect-ed by the reorganization, with somelosing their jobs and others changingduties or locations. according 10 TileWaJlStreet Journal.

In 1991. Akzo cui its work forceworldwide by nearly 5.000 persons.During March 1991. it closed itsMcCook. Illinois. research facility andtransferred those operations to aresearch facility in Dobbs Ferry, NewYork.

California boardmodifies VOC proposalAfter lengthy negotiations with theCosmetic, Toiletry and FragranceAssociation (CTFA), the CaliforniaAir Resources Board (CARB) hasmodified its proposed regulation gov-erning the volatile organic compound(VOC) content of personal fragranceproducts,

The new proposal, which wasadopted by CARB at a Jan. 9. 1992,hearing. was modified to take intoaccount the technical impossibility ofreformulating existing fragrances toreduce the alcohol content and 10allow more time to phase in morerealistic limits for future products.according to CfFA.

The regulation adopted by CARBexempts existing personal fragranceproducts from the VOC limits andprovides thai all products in develop-ment by April I. 1992. will beexempted, provided these products areregistered with CARB by July I.1993. and sold in California prior toJan. I. 1994. Future personal fra-grance products will be subject toVOC limits in two stages. takingeffect Jan. L 1995. and Jan. L 1999.In 1995, products with less than 20%fragrance arc subject to an 80% VOClimit. and those with more than 20%fragrance will be subject to a 70%VOC limit. Those limits become 75%and 65%, respectively. in 1999.

New castor oleochemicalfacility completedItoh Oil Manufacturing Co. of Japan.a manufacturer of castor oil and relat-ed derivatives in Japan. has completeda second oleochemical plant inYukkaichi. Mie Prefecture, Japan.

The plant will produce polyols forurethane and paint additives with acapacity estimated at 600 Ions amonth. ltoh's total production capaci-ty for castor oil derivatives is estimat-ed at 1.200 tons a month, The newfacility has been under constructionsince 1990 with an estimated cost of700 million yen ($5.5 million).

Names in the newsMartin L. Brown has been appointedcorporate vice- president of manufac-turing standards and quality forHenkel Corp.

Lunza Inc. has appointed Milton A.Berube vicc-president for functionalchemicals and William W. HuiskingJr. vice-president for performancechemicals. Meanwhile, Daniel R.Duuon. vice-president for speciallychemicals at Lcnza. has been electedchairman of the Chemical SpecialtiesManufacturers Association's deter-gent division, •

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