Car Wash Soaps
مجموعة تكنولاب البهاء جروب
عميد دكتور
بهاء بدر الدين محمود
استشارى كيميائى
01229834104
Car wash soaps should have a multitude of attributes, including:
high foam, the ability to cut through the road film on the car and remove dirt, grease and grime; rinsability; non-damaging to paint or car surfaces and biodegradablity.
Car wash soaps can be formulated as powders or liquids.
Powders are a mixture of builders such as phosphates, carbonates and silicates blended in a ribbon blender and surfactants such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and nonylphenol ethoxylate adsorbed onto the powder.
Liquid car wash soaps are a blend of surfactants, builders and solvents dissolved in water.
The economical version of car wash soaps are made with LAS and some sodium carbonate and sodium metasilicate pentahydrate dissolved in water. This is the very basic formula for the car wash soap.
If more flash foam is needed, a little sodium lauryl ether sulfate is added. If more creamy, dense foam is desired, an amphoteric such as sodium cocoamphopropionate can be added.
For foam stability and viscosity building an amide, betaine or amine oxide can be used.
Amides will give more foam stability and viscosity building whereas the amine oxide and betaine will increase the foam quantity but may not increase the viscosity as much as the amide will.
Glycol ethers or other solvents can be used to improve grease removal and penetration into the road film.
The bulk of the surfactant system used in a car wash soap is anionic surfactants due, mainly, to the cost. The most commonly used, primary surfactant system is a combination of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES).
Other surfactants are used as additives to this basic surfactant system.
There are four kinds of chemistries that are suitable for this purpose:
Amides:
Both 2:1 and 1:1 amides can be used as additives in car wash soaps. While 1:1 amides such as cocamide DEA 1:1 will build the viscosity and will act as a foam stabilizer and booster.
They can be used at a level of 2-4% in a car wash soap formula. The 2:1 amides will not only act as viscosity and foam boosters but will also aid cleaning and degreasing performance. The use level is 2-4%.
Betaines and sultaines:
Betaines and sultaines (or sulfobetaines) will enhance foaming, build viscosity and add to the cleaning performance of the formula.
Use levels of 3-5% are recommended. Sulfobetaines are used when a large quantity of builders such as phosphates, carbonates and metasilicates are present in the formula.
Amine oxides:
Lauramine oxide and other amine oxides are excellent detergency boosters. They also act as foam stabilizers, foam enhancers and viscosity builders.
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A use level of 4-6% is recommended. Here are some starting formulas for car wash soaps:
Car Wash Soaps
Ingredients % Wt.
Water 60.0
TKPP 2.0
Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate 3.0
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (40%) 20.0
Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (28%) 10.0
Sodium cocoamphopropionate 5.0
Preservatives, dyes q.s.
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Ingredients % Wt.
Water 60.0
Sodium carbonate 2.0
Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate 3.0
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (40%) 20.0
Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (28%) 10.0
Lauramine oxide 5.0
Preservatives, dyes q.s.
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Ingredients % Wt.
Water 59.0
Sodium carbonate 2.0
Tetrasodium EDTA 1.0
Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate 3.0
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (40%) 20.0
Sodium lauryl etter sulfate (28%) 10.0
Cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine 5.0
Preservatives, dyes q.s.
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Ingredients % Wt.
Water 56.0
Sodium carbonate 2.0
Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate 3.0
Sodium citrate 2.0
Glycol ether EB 4.0
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (40%) 20.0
Sodium lauryl ether) sulfate (28% 10.0
Cocamide DEA 3.0
Preservatives, dyes q.s.