Detergents and household cleaning products contain surfactant as the main ingredient that plays a vital role in the overall cleaning process. Natural feedstock, such as oleochemical-based alcohols and methyl ester, offer possibilities as surfactants. Methyl ester sulphonates (MES) (Figure 1) is an oleochemical-based anionic surfactant derived from palm oil through sulphonation process. It has good surface-active properties and excellent detergency in cleaning products (Figure 2). MES biodegrades rapidly in the environment.

Researcher: Noorazah Zolkarnain
Email: azah@mpob.gov.my