Synthesis of Thumba, Castor and Sal Fatty Ethanolamide-Based Anionic Surfactants

The study involved the preparation and evaluation of anionic surfactants from non-edible oil based thumba (containing unsaturated-rich fatty acids, 80.9 %), castor (containing ricinoleic acid, a hydroxy fatty acid 89.3 %) and sal (containing saturated-rich fatty acids, 56.5 %). The oils extracted from these seeds (using Soxhlet) were reacted with monoethanolamine and diethanolamine to get corresponding fatty mono- and diethanolamides. The ethanolamides were sulfated using chlorosulfonic acid and the sulfated sodium salts were evaluated for surfactant properties namely surface tension, critical micelle concentration (CMC), emulsifying property, wetting, foaming power and calcium tolerance. The properties were compared with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) a well known anionic surfactant. Among the different sulfated sodium salts of ethanolamides, thumba showed superior surfactant properties compared to castor and sal. Sulfated sodium salt of thumba monoethanolamide showed better properties (CMC, 0.035 mmol/L, surface tension 30.2 mN/m and calcium tolerance >1,000 ml, 0.5 % calcium acetate solution) compared to sulfated sodium salts of thumba diethanolamides, followed by sulfated sodium salts of castor monoethanolamide (CMC 0.037 mmol/L, surface tension 35.3 mN/m and calcium tolerance >1,000 ml, 0.5 % calcium acetate solution). Sal being saturated rich was not properly soluble in water and showed poor surfactant properties compared to the other two. Also the sulfated sodium salts of thumba and castor ethanolamides exhibited superior properties compared to SDS.