Introduction

I. Sorbitan Esters 2

II. Sucrose Esters 2

III. Fatty Acyl Glucamides 2

IV. Alkyl Polyglucosides 3 References 5

The increasing requirements being placed on today’s consumer products make the entry into the surfactant market rather difficult. A new successful surfactant has to be toxicologically safe, readily biodegradable, and readily formulated with other components, and finally all these properties have to be accompanied by a beneficial performance /cost ratio.