ABSTRACT
Of all the various surfactants used in detergent formulations, alkylbenzene sulfonates are by far the most widely used. As a result, alkylbenzenes are the most widely used surfactant raw materials. There are two basic types of alkylbenzenes used in surfactant manufacturing: linear alkylbenzenes (LAB) and branched alkylbenzenes (BAB). Both types of alkylbenzenes are homolog mixtures. Typical homolog representatives of LAB and BAB are depicted in Figures 2.1 and 2.2, respectively.
