ABSTRACT
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Polyoxyalkylene block copolymers represent an important class of nonionic surfactants with different applications in the eld of detergency. Even if, in principle, these compounds can be synthesized by the polymerization of several cyclic ethers such as, for example, ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), tetrahydrofuran, or 1,2-butylene oxide, in this chapter, our attention is focused exclusively on the derivatives of EO and PO. The initiators of the polymerization vary considerably and are mainly distinguished on the basis of their functionality. In most cases, for products with applications for detergency, tetrafunctional initiators can be adopted.
