ABSTRACT
Surfactants constitute an important class of industrial chemicals used widely in almost every sector of modern industry. Present worldwide production of surfactants is around 12.5 million tons per year worth approximately US$28 billion, growing at the rate of about 0.5 million tons per year. Around 60 percent of surfactant production is used in household detergents, 30 percent in industrial and technical applications, 7 percent in industrial and institutional cleaning, and 3 percent in personal care. Asia accounts for largest share of global detergents consumption at 33 percent, whereas Eastern Europe’s soaps and detergents market is reported to grow at a faster rate than Asia [1]. Almost all of these surfactants are petroleum based and are produced by chemical processes, which often damaging to environment are leading to significant ecological problems. Hence interest in biosurfactants has been steadily increasing in recent years due to their eco-friendly nature [2].
