ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY One of the first research organizations to evaluate sulfonated methyl esters (SMEs) was the U.S. Department of Agriculture in an effort to find uses of tal low in the mid-1950s. Stepan Company, a surfactant manufacturer in the United States, developed and sold an SME surfactant in the early 1960s, but the product was plagued by inconsistency in color and hydrolysis in finished products. Stepan, Henkel in Germany, and Lion in Japan all stepped up their research ef forts to develop better processes and products after petroleum feed prices esca lated in the 1970s and 1980s. These surfactants are currently used in consumer and industrial cleaners. SMEs and sulfonated fatty acids are older surfactants, but with unique properties that are very applicable to today’s market.
