Mumbai, India - May 18, 2009
Three new surfactants have joined the ECOSURF™ brand of specialty surfactants from Dow now available in India. ECOSURF™ EH specialty surfactants are a new generation of high performance, readily biodegradable surfactants, designed for use in hard surface cleaning, textile processing, inks, paints and coatings, and agricultural chemicals. ECOSURF EH surfactants have an excellent environmental profile, are biodegradable with low aquatic toxicity and meet the criteria for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's design for the Environment Surfactant Screen.
ECOSURF EH surfactants are designed to help formulators meet rising expectations for performance and convenience, while at the same time complying with more stringent and demanding environmental safety regulations.
What Are "Surfactants"?
A shortened form of three words "surface-active agent", surfactants stabilize mixtures of oil and water by reducing the surface tension at the interface between the oil and water molecules. Because water and oil do not dissolve in each other, a stable mixture requires a surfactant to keep it from separating into layers.
ECOSURF™ EH-3, 6, & 9 Surfactants
There are three products in the ECOSURF™ EH family. While each has its own unique performance advantages in many different applications, all three ECOSURF EH Surfactants are excellent oil-soluble emulsifiers with fast dynamic surface tension reduction. They are low foaming, have very low odor and a narrow gel range, making them ideally suited for ultra-concentrated formulations.
Paints & Coatings Applications
ECOSURF EH surfactants feature narrow aqueous gel ranges and favorable handling and formulating properties, making them ideally suited for many paints and coatings systems.
Textile Applications
Dow studies have shown that fabrics finished by silicone softeners emulsified with ECOSURF™ EH surfactants exhibited improved hand-feel. Using real world application testing for textile processing, the wetting times and penetration time for real-use concentrations are much faster for ECOSURF EH surfactants relative to primary alcohol ethoxylates (PAE's).
Hard Surface Cleaning Performance
Introduced in India during the Chemspec exhibition in April 2009, ECOSURF™ EH surfactants have previously demonstrated exceptional cleaning performance in Dow tests, when compared with other, traditionally used products for hard surface cleaning of cross-linked triglycerides (kitchen soil) and mineral oil (industrial petroleum based grease).
Other Applications
ECOSURF™ EH Surfactants are excellent candidates for use in a number of other applications including: emulsifiers for agricultural insecticides and herbicides, paper processing, and oil and gas applications.
About Dow Fabric & Surface Care
Dow Fabric & Surface Care is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and its affiliates, and is a leading provider of innovative solutions to the household and institutional markets worldwide. With the broadest range of products and material science capabilities, Dow Fabric & Surface Care enables our customers to delight their consumers and clients with products that offer superior cleaning, conditioning, and protection. More information about Dow Fabric & Surface Care can be found at www.scienceofcare.com.
About Dow India
Dow Chemical International Private Limited (Dow India) is committed to consistent growth through its expertise as a science and technology leader, its experience as a leading chemical company, and its engagement with the communities in which it operates. With more than 1100 employees, in 12 locations across the country, Dow India has established three Centers of Excellence in the areas of Engineering (Chennai), Research & Development (Pune) and Transactional Services and Expertise (Mumbai) as well as three manufacturing sites and a variety of commercial offices. As a responsible corporate citizen, Dow India provides free artificial limbs and technology development for the ‘Jaipur Foot’ initiative; built homes through the ‘Habitat for Humanity’ Jimmy Carter Work Project, and is actively working in collaboration with the Byrraju and Anarde Foundation to supply clean drinking water to villages in India. Further information can be found at www.dow-india.com
About Dow
For Editorial Information:
Roysten D’mello
Dow India
+91 9833859074
