Trilaureth-4 is a phosphate triester, nonionic surfactant commonly used in personal care and cosmetic formulations. It is part of a class of surfactants derived from the reaction of lauryl alcohol with ethylene oxide. Trilaureth-4 serves as an emulsifier, solubilizer, and stabilizer, helping to blend water and oil-based ingredients into stable formulations. It is valued for its ability to improve the texture and consistency of creams, lotions, shampoos, and other personal care products.

Chemical Composition and Structure

Trilaureth-4 is a compound formed by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol (a fatty alcohol derived from lauric acid, typically found in coconut oil or palm kernel oil) with ethylene oxide. The number "4" refers to the number of ethylene oxide units attached to the lauryl alcohol molecule, making it a tetraethoxylated derivative. This results in a molecule that is both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and lipophilic (oil-attracting), which is characteristic of many surfactants.

• Lauryl alcohol: A fatty alcohol with a 12-carbon chain, providing the hydrophobic portion of the molecule.
• Ethylene oxide: A compound used to increase the hydrophilic nature of the molecule, forming the hydrophilic ethoxylated part of the surfactant.

Physical Properties

• Appearance: Typically, Trilaureth-4 appears as a clear, colorless liquid or a slightly viscous solution.
• Odor: It is usually odorless or has a mild, neutral scent.
• Solubility: Trilaureth-4 is soluble in water and alcohol, making it an effective emulsifier and solubilizer.
• Stability: It is stable across a range of pH values and does not easily degrade under normal conditions.

Functions and Applications

Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

• Emulsifier: Trilaureth-4 is primarily used as an emulsifying agent, helping to blend and stabilize water-based and oil-based ingredients in formulations like creams, lotions, and ointments.
• Solubilizer: It is used to dissolve active ingredients or fragrances into water-based formulations, improving the uniform distribution of oils or hydrophobic substances.
• Texture enhancer: It contributes to the smooth texture and feel of cosmetic products, providing a non-greasy and silky finish to the skin.
• Shampoos and body washes: In these products, it helps to create a uniform and stable product, ensuring proper mixing of ingredients while preventing separation over time.

Industrial Applications

• Surface cleaning: Trilaureth-4 can be used in industrial cleaning formulations to help emulsify and clean oily or greasy surfaces.
• Solubilizing agent: It is also used to solubilize hydrophobic ingredients in various industrial and household cleaning products.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

• Biodegradability: Trilaureth-4 is generally biodegradable, although the rate of degradation can depend on the specific formulation and the environmental conditions.
• Safety Profile: It is considered safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products within regulated concentrations. However, as with any surfactant, it may cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, particularly in higher concentrations.
• Sustainability: The environmental impact of Trilaureth-4 largely depends on the source of the raw materials (such as lauryl alcohol, which is derived from palm or coconut oil) and the manufacturing process. Sustainable sourcing practices for these raw materials can help reduce the environmental impact.

References__________________________________________________________________________

Neill, S. M., & de Vivier, A. (1984). Contact dermatitis to trilaureth phosphate. Contact Dermatitis (01051873), 11(2).

González, J. M., Quintero, F., Arellano, J. E., Márquez, R. L., Sánchez, C., & Pernía, D. (2011). Effects of interactions between solids and surfactants on the tribological properties of water-based drilling fluids. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 391(1-3), 216-223.

Abstract. In oil well drilling the rotating pipe bears against the side of the hole at numerous points, giving rise to two main friction manifestations, known as torque and drag. Torque refers to the pipe resistance to rotation and drag to hoisting and lowering. Excessive torque and drag can cause unacceptable loss of power making oil well operations less efficient, especially in high-angle and extended-reach wells. In this work, it had been studied the effects of a surfactant additive (SA) and its dissolution in diesel (SB), on the tribological and rheological properties of water-based fluids (WBFs) formulated with two weighting materials (hematite and calcium carbonate). The tribological properties were established by measuring the coefficient of friction (CF) in conjunction with optical surface profilometry used to evaluate the wear behavior. The viscosity was determined as a function of shear rate in the interval 0.1–1000 s−1. Additionally, light scattering techniques were performed to study the dispersion stability of solid particles (weighting materials) in the aqueous surfactant solutions, and to correlate the solid–surfactant interactions observed with the tribological and rheological properties of WBFs. Based on the results, it was established that the evaluated surfactant additive can reduce significantly the CF independently of the weighting materials used, and that SA formulation has a superior performance in CF reduction than SB. Concerning the rheological properties, it was observed a viscosity increase in the polymeric WBFs formulated with hematite and SA, indicating strong interactions in the polymer–surfactant–solid system. In all other formulations there was no effect on the rheological behavior.

Miller, D., & Löffler, M. (2006). Rheological effects with a hydrophobically modified polymer. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 288(1-3), 165-169.

Abstract. In cosmetics, rheological behaviour is directly related to ease of product use, skin feel and physical stability as well as aesthetic perceptions. Hydrophobically modified (HM) polymers allow formulators to exploit various types of interaction with the hydrophobic side chains: polymer–polymer (intrachain and interchain association), polymer–surfactant (charged and un-charged) and polymer–oil interaction. The polymer used was ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/beheneth-25 methacrylate crosspolymer. It was compared in several formulation types:

polymer + water (aqueous gel: traditional hair gel)

polymer + water + nonionic surfactant (“spray gel”: sprayable hair gel)

polymer + water + anionic surfactant (shower gel)

polymer + water + oil (“cream gel”: surfactant-free O/W emulsion)

polymer + water + surfactant + oil (traditional O/W emulsion)

The rheological requirements for the different formulation types are discussed in terms of surfactant and electrolyte effects on polymer properties. Above a certain critical polymer concentration a yield stress is observed. By carefully adjusting the polymer concentration it is possible to obtain formulations which are pourable but can suspend solid particles.

Baccile, N., Babonneau, F., Banat, I. M., Ciesielska, K., Cuvier, A. S., Devreese, B., ... & Soetaert, W. (2017). Development of a cradle-to-grave approach for acetylated acidic sophorolipid biosurfactants. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 5(1), 1186-1198.

Abstract. Microbial production of biosurfactants represents one of the most interesting alternatives to classical petrol-based compounds due to their low toxicity, high biodegradability, and biological production processes from renewable bioresources. However, some of the main drawbacks generally encountered are the low productivities and the small number of chemical structures available, which limit widespread application of biosurfactants. Although chemical derivatization of (microbial) biosurfactants offers opportunities to broaden the panel of available molecules, direct microbial synthesis is still the preferred option and the use of engineered strains is becoming a valid alternative. In this multidisciplinary work we show the entire process of conception, upscaling of fermentation (150 L) and sustainable purification (filtration), application (foaming, solubilization, antibacterial), and life cycle analysis of acetylated acidic sophorolipids, directly produced by the Starmerella bombicola esterase knock out yeast strain, rather than purified using chromatography from the classical, but complex, mixture of acidic and lactonic sophorolipids....… Phase separation in a control emulsion using trilaureth-4 phosphate as emulsifier, was retarded for at least a month, even at RT. Its microscopic image showed a finer emulsion when …