Palmer Holland - SURFONIC L12-6 - Surfactant (Nonionic)

Linear alcohol ethoxylates, including the SURFONIC® L series surfactants, undergo rapid and extensive biodegradation under both laboratory and environmental conditions.
Their mineralization to CO₂ and water (ultimate biodegradation) is essentially complete during biological wastewater treatments at warm to cold water temperatures.
They are degraded by bacteria in rivers, lakes, groundwater and sediment as well.
The major mechanism of biodegradation is cleavage of the ethoxylate chain from the alkyl group with oxidation of the latter to fatty acid.
The fatty acid degrades more rapidly than the ethoxylate chain, which is broken down by sequential oxidation and removal of ethoxylate units.
Alcohol ethoxylates begin to lose their toxicity toward aquatic organisms as soon as biodegradation begins.
Water containing degraded surfactant has been shown not to adversely affect fish, invertebrates and algae.
Thus, while alcohol ethoxylates are toxic to aquatic organisms, in the event of a spill into a waterway any acute effects would be limited in area and time. SURFONIC® L-series surfactants and other linear alcohol ethoxylates pose no serious threat to the environment.
They do not accumulate in any environmental compartment and are found, if at all, only at concentrations below chronic effects levels.
Cleaning products containing SURFONIC® L-series surfactants may be disposed of safely by flushing down the drain with water.

Storage Conditions

SURFONIC® L12-6 surfactant may be satisfactorily stored in carbon steel tanks using steel pipes and pumps.
Caution must be exercised, however, to keep the material in the anhydrous state to prevent severe corrosion to the carbon steel tank and related equipment.
A drier on the breathing nozzle is recommended to help maintain anhydrous conditions in the storage tank.
For longer term color stability, it is recommended that the product be stored under an inert atmosphere.
Solid sediment may form upon standing.
There should be circulation in the storage vessel to keep solids suspended.
Low pressure steam coils in storage tanks and steam tracing of transfer lines should be provided in cases where low environmental temperatures may make pumping of the product difficult.

Appearance

Clear to slightly turbid free of suspended matter

Appearance (SDS)

Liquid

Color (SDS)

Clear

Item Number

ITM19835,

Odor (SDS)

Slight

Other Hazards

None known

USA/DOT UN Number

Not Applicable

Optical Properties


	Value	Units	Test Method / Conditions
Color Scale	max. 50.0 Pt-Co	Pt-Co

Chemical Properties

Shelf Life & Stability


	Value	Units	Test Method / Conditions
Shelf Life	0.0 d	d

Physical Properties


	Value	Units	Test Method / Conditions
Cloud Point	48.0-52.0 °C	°C	1% aqueous solution
Critical Micelle Concentration	91.0 ppm	ppm	at 25°C
Density	8.17 lb/gal	lb/gal	At 25°C
Flash Point	163.0 °C	°C	Pensky-Martens Closed Cup (PMCC)
Kinematic Viscosity	44.0 cSt	cSt	At 25°C
Moisture Content	max. 0.2 %(W/W)	%(W/W)
Pour Point	10.0 °C	°C

Material Composition


	Value	Units	Test Method / Conditions
Ethylene Oxide Content	61.8 %(W/W)	%(W/W)

SDS Physical and Chemical Properties


	Value	Units	Test Method / Conditions
Flash Point (SDS)	162.8 °C	°C	Closed Cup
Kinematic Viscosity (SDS)	27.0 mm²/s	mm²/s	At 40°C
Log Partition Coefficient (Log Pow) (SDS)	2.93-3.93	-	Log Pow, n-Octanol/Water
Molecular Weight (SDS)	429.79 g/mol	g/mol
Relative Density (SDS)	0.99	-
Relative Vapor Density (SDS)	15.0	-
pH (SDS)	6.5-8.0	-	10 g/l

SURFONIC® L12-6