Talk:Ethoxylation
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[edit] Confusion with alkoxylation
Some surfactants are described as ethoxylates, others as alkoxylates, and some as being both. For example, DeForest Enterprises lists some of their surfactants in the separate categories: alkoxylated alcohols and ethoxylated alcohols. And Uniquema manufactures (among other types of surfactants) some that they categorize as either fatty acid alkoxylates or fatty alcohol ethoxylates. Conversely, BASF seems to apply the terms ethoxylate and alkoxylate synonomously: "The Macol® Lauryl Alcohol Ethoxylates are offered in a wide range of solubilities. Generally 1 to 8 mole alkoxylates are oil soluble and the 9 mole and greater alkoxylates become more water soluble." And Dow Chemical has several categories of ethoxylates, but their one category 'specialty alkoxylates' includes surfactant Triton N-57, which is described to be an ethoxylate. Tomah Products has a category of surfactants named alcohol ethoxylates, but no product in that category is described as ethoxylated; only as alkoxylated. Is it that all alkoxylates are ethoxylates, but not all ethoxylates are alkoxylates? Could somebody please include a clarification of this confusing terminology in the article, and if some companies are using the terms inaccurately/improperly/inconsistently, then this should be mentioned in the article.--Zymatik 19:58, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
