Alkyl Polyglycosides—Properties and Applications of a new Class of Surfactants

Abstract

A new generation of nonionic surfactants that are widely applicable and simultaneously ecologically compatible has been developed in the alkyl polyglycosides. Their production from the renewable resources glucose and fatty alcohol and their ultimate biodegradation into carbon dioxide, water, and assimilated bacterial biomass is an example for a closed cycle. As a result of their physico-chemical properties and ecotoxicological evaluation, they have become very important as high-performance components of detergents and cosmetic preparations.