Nonionic Surfactants

What are nonionic surfactants?

A nonionic surfactant carries no electric charge, so it stays compatible with anionic actives, electrolytes and hard water while providing wetting, emulsifying and levelling performance. For buyers the useful question is not just what nonionic surfactant means, but which HLB and chemistry fit your emulsion or cleaning system.

Because they are gentle and highly compatible, nonionic surfactants appear across cosmetics, textiles, agrochemicals and industrial processing. We help buyers shortlist nonionic surfactant examples and options before the first sample.

Common types of nonionic surfactants

Nonionic surfactants are grouped by their hydrophilic head. The series in our range are:

• Sorbitan esters (Span) — lipophilic nonionics such as Span-80, a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifier for cosmetics, food and industrial systems.
• Polysorbates (Tween) — hydrophilic nonionics such as Tween-80, an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifier and solubilizer for cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food systems.
• Fatty alcohol ethoxylates — such as Levelling Agent O-25 (Peregal O-25), used for dyeing levelling, emulsification and detergent auxiliary duty.
• Polyethylene glycol derivatives — PEG-series nonionics for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial roles.

Where nonionic surfactants are used

Nonionic surfactants serve formulators in Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, India and the Middle East.

• Textile dyeing and finishing — Peregal O-25 levels dye uptake and aids scouring. See textile printing & dyeing.
• Cosmetics and personal care — Span and Tween build stable creams and lotions. See cosmetics & daily chemical.
• Agrochemical — nonionic wetting agents spread herbicide and pesticide sprays evenly. See agriculture & agrochemical.
• Food and pharmaceutical — Tween polysorbates act as emulsifiers and solubilizers. See food grade additives and pharmaceutical.

Because they tolerate hard water, electrolytes and pH swings, nonionic surfactants are a common first choice when a formula must stay stable across regions with very different water quality — a practical point for export brands standardising one formula for multiple markets.

Frequently asked questions