Triton® is a registered trademark of Union Carbide Co., Inc. The following information is an excerpt from literature of Union Carbide.
Introduction
The Triton® X-Series of nonionic surfactants are prepared by the reaction of octylphenol with ethylene oxide. The products are of the type commonly described as alkylaryl polyether alcohols and have the following general structural formula:
in which x indicates the average number of ethylene oxide units in the ether side chain. The series carried by MP consists of the following products, listed in order of increasing length of the polyoxyethylene chain:
Octylphenol Series:
Triton X-114
x = 7-8
Triton X-100
x = 9-10
Triton X-405 (70% active)
x = 40
The products are mixtures, with respect to length of the polyoxyethylene chain; the "x" values given above represent the average number of ethylene oxide units in the ether side chain of each product. The distribution of various polyoxyethylene chain lengths in each of the surfactants follows the Poisson distribution.
The principal uses of these surfactants are in industrial and household detergent applications and in emulsifying agents. They are employed in almost every type of liquid, paste, and powdered cleaning compound, ranging from heavy-duty industrial products to gentle detergents for fine fabrics. These surfactants are also important ingredients of primary emulsifier mixtures used in the manufacture of emulsion polymers, stabilizers in latex polymers, and emulsifiers for agricultural emulsion concentrates, and wettable powders.
Typical Physical Properties
Triton® Nonionic Surfactant
Property
X-114
X-100
X-405 (70%)
Form
Liquid
Liquid
Aqueous Solution
Average EO Units
7-8
9-10
40
Active Ingredient, %
100%
100%
70%
Color, APHA
100
100
250
Specific Gravity, 25°/25°C
1.054 g/ml
1.065 g/ml
1.102 g/ml
Density, lb/gal
8.8
8.9
9.2
Viscosity, Brookfield(1), at 25°C, cP
260
240
490
Pour Point(3), °F
15
45
25
Flash Point, Tag Open Cup, °F
> 300
> 300
> 212
Cloud Point, 1% aqueous solution, °C
22
65
> 100
HLB Value (calculated)(4)
12.4
13.5
17.9
Surface Area(5), Angstrom(2)
50
48-54
88
Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC)
0.2 mM
0.24 mM
--
Aggregation Number
--
140
--
(1) Spindle #2 at 12 rpm
(4) HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance values range from 0 (completely lipophilic or oil-loving) to 20 (completely hydrophilic or water-loving) and are calculated by dividing the weight percent of ethylene in the surfactant by 5.
(2) Spindle #2 at 30 rpm
(3) ASTM D 97-57
(5) Surface area is the area per molecule in square Angstroms.
Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC):Detergents with high CMC values are generally easy to remove by dilution; detergents with low CMC values are advantageous for separations on the basis of molecular weight. As a general rule, detergents should be used at their CMC and at a detergent-to-protein weight ratio of approximately ten.6-7