Detailed product introduction of DEA-Cocamide Diethanolamine

The following is a detailed product introduction of DEA-Coconut Diethanolamine (Cocamide DEA), including its chemical properties, production process, performance characteristics, application areas and market value:

1. Basic information

Chemical name and description

  • Chinese name: Coconut Diethanolamine
  • English name: Cocamide DEA (Coconut Diethanolamide)
  • Chemical formula: C(11)H(23)CON(CH(2)CH(2)OH)(2)
  • Molecular weight: 287.4 g/mol (depending on the chain length distribution of coconut fatty acids)
  • CAS number: 68603-42-9

Cocamide DEA is a nonionic surfactant derived from coconut oil, which is produced by the amidation reaction of coconut fatty acids and diethanolamine (DEA). It is a multifunctional surfactant with thickening, foaming, emulsifying and cleaning properties.

2. Physical and chemical properties

  1. Appearance:
  • Yellow to amber viscous liquid or waxy solid.
  1. Smell:
  • Has a slight coconut oil smell or chemical smell.
  1. Solubility:
  • Partially soluble in water, can form a transparent solution with other surfactants.
  1. pH value:
  • About 9-11 (10% aqueous solution).
  1. Surface activity:
  • Has excellent wetting, solubilizing and emulsifying properties.
  1. Stability:
  • Stable in a wide pH range, resistant to electrolytes and hard water to a certain extent.

3. Production process

Raw materials:

  1. Coconut oil or coconut fatty acids extracted from it.
  2. Diethanolamine (DEA).

Main process steps:

  1. Fatty acid preparation:
    Extract a fatty acid mixture from coconut oil, mainly C12-C18 saturated fatty acids (such as lauric acid, palmitic acid, etc.).
  2. Amidation reaction:
    React coconut fatty acids with diethanolamine to generate cocamide diethanolamine under high temperature (120-150°C) and catalyst.
  3. Refining:
    Remove unreacted raw materials and by-products through vacuum distillation or other processes to obtain high-purity Cocamide DEA products.

By-product treatment:

  • The by-products are mainly free fatty acids or unreacted DEA, which can be recycled or used as industrial raw materials for secondary processing.

4. Product features

  1. Foaming performance:
    It can significantly enhance the foaming ability of surfactant systems (such as SLS, SLES), and the foam is fine and stable.
  2. Thickening effect:
    It can thicken liquid formulas, especially in formulas containing anionic surfactants.
  3. Emollient effect:
    It can effectively reduce the irritation of surfactants to the skin and improve the mildness of the formula.
  4. Emulsifying ability:
    It has good emulsifying properties and can stabilize the water-oil mixed system.
  5. Cleaning ability:
    It has excellent decontamination and grease cleaning capabilities and can synergize with other surfactants.

5. Application areas

5.1 Household and personal care products

  1. Shampoo:
  • Increase the richness and viscosity of foam, while improving the degreasing performance and mildness of shampoo.
  1. Body wash and hand soap:
  • As an auxiliary foaming agent and thickener, it improves the product usage experience.
  1. Dishwashing liquid:
  • Improve the degreasing and decontamination capabilities, improve the feel and reduce skin irritation.
  1. Skin care products:
  • Used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in lotion and cream formulations.

5.2 Industrial cleaning

  • Cleaning agent:
    Used for cleaning metals, vehicles and industrial equipment to remove oil and particulate pollutants.
  • Textile industry:
    Used for degreasing, wetting and pre-dyeing treatment of textiles.

5.3 Agricultural field

  • As an emulsifier in pesticide formulations, it improves the dispersibility and stability of active ingredients.

5.4 Paints and inks

  • As a dispersant and wetting agent, it prevents pigment sedimentation and improves the uniformity of paints.

6. Environment and safety

  1. Biodegradability:
  • Cocamide DEA is a biodegradable substance with little impact on the environment.
  1. Toxicity:
  • It is basically non-toxic to the human body when used in appropriate amounts, but the raw material diethanolamine may contain trace amounts of nitrosamines (potential carcinogens), so production control should be paid attention to.
  1. Safety recommendations:
  • Avoid direct contact with the skin or inhalation of dust, and it is recommended to wear protective equipment.
  1. Regulatory compliance:
  • Comply with the relevant regulations of the US FDA, EU REACH and China GB/T.

7. Comparison with other surfactants

  1. Comparison with Cocamide MEA:
  • Cocamide DEA has stronger foaming performance, while Cocamide MEA focuses more on emulsification and dispersibility.
  1. Comparison with SLES/SLS:
  • DEA is milder and suitable as a synergistic ingredient to reduce irritation.

8. Market Prospects and Value

  1. Market Demand:
  • As the personal care industry’s demand for mild and environmentally friendly raw materials increases, the market value of Cocamide DEA is gradually increasing.
  1. Challenges:
  • Concerns about the possible generation of nitrosamines by diethanolamine have prompted the industry to look for safer alternatives, such as Cocamide MEA or other non-DEA compounds.
  1. Advantages:
  • It is low-cost and comprehensive, and it is difficult to completely replace it in many industrial and consumer product formulations.

Summary

Cocamide DEA is a multifunctional nonionic surfactant derived from coconut oil. With its excellent foaming, thickening and emulsifying properties, it is widely used in personal care, household cleaning, industrial cleaning and agriculture. Despite a small amount of safety controversy, its economy and performance still make it an important market player.

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