Growing up around industrial centers, I saw the laundry detergents we took for granted rest on the hard work of generations of chemists. Before the early 20th century, natural soap was king, but factories switched gears as they saw the sheer power behind synthetic surfactants. Benzenesulfonic acid derivatives, once mere curiosities in the lab, gained real purpose around the 1930s. Chemists tinkered with alkyl groups on the benzene ring, looking for that optimal mix—great cleaning, stable foam, little skin irritation. They were onto something big. By adding sodium salts to C10-13 alkyl chains, products became more accessible and modern cleaning standards took a leap forward. Many old-timers still remember surfactants from this family as cornerstones of liquid dish soap and detergents they grew up with.
If you ever read the back of a household cleaner, you probably spotted long chemical names you skipped right over. Benzenesulfonic acid, C10-13-alkyl derivatives, sodium salts, pop up more than you think. These chemicals show up as fine powders or pastes. In water, they dissolve well, making them perfect for all kinds of cleaning jobs. You see stable foaming, scentless character, and strong grease-lifting power. It's a regular visitor in laundry aisles, car washes, and even some industrial sectors dealing with hard-to-clean machinery.
You won’t mistake these salts for sugar. They bring a white to pale yellow look, sometimes shifting toward brown if the mix isn’t pure. Take a sniff—there’s barely any smell. That low odor fits right in with household products where manufacturers watch skin reactions closely. Their biggest claim to fame lies in water solubility and surfactant action. They drop the surface tension of water, causing oils and dirt to slide right off fabrics and dishes. Alkaline or acidic? Either side of the pH scale, these compounds stay stable. They don’t care much for hard water, either—these salts keep going without clogging up with calcium or magnesium build-ups. Melting points stay above the usual room temperature, which helps for powder-based products that sit on store shelves.
I remember as a student getting bogged down in the fine print of data sheets—molecular weights hovering from 340 to 360 g/mol, active ingredient percentages, and clarity scores in solution. Manufacturers need to meet those numbers, or they lose out on reliability. Most products list the sodium salt form, which packs in better shelf life. Product labels have shifted too, with companies under pressure to call out sodium salts and separate them from harsher acid forms to keep regulators and consumers happy. There’s usually a batch number, production date, and purity standard to satisfy both logistics and traceability. Standards like ISO, REACH, or the American Cleaning Institute’s guides often shape these details.
Factories don’t mess around with small batches here. They blend linear C10-13 alkanes with benzene, then catalyze sulfonation using oleum or sulfur trioxide. Next, caustic soda—plain old sodium hydroxide—neutralizes the mix to get the sought-after sodium salt. Efficiency matters; energy, yield, and minimization of byproducts all need attention. Some producers have moved toward continuous rather than batch systems to squeeze more out of every run and reduce waste streams. Anyone who’s worked in one of these plants can vouch for the heat, the speed, and the vigilance needed to keep things running safely.
This whole family of chemicals offers a pretty forgiving playground for modifications. The alkyl chain length can shift around depending on end-use. Swapping a carbon here or there tunes foaming, biodegradability, or grease-busting power. Builders add extra branches or swap in other groups for specialty cleaning or industrial use. In my lab days, we sometimes tweaked these chains to see if we could kill off that last bit of residue left on glassware. Every tiny modification means new trade-offs—tougher dirt might get cleaned, but rinsing could lag. Still, the basic reactions all come back to the simple sulfonation and neutralization steps that have stood the test of time.
Confusion comes easy with these names. Look for linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate, or sometimes just “anionic surfactant” on a bottle. The cleaning aisle overflows with them: from commercial brands to generic hardware store products. Technical sheets might use other CAS index names, but anyone working closely with cleaning chemistry knows these core terms. Some brands have tried to shy away from the long, intimidating names, choosing “sulfonated detergent” instead, even though the base chemistry hasn’t changed.
Handling these chemicals feels routine for trained staff, but rules matter. Skin irritation remains a risk—some workers wear gloves and splash goggles, and for good reason. Fine powders can turn to dust, so respirator masks are more common in bulk loading areas. Regulatory agencies set clear exposure limits and personal protective equipment standards. Wastewater from plants gets close scrutiny as residues can harm aquatic life if they slip through untreated. Decades of research have shaped worker training and spill management strategies so problems rarely spiral into real dangers. Product safety sheets don’t cut corners—clear, blunt hazard language and first-aid steps run on every page.
You won’t catch these compounds limited to laundry. Dish soaps, surface cleaners, and shampoo bottles all lean on the same family of surfactants. Even the carwash down the road or the local machine shop uses versions to cut grease fast. Water treatment plants sometimes add them for foaming or scouring purposes, and textile mills spray diluted mixes to finish off stubborn stains. These compounds excel thanks to their reliability and cost-effectiveness. Their performance in hard or soft water makes them universal workhorses, and their ease of use means new facilities can pick up operations without hunting for hard-to-find expertise.
R&D in the chemical field doesn’t stand still. Green chemistry gets more attention every year as companies try to shrink environmental footprints. I’ve seen pilot projects cut the length of alkyl chains to boost biodegradation, lowering river and lake impact. Biotech labs experiment with natural modifications using enzymes in place of harsh acid or heat. Partnerships between universities and industry push for surfactants that break down faster after use, especially in areas with tight wastewater rules. New additive blends appear each year, all built to outmatch competitors in cleaning while skirting environmental backlash.
No chemical has earned a safe sticker without years of study. Toxicologists have pored over benzenesulfonic acid sodium salts for chronic and acute effects. Eye and skin tests in the ‘80s showed irritation at high doses, which drove the push for modern safety labeling. Oral toxicity studies flag higher doses only as a concern, but accidental household or worksite exposure rarely reaches those levels. Recent studies dig into aquatic effects, especially after wastewater escapes. Some fish and invertebrates react at moderate concentrations, so big plants use advanced treatment steps to pull residues before they hit rivers. Long-term bioaccumulation stays low thanks to these compounds breaking down in sunlight and soil bacteria, though researchers keep digging for rare breakdown products.
Looking ahead, I see a balancing act. Demand won’t disappear—too many industries need hard-hitting surfactants. Still, pressure mounts to lower their ecological cost. Ongoing efforts to boost biodegradability, lower toxicity, and find greener feedstocks promise incremental change rather than revolutions. Automation and smarter process controls may help drop energy and water demand in massive production plants. New regulations sure loom, especially as environmental data trickles out from high-use regions. As someone who watches this field change, I look for close teamwork among scientists, regulators, and watchdogs pushing for safer compounds while keeping retail shelves stocked and affordable.
It’s got a long label, but Benzenesulfonic Acid, C10-13-Alkyl Derivs., Sodium Salts works behind the scenes in everyday products. This substance acts as a surfactant, which basically means it helps oil and water mix and turns grime into stuff that can be rinsed away. Most folks run into it without ever knowing—every time they do a load of laundry, mop up a spill, or grab a bottle of dish soap.
People often think of soap as one thing, but the chemistry of cleaning takes a bit more. This sodium salt pops up in all sorts of cleaners, from household detergents to heavy-duty industrial scrubs. The secret lies in its ability to grab onto oily, greasy dirt and yank it loose. Clothes come out looking brighter, kitchen counters don’t hang onto sticky messes—it’s all about this ingredient breaking surface tension and making water wet surfaces better.
Formulators like this chemical because it punches above its weight in effectiveness and doesn’t break the bank. Cheaper, high-performing cleaning means manufacturers don’t have to pick between affordable products and good results. This plays out in lots of ways, from budget grocery brands to big-name detergents. The price on the supermarket shelf often owes something to this sodium salt’s cost-cutting power.
Some worry when a long chemical name shows up on a label. Research from the European Chemicals Agency and the US Environmental Protection Agency gives a sense of security—the sodium salt version used in consumer cleaners doesn’t build up in people or the environment, and it tends to break down during sewage treatment. Still, folks with sensitive skin sometimes see irritation if they use concentrated forms too often. Companies keep an eye on this, providing guidance for proper use and sometimes adding skin-friendly ingredients to counterbalance harshness.
Like a lot of cleaning agents, this compound raised environmental eyebrows years ago. Waterways felt the strain from overuse. Today, improved formulas and stricter rules help keep things in check. Wastewater treatment plants now break down these surfactants more effectively. Environmental groups got involved, pressuring manufacturers to tune recipes for easier breakdown.
It’s still important to avoid dumping concentrated detergent into the drain. Most regular use at home fits within safe limits, but responsibility falls on industry and users alike. Following usage amounts on packaging, buying greener products, and supporting companies working with biodegradable ingredients keeps things moving in the right direction.
Smart changes in cleaning chemistry often start with feedback from everyday people. Some push for plant-based surfactants in place of traditional options. These eco-highlighted choices can cost more, but customer demand keeps innovation alive. Watching how brands respond—and seeking out certification about good environmental practices—lets people steer industry with every purchase. Regulations and watchdog groups have a role, but every shopping trip and every bottle in your cupboard says something, too.
You’ll come across benzenesulfonic acid, C10-13-alkyl derivatives, sodium salts on ingredient lists for everyday cleaning goods. It acts as a surfactant, breaking down oil, grease, and other messes by letting water and dirt mix. This quality gets it used in liquid soaps, laundry detergents, and even some shampoos.
People use these products constantly, which means skin exposure isn’t rare. Sometimes, it feels like the back labels list more chemistry than a school textbook. Knowing what these names mean and what science says about how safe they are for skin matters.
The American Cleaning Institute and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review give the ingredient a green light for rinse-off products in personal care, like soaps and shampoos. The reason: during normal use, skin exposure is short, and these kinds of surfactants get washed away quickly.
Long-term studies point out little evidence of cancer risk or build-up in human tissue. Dermatologists watch for two main risks: irritation for those with sensitive skin or already existing conditions, and accidental contact with eyes or damaged skin. In everyday strength products, most people handle these exposures with no problem. Safety boards in both the U.S. and EU approve it for widespread use as long as it’s diluted to the levels prescribed for consumer goods.
Problems usually happen if the product is way too concentrated or if there’s frequent, extended skin contact without any rinsing. My experience cleaning restaurant kitchens as a college student taught me to respect these chemicals—rinsing hands after a shift helped prevent skin dryness and redness. Data from the European Chemicals Agency rank this group of surfactants as an irritant, but only in concentrated form. Once diluted for home use, the risk drops sharply.
Some cases of contact dermatitis have turned up, especially in folks who already battle eczema or very sensitive skin. Redness, dry patches, and a stinging feeling sometimes popped up for those people, especially with repeated exposure. For most, any mild irritation stops when they switch to a gentle cleanser and use moisturizer.
A 2021 study in “Contact Dermatitis” journal flagged a few products where ingredient levels ran higher than recommended, which is why regulators monitor manufacturers. Safety depends on brands sticking to guidelines. If you mix DIY formulas at home—say, turning commercial detergents into homemade cleaners—keep them at or below the recommended dilution.
Patch tests work. Rub a tiny amount on your inside elbow, wash after a few minutes, and wait. No reaction? Use the product as intended. If you’re prone to irritation, reach for fragrance-free or sensitive skin formulas since they often have extra moisturizers and fewer potential triggers.
Wearing gloves is a simple barrier. For me, that small habit saved my hands during years of scrubbing commercial fryers and sinks. Instead of getting cracked or peeling skin, I kept my hands comfortable and itch-free.
If you ever notice a rash that won’t quit or burning after product use, see a dermatologist. They’ll help trace the real culprit—sometimes it’s not the surfactant, but the fragrances or dyes packed into these formulas.
Many companies keep exploring new, milder surfactants and adding skin-soothing ingredients to household cleaners. Reading up, staying aware of how your skin reacts, and using a little extra care if you have allergies, goes a long way. Most of us won’t see trouble, but knowing how to use and handle products safely means fewer surprises down the line.
Most people rarely stop to think about what lurks inside everyday cleaners and detergents. Benzenesulfonic Acid, C10-13-Alkyl Derivs., Sodium Salts—let’s call it by the common name, alkylbenzenesulfonate—sneaks into homes through dish soap, laundry powder, and even industrial cleaners. Its job is pretty straightforward: loosen up grease and dirt so things wash away with water. A product that works so hard comes with its share of risks, and I’ve seen these up close in my years working in manufacturing and dealing with product safety data sheets.
Direct contact often leads to trouble for skin and eyes. I learned this the hard way during a summer job at a car wash. After a shift spent splashing foam across windshields, my hands felt dry, tight, and sometimes itchy. Prolonged skin contact can cause irritation, and in people with sensitive skin, eczema creeps up fast. Splash it in your eyes, and the stinging tells you all you need to know about its corrosive nature. Safety data agrees: it causes eye damage and can ramp up irritation with repeated exposure.
The major risks often go unnoticed, though, since folks rarely read labels or wear gloves at home. Public health agencies like the European Chemicals Agency have warned about it for years, not because it’s exotic, but because people get careless when something feels familiar and disposable.
In factories where the powder kicks up dust, breathing it in can irritate throats, noses, even the lungs. Coughing, sneezing, headaches—all of it ramps up fast in poor ventilation. I once visited a soap plant where the dust in the air made my eyes water after ten minutes. Chronic inhalation hasn’t shown strong links to cancer or major organ damage, but respiratory irritation on the job happens more often than companies admit in public.
Beyond human health, alkylbenzenesulfonate also harms aquatic life. Wastewater treatment only pulls out so much, and the rest floats into streams and rivers. Research shows that these chemicals stick around. Fish and other creatures feel the sting through disrupted membranes and slower growth. I saw local river banks foaming after heavy rains thanks to runoff from busy laundromats and factories. My neighbors fishing in those spots caught fewer healthy fish year after year.
So what can we realistically do? Wear gloves during cleaning—don’t let red, cracked skin become a badge of honor. Keep cleaners locked away if you’ve got toddlers at home. Employers ought to hand out protective gear and make sure air systems work properly. If your workplace offers annual safety training, pay attention and ask for updates if new products roll out. At home, we can all switch to less harsh cleaners or use smaller amounts.
Pushing lawmakers and manufacturers for clearer labeling and safer formulations makes a real impact. After all, meaningful change often grows from informed people who want healthier lives for themselves and their communities. Experience teaches that a little extra caution can subtract a lot of pain.
It’s easy to overlook storage details in busy labs and warehouses. I’ve seen cases where a rushed decision or overlooked guideline led to unnecessary risks. Benzenesulfonic acid, C10-13-alkyl derivs., sodium salts - a mouthful, for sure - plays an important part in everything from detergents to industrial cleaning. Handling it with care isn’t just about following the rulebook. It's about creating safe spaces for everyone who comes into contact with these chemical solutions.
During my time consulting for cleaning products manufacturers, I noticed regular confusion over how to store these sodium salts. They dissolve well in water, but react with acids to form benzenesulfonic acid, which has a stronger bite. Most people don’t realize these powders or flakes grab moisture from the air quickly. Humidity can slowly turn them into a semi-hard block. Clumpy chemicals not only limit their usefulness – they spark safety concerns because lumps never dissolve evenly and may cause spills or splashes.
Experience shows that a dry, tightly sealed container is the safest bet. Polyethylene drums with gasketed lids work — and for large storage, lined steel drums with plastic bag liners do the trick. Avoid ordinary metal containers where you can. I’ve seen a minor leak of this salty compound corrode aluminum shelving in just a few weeks. Good ventilation matters, too, mainly to handle the dust, which irritates skin and lungs and may trigger sneezes stronger than a pollen storm in spring.
Keep this chemical separate from acids, oxidizers, and strong bases. Cross-contamination ramps up complexity and risk for fires or unwanted reactions. Avoid stacking containers next to solvents, fuels, or food products. I still remember a plant, years ago, where cleaning powders turned up next to break room coffee supplies. That turned into an emergency cleanup no one forgot.
Consistency is key — room temperature or a cool storage area keeps the product in top shape. Heat can sometimes increase caking, and even a winter cold snap can mess with packaging integrity. I recommend keeping these salts at temperatures between 20-25°C (68-77°F), sheltered from direct sunlight or any heat source. Sun-facing warehouse windows usually mean headaches down the road, as direct sunlight welcomes moisture and breakdown.
I encourage labeling every container, even part-filled buckets. Include chemical names, date received, and hazard warnings. I’ve watched rookie mistakes from containers with faded or missing labels. Guessing games around hazardous compounds owe too much to chance.
No matter how careful storage plans look, working with these chemicals without gloves, safety glasses, or dust masks increases risk. Skin contact dries out hands and irritates eyes or throat, even during quick transfers between bins. A few minutes picking up PPE saves hours spent treating unexpected rashes or eye irritation.
Every step counts toward safer chemicals storage. Diligent labeling, container checks, moisture monitoring, and the right gear cut down on incidents. The best-run sites treat storage of sodium salts with steady, careful attention, not as a box to check but as an everyday practice that protects workers, products, and reputation. Smart storage habits make work smoother for everyone involved.
Walk down the cleaning aisle and you’ll spot products packed with complicated chemical names. Among them, benzenesulfonic acid, C10-13-alkyl derivatives, sodium salts (usually shortened to “alkylbenzenesulfonates”) plays a starring role in many household and industrial cleaners. This surfactant gets grease off dishes, lifts dirt out of laundry, and cuts through grime in countless formulations.
Pouring these substances down the drain feels simple, but the story continues beyond the sink. Most surfactants, if not managed carefully, end up floating through rivers and lakes. Research from the European Chemicals Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency confirms many alkylbenzenesulfonates break down better than the early synthetic surfactants from decades ago, but that doesn’t mean they disappear without a trace. Some degrade slowly, which allows buildup in sediment and riverbanks.
Wildlife pays the price. Studies published in Environmental Science & Technology highlight damage to fish gills and insect shells at high concentrations. Plants can struggle too, with root growth stunted in waterlogged areas exposed to runoff. Some of these effects showed up in water treatment labs, but fish caught downstream from wastewater plants carried traces of these surfactants in their tissues.
Labels with words like “biodegradable” and “eco-friendly” may feature these sodium salts, but not every product lives up to the badge. Modern regulations in the U.S. and Europe restrict the length of the alkyl chain—longer ones break down slower—so producers commonly choose C10 to C13 chains. These shorter chains make breakdown easier for microbes at sewage plants. Rates vary, with up to 90% biodegradation possible in good conditions, according to OECD guidelines. Still, what happens in the real world can be very different from what’s seen in a test tube.
In the wild, temperature swings, low oxygen, and overloaded sewage systems all slow degradation. I remember talking with a chemistry professor years back who worked with wastewater treatment. Even with modern technology, particles can escape full breakdown. Runoff during major storms can bypass treatment altogether, letting surfactants spill directly into rivers.
Environmental safety depends on both the chemistry and the system managing these compounds. Ecotoxicologists urge tighter rules on discharge and support detergents with formulas that use plant-based surfactants. Companies such as Ecover and Seventh Generation tap into coconut or palm-derived ingredients. No perfect answer exists. Some plant-derived surfactants come with their own baggage—think deforestation and monoculture farming—but they usually degrade faster once in water.
Public awareness plays its part. Consumer pressure pushed many supermarket detergents toward more eco-friendly formulations. At home, using less product per wash and supporting wastewater upgrades help cut environmental impact. Switching to cold water cycles, for example, demands less energy and slows chemical breakdown, which means less potential for harmful byproducts.
Government funding for sewage treatment upgrades, better regulation of chemical use, and persistent research into greener formulas all help tackle this issue. Real progress means keeping honest about the limitations of each ingredient, tracking new data, and moving cleaner options into mainstream shelves. Surfactants keep homes clean, but it takes effort to keep rivers and lakes just as healthy.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | Sodium 4-(alkyl(C10-13) phenyl)sulfonate |
| Other names |
Sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate Alkylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate LAS Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate sodium salt Sodium C10-13 alkylbenzenesulfonate |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn.ziːn.sʌlˈfɒn.ɪk ˈæs.ɪd siː tɛn tuː θɜːˈtiːn ˈæl.kɪl ˈdɛr.ɪ.vɪvz ˈsəʊ.di.əm sɔːlts/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 68411-30-3 |
| Beilstein Reference | Beilstein Reference: 3563777 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:91231 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL3581446 |
| ChemSpider | 134403037 |
| DrugBank | DB11107 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 04e2184c-6edb-42c5-ab50-461fa3be62f5 |
| EC Number | CAS: 68411-30-3, EC: 270-115-0 |
| Gmelin Reference | 78150 |
| KEGG | C21509 |
| MeSH | D018483 |
| PubChem CID | 86321861 |
| RTECS number | DB6600000 |
| UNII | 6K69554BHC |
| UN number | 2586 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C18H29SO3Na |
| Molar mass | 340.48 g/mol |
| Appearance | White to yellowish flakes or powder |
| Odor | slight characteristic odor |
| Density | Density: 1.06 g/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | soluble |
| log P | 2.75 |
| Vapor pressure | <10 mmHg @ 25 °C |
| Acidity (pKa) | −2.8 |
| Basicity (pKb) | pKb ≈ 5.7 |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.451 |
| Viscosity | 60 mPa.s (20℃) |
| Dipole moment | 1.6 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 753.8 J/(mol·K) |
| Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) | -7542.6 kJ/mol |
| Pharmacology | |
| ATC code | D08AJ01 |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye damage. Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
| GHS labelling | GHS05, GHS07 |
| Pictograms | GHS05,GHS07 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | Hazard statements: Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye damage. Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
| Precautionary statements | P264, P280, P305+P351+P338, P310, P337+P313 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | **3-0-2 (Health-Flammability-Instability)** |
| Flash point | >100°C |
| Autoignition temperature | 450°C |
| Explosive limits | 0.9–7% |
| Lethal dose or concentration | LD₅₀ Oral Rat: 1080 mg/kg |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (oral, rat): 1080 mg/kg |
| NIOSH | 'W0985' |
| PEL (Permissible) | Not established |
| REL (Recommended) | 10 mg/m3 |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
Benzenesulfonic acid Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate Sodium cumenesulfonate Toluene sulfonic acid Xylene sulfonic acid Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid Alkyl aryl sulfonates |
