Comparatively Speaking: Compounds vs. Compositions

By: Anthony J. O'Lenick, Jr., Siltech LLC

Posted: December 15, 2009

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An example of a compound is lauryl alcohol (100%), which is one material that has single molecular weight, single molecular structure and a sharp melting point. However, in the composition sodium laureth 3 sulfate, the following compounds are present:

-Starting materials (from fatty alcohol, if derived from coconut): C10, C12, C14

-Oligomerization (from ethoxylation process): 0 mole sulfate, 1 mole sulfate, 2 mole sulfate, 3 mole sulfate, 4 mole sulfate, 5 mole sulfate, 6 mole sulfate

At this point, there are 21 potential different compounds that have the composition including: C10 - 0 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 1 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 2 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 3 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 4 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 5 Mole EO sulfate, C10- 6 Mole EO sulfate, C12 - 0 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 1 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 2 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 3 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 4 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 5 Mole EO sulfate, C12- 6 Mole EO sulfate, C14 - 0 Mole EO sulfate, C14- 1 Mole EO sulfate, C14- 2 Mole EO sulfate, C14- 3 Mole EO sulfate, C14- 4 Mole EO sulfate, C14- 5 Mole EO sulfate and C14- 6 Mole EO sulfate.

Since the sulfation process is not quantative, there is always a certain concentration of unsulfated alcohol present, referred to as unsulfated matter (US). The following materials possible in the United States in sodium laureth 3 sulfate are: C10 - 0 EO alcohol, C10- 1 EO alcohol, C10- 2 EO alcohol, C10- 3 EO alcohol, C10- 4 EO alcohol, C10- 5 EO alcohol, C10- 6 EO alcohol, C12 - 0 EO alcohol, C12- 1 EO alcohol, C12- 2 EO alcohol, C12- 3 EO alcohol, C12- 4 EO alcohol, C12- 5 EO alcohol, C12- 6 EO alcohol, C14 - 0 EO alcohol, C14- 1 EO alcohol, C14- 2 EO alcohol, C14- 3 EO alcohol, C14- 4 EO alcohol, C14- 5 EO alcohol and C14- 6 EO alcohol.