Sodium laureth sulfate
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Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), an accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), also called sodium alkylethersulfate, is an anionic detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) and for industrial uses. SLES is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent.[1] SLES, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium pareth sulfate are surfactants that are used in many cosmetic products for their cleaning and emulsifying properties. It is derived from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. In herbicides, it is used as a surfactant to improve absorption of the herbicidal chemicals[2] and reduces time the product takes to be rainfast, when enough of the herbicidal agent will be absorbed.
Names | |
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IUPAC name
α-Sulfo-ω-(dodecyloxy)-poly(oxyethane-1,2-diyl), sodium salt | |
Other names
Sodium lauryl ether sulfate Sodium laureth sulphate Sodium lauryl ether sulphate | |
Identifiers | |
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Abbreviations | SLES |
ChemSpider |
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ECHA InfoCard | 100.036.281 |
PubChem CID |
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UNII |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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Properties | |
CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na | |
Molar mass | Variable; typically around 421 g/mol (288.38 + 44.05n) g/mol |
Hazards | |
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Its chemical formula is CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na. Sometimes the number represented by n is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate. The product is heterogeneous in the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean. Laureth-3 sulfate is the most common one in commercial products.