SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE

• Linear alcohol ethoxylates, including the SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE surfactants, undergo rapid and extensive biodegradation under both laboratory and environmental conditions. Their mineralization to CO2 and water (ultimate biodegradation) is essentially complete during biological wastewater treatments at warm to cold water temperatures. They are degraded by bacteria in rivers, lakes, groundwater and sediment as well.
• The major mechanism of biodegradation is cleavage of the ethoxylate chain from the alkyl group with oxidation of the latter to fatty acid. The fatty acid degrades more rapidly than the ethoxylate chain, which is broken down by sequential oxidation and removal of ethoxylate units.
• Alcohol ethoxylates begin to lose their toxicity toward aquatic organisms as soon as biodegradation begins. Water containing degraded surfactant has been shown not to adversely affect fish, invertebrates and algae. Thus, while alcohol ethoxylates are toxic to aquatic organisms, in the event of a spill into a waterway any acute effects would be limited in area and time.
• SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE surfactants and other linear alcohol ethoxylates pose no serious threat to the environment. They do not accumulate in any environmental compartment and are found, if at all, only at concentrations below chronic effects levels.
• Cleaning products containing SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE surfactants may be disposed of safely by flushing down the drain with water.

SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE should retain its conformance to sales specifications for a period of at least two years from date of manufacture if the product is stored at less than 100°F in its undamaged, unopened, factory packaged container.

• SURFONIC® L24-7 NRE surfactant may be satisfactorily stored in carbon steel tanks using steel pipes and pumps. Caution must be exercised, however, to keep the material in the anhydrous state to prevent severe corrosion to the carbon steel tank and related equipment.
• A drier on the breathing nozzle is recommended to help maintain anhydrous conditions in the storage tank.
• For longer term color stability, it is recommended that the product be stored under an inert atmosphere. Solid sediment may form upon standing. There should be circulation in the storage vessel to keep solids suspended.
• Low pressure steam coils in storage tanks and steam tracing of transfer lines should be provided in cases where low environmental temperatures may make pumping of the product difficult.