Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)
The oleochemical industry in China has grown rapidly in the last few years. The growth was attributed to the growing demand of the oleochemical derivatives by the many industries in China. The main driving force for this growth is the increase in disposable income of the population and the strong economic growth in China for […]
Never before in the history of oleochemicals have the changes been more dramatic than in the last 25 years. Before discussing these developments, I would like first to define the term oleochemicals and basic oleochemicals as used in this paper.
Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, the price of crude oil has been escalating and it is forecast to go above USD 100 per barrel in the near future. The fear of an interrupted supply from political uncertainty coupled with the rapid depletion of reserves has sparked widespread interest in alternative energy. Furthermore, the […]
Among the basic oleochemicals, glycerol is considered as the primary base because the preparation of all others must somehow yield glycerol at one point or other. However, saponification, esterification (methyl esters production) and hydrolysis of fats are the major principal processes used to produce natural glycerol. These processes are mainly carried out in soap and […]
The Asian bar soap market is expected to grow at a very healthy rate of 5%-6% over the next five years. In comparison, in Europe, there is negative growth and the bar soap market has been on the decline. Hence, the Asian bar soap business is a very interesting market for current and new entrants […]
The development of the oleochemical industry in Malaysia in early 1980s also marked the fast take-off of the soap making industry in this country. This was inevitable because soap is the most immediate downstream product and the most widely used body cleanser today since its production dated back to 2500 BC. In spite of the […]
The α-SME is an alternative anionic surfactant to linear alkyl benzene sulphonates (LAS), fatty alcohol sulphates (FAS) and (the now maligned) branched alkyl sulphates (BAS). Historically, LAS and BAS were the workhorse surfactants for many detergent formulations. But BAS has now been banned from use by many countries due to its low biodegradation quality, leaving […]
Soap is an essential cleaning agent in our daily life. Besides its cleaning property, it is also a carrier for numerous skin-care agents and perfumes. In today’s market, consumers demand a wide range of soap products catering for the various therapeutic needs of the skin. For a soap to carry the various additives successfully, it […]