Tom Branna, Editorial Director09.01.15
The world can be a dirty place. Despite the grime, countertops must sparkle and clothes can’t be stained, while hair and skin must be dirt- and malodor-free. Surfactants play an important role in making all that happen, but the issues that impact the category are anything but clean. That’s because economics, regulations and other topics dirty the water whenever the conversation turns to surfactants.
Suppliers have to deal with a host of issues all the while dealing with gyrating economies around the world. There’s never a dull moment in the global surfactant industry, but it remains a profitable category for suppliers that are nimble enough to react to changes wherever they occur. They better be; the world is watching closely after China de-pegged the yuan from the US dollar, a move that pushed financial markets down around the world and added to fears that after six-and-a-half years of economic expansion, the US and the rest of the world could be heading toward recession.
No wonder then, that marketers and suppliers are tempering expectations for the rest of the year.
“Overall, I see more similarities to 2012 demand levels and overall market pattern than to what we saw in 2014,” explained Arnoldo Fonseca, marketing manager, Americas Personal Care and I&I, Air Products. “There are various factors affecting the sector in 2015, including currency impacts, availability of select surfactants, and continued effects from consolidation by formulators.”
New product forms rely less on surfactants and they, too, are impacting results.
“Surfactant growth, like much of the personal and home care industry, has been flat to weak from an organic view,” observed Jarrod Kaltenbach, NA business director PHC, Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. “Volume losses in laundry detergents due to consumer shifts to pods and lower active content across all segments have softened demand.”
Yet, for Brenntag, there’s been an uptick in surfactant demand through the first half of 2015, according to Jim Ormiston, North American director of care chemicals.
“In terms of demand, the care market continues to keep pace with economic conditions; however, there continues to be pressure on pricing due to drop in demand in the oil and gas sector as both sectors employ similar technologies and products, and strong US currency valuation which has led to greater influence of imported products,” he said.
Growth Stage
China’s growth may be slowing and its currency plunging, but most suppliers told Happi that they remain upbeat about emerging markets in general as consumer demand for more sophisticated cleaners, cleansers and detergents, outweighs the risks associated with these regions. In established markets, consumer preference for sulfate-free formulas is providing new opportunities for suppliers and their customers, while newer categories, such as pet care, show promise too.
One of the more interesting developments, which underscores the long-term trend of surfactant production consolidation, is Stepan Company’s supply agreement with The Sun Products Corporation, a leading US detergent maker. Under terms of the agreement, Stepan will supply Sun’s anionic surfactant requirements for laundry in North America.
The agreement is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2015. Stepan will service this demand from its existing North American manufacturing assets.
“It’s great news for Stepan,” noted Neil Burns, managing partner, Neil A. Burns LLC and CEO of P2 Science. “It shows that the US is the place to be to make surfactants unlike in Europe and Asia, where there is so much excess capacity.”
Separate from the supply agreement, Stepan also reached an agreement to purchase select chemical manufacturing assets from Sun’s Pasadena, TX manufacturing site. With part of this agreement, Stepan also received an exclusive two-month real estate purchase option on Sun’s property located in Pasadena, TX.
“The supply agreement was made possible due to the strength of our sulfonation expertise and North American supply network, that provide Sun with multiple source locations and increased surfactant flexibility,” said F. Quinn Stepan Jr., president and CEO, Stepan Company. “This agreement allows Stepan to significantly improve its North American capacity utilization.”
According to Stepan, the asset acquisition will enable the company to redeploy assets as needed to reduce future capital expenditures.
“We are evaluating alternatives for the use of the land and will determine whether to exercise the purchase option on the land,” added Stepan Jr.
Burns and others noted that Brazil’s weakening economy has spread to other parts of Latin America too, but LATAM has been a rapid growth market for Colonial Chemical in 2015, due primarily to its new partnership with Vantage.
“Vantage has been successful in bringing Colonial to customers that need a mid-sized, specialty surfactant manufacturer, and additionally Vantage has worked hard to find markets for Colonial’s unique lines of chemistry, specifically our Suga, PolySuga and ColaLipid product lines,” explained David Anderson, sales manager, Colonial Chemical.
Peter Piringer, senior vice president and chief business officer, Emery Oleochemicals, pointed toward a Frost & Sullivan report that predicted India’s personal care surfactants market will rise 23% from 2013 until 2017.
“This makes the developing region a hotspot in the ‘volume game’ for surfactant manufacturers, a trend that is likely to continue, given the growing affluence of the population who are looking to improve their quality of life,” he explained.
What They’re Buying
New products in the consumer market are often more natural, ethoxylate-free and milder. That profile has helped Colonial Chemicals’ household and personal care sales increase 26% through the first half of the year, according to Anderson.
“New and emerging cosmetic and household companies are a driving force behind these trends,” he explained. “No longer is the finished product market dominated by a few major players. Sales channels such as Amazon.com and Whole Foods are giving new and unique formulators a new way to reach consumers.”
These developments in the industry have played well to Colonial’s strengths and technologies, he added.
According to Kelly Gilroy, senior director of personal care and household and industrial cleaning, Univar, demand for surfactants within the personal care space has risen slowly this year, helped along as health and wellness trends drive growth in specialty surfactants with sulfate-free claims in particular.
“In personal care, market data indicates that demand for specialty surfactants continue to grow consistently year-over-year with sulfate-free trends in salon shampoo being responsible for a major portion of specialty growth, especially in the Western US region,” said Gilroy. “Customers appear to be seeking more gentle cleansing products.”
Tom Keech, senior formulating chemist at RITA, agreed.
“From an R&D perspective, I’ve seen a steady increase in requests for RITA’s sulfate-free surfactants. The market is certainly expanding into this segment with greater consumer awareness on the ingredients that are being used in personal care products.”
Keech noted that sulfate-free options are a core part of RITA’s surfactant offerings, and the company has an extensive portfolio of glucoside, lactylate, amino-based and amphoteric-based blends.
“Customer requests have significantly increased for sulfate-free and DEA/MEA-free surfactants,” he observed. “Products are continually being marketed with extra emphasis on the safety and mildness of the ingredients.”
Meanwhile, Fonseca of Air Products noted that surfactant demand for nonwovens and wipes has risen as users seek solutions that facilitate the efficacy and speed of cleaning processes. Like other observers, he reported softness in the laundry category.
Consumer preference for high quality pet grooming products, driven through celebrity endorsements and the success of large pet retailers, are a key growth area for personal care, according to Ormiston of Brenntag North America.
“Formulators are looking for surfactants and other ingredients that provide performance across this market segment that closely emulate those found in human consumer products,” he explained. “Brenntag has had great success tapping into this segment providing our customers solutions through collaborative effort with our strategic supply partners.”
A trend that is spreading from Asia is clear cleansing systems, such as micro emulsions and cleansing oils, noted Jennifer Donahue, marketing manager, skin care at Croda.
“We have responded to this trend with Cithrol 10GTIS, an emulsifier/cleanser that can maintain clarity in these systems,” she said.
Regulatory Issues
As formulators and their suppliers develop new systems, regulations seem to follow. In the household and industrial and institutional cleaning (HI&I) sector, surfactants are impacted by increasing environmental regulations related to the use of alkylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol ethoxylates.
“These surfactants do not biodegrade quickly and are more toxic to aquatic life than more advanced, safer surfactants known as linear alcohol ethoxylate,” said Bailey. “LAEs are much safer on the ecosystem than NPEs. Many customers are adjusting their product mix to try to be more environmentally responsible about manufacturing processes.”
According to Fonseca, although much of the cleaning category is expected to be grandfathered under the EPA’s proposed new use regulation for NPEs, he suspects that the EPA’s decision to act in this long-standing topic signals that the agency is continuing to track NPE use with some concern; therefore, formulators will continue to move away from NPEs. He noted that Air Products has been a leader in offering surfactant alternatives to NPEs that are not only safer from an aquatic and human exposure perspective, but offer biodegrabability claims as well.
CleanGredients is a list of ingredients that have been pre-approved by the US EPA to meet the criteria of the Safer Choice Standard. As a result, CleanGredients surfactants are growing faster than traditional surfactants the HI&I category.
“Univar has a broad portfolio of CleanGredients for hard surface, laundry and warewash applications from some of the world’s premier suppliers,” said Bailey. “Combined with our market and technical support to assist customers in reformulating cleaning products, we bring total HIC solutions to our customers.”
At the same time, Bailey noted a demand for cationic surfactant disinfectants or quaternary ammonium compounds due to worldwide health concerns.
“Not only has the use of disinfecting products surged, those containing bio-based surfactants and biodegradable materials have also experienced growth,” she said. “This is, again, due to the demand for environmentally-friendly products delivering high-performance results.”
According to Donahue, regulations are forcing formulators to remove not only DEA-based surfactants, but MEA-based surfactants as well, as they may contain trace amounts of DEA.
“The Promidium range of products from Croda can serve as drop-in replacements for cocamide DEA and cocamide MEA,” said Donahue. “They offer excellent sensory benefits, including foam stabilization and enhanced fragrance solublization, along with shear thinning performance in surfactant-based systems.”
Stepan has introduced Steposol Citri-MET, a fully-formulated household and industrial cleaning solution that is said to outperform existing commercial products on a wide variety of soils and surfaces. According to Stepan, Steposol Citri-MET is a versatile product that when diluted, can remove soils from hard surfaces and fabric and when concentrated, can attack crude oil stains and strip latex. Steposol Citri-MET has a VOC level of 0.5% at a 1:14 dilution and its active ingredients are biorenewable.
Later this year, Stepan will introduce Ninol CAA, a naturally-derived, multifunctional surfactant that provides the benefit of solubilizing fragrances up to 1% while maintaining excellent viscosity and foam properties expected of a secondary surfactant.
Oil’s Swoon
In recent years, nearly every household and personal care marketer became determined to move away from petroleum as a feedstock—some faster than others, of course. But with crude prices crashing from $140 a barrel a few years ago to about $40 today, marketers are rethinking—and restating—their green goals.
The effects of the crude oil price decline have been spectacularly fast by comparison and will be felt for years to come, noted Joel Houston, president, Colin A. Houston & Associates.
"First there was the NGL revolution that brought back USGC ethylene economics, and now we have a price war in crude oil that overturns our expectations of the last ten years of the crude oil product chain," he explained. "Our assumptions about biodiesel and vegetable oils as fuels have been blown away. The currency effects from the decline of commodity prices will bring a re-balance as devaluations like in the RMB/Yuan and MYR/Ringett may make some surfactant exports more competitive but dollar-denominated raw materials have also become more costly for them. The playing field has changed and the effects are to come."
Five years ago, P&G pledged to replace 25% of its petroleum-derived raw materials with renewable materials by 2020. But last year, the company revised that pledge, committing “to creating technologies by 2020 that would let P&G substitute its top petroleum-derived raw materials with renewable materials, as cost and scale permit.”
P&G executives explained that their researchers had developed a number of petroleum-based solutions, but after the bottom fell out on oil prices, those solutions proved to be too costly and too complex to expand on a global scale. As a result, to get to a full 25% substitution by 2020 would have hugely added costs either to P&G, its suppliers or the consumer. And when it comes to the consumer, P&G knows he or she refuses to pay more for products that are good for the environment.
Industry consultant Burns added that the demand-pull from China is gone and that may keep oil prices low for some time.
“It’s not 8-9% growth anymore. It may be 2-3% growth and that has taken the wind out of a lot of sails. So, barring a geopolitical upheaval, a rebound in crude in the near future is remote,” he said.
As Procter and other marketers grapple with the new realities in petroleum prices, suppliers say they have answers when it comes to green feedstocks. One of the newest is Dehyton AO 45, a high-performance algal betaine for use in home and personal care applications that was developed by BASF and Solazyme. According to the companies, Dehyton AO 45 is a high-performance alternative to amidopropyl betaine in products that require rich and gentle foam such as shampoos, hand soap, facial wash and body wash. BASF calls it the world’s first commercial, algal-derived betaine. Some of its attributes include: efficient salt response, effective viscosity builder, comparable foam profile to traditional betaine, quick solubility, cold processability and preservative-free.
Dehyton AO 45 is produced with Solazyme AlgaPur Microalgae Oils, which are made in a matter of days, using Solazyme’s highly controlled fermentation process to convert sugarcane into oils of the highest purity and performance. AlgaPur Microalgae Oils are produced with low carbon, water and land use impact, according to the companies.
Marketers show some willingness to try algae as a feedstock for household and personal care products. Ecover, for example, replaced some palm oil-based soap with an algal oil equivalent. According to industry experts, the project did not progress as hoped and Ecover pulled the plug on the plan. Elsewhere, Unilever put algal oil-based soaps into its Lux brand as part of a trial.
Baby steps, perhaps, but they demonstrate a desire on the part of finished product formulators to move away from petroleum, and even palm oil, in an effort to improve their ecological impact.
Croda’s been offering green solutions to its customers for years. The latest, in the US, came in April when the company broke ground for the first North American plant that will make 100% sustainable nonionic surfactants.
“This initiative will offer a solution to an age-old dilemma: performance or sustainability?” insisted Kevin Gallagher, president, personal care and actives, Croda Inc. “Formulators and consumers no longer need to choose. They will be able to have both. This first of its kind plant in North America, will produce materials that offer equivalent performance and sustainability.”
Operations are expected to commence in 2017.
And Lubrizol has invested in high-active sulfation to provide products that require less water to be shipped around the country and offer very low dioxane levels.
Outside the US, Burns advised Happi that the palm oil industry is exploring the viability of creating plantations in West Africa.
“Wilmar, KLK and others have established ventures in West Africa, where the climate is right and the environment is right,” he said. “They’ve run out of land in Malaysia, so it could be the answer. With that, and a growing population, Africa could be a nice emerging market for the industry.”
Emery Oleochemicals has been formulating products based on renewable resources for 175 years, and has expanded its eco-friendly solutions for home and personal care, said Piringer, who noted that the market is more accepting of RSPO-certified feedstocks.
“In response to this, we have expanded our facility to enable the commercial production of RSPO SG (fully segregated) and RSPO certified fatty alcohols and surfactants,” he said.
Emery launched Emersense, a range of RSPO-certified sodium lauryl ethersulphate with outstanding quality and especially low dioxane content, to meet increasing demand for lower dioxane levels and sodium laurylsulphate in needles and powder. Also new is Emerlux OW, a range of specially designed oil-in-water emulsion based systems. In addition to these basic emulsion bases, Emery offers unique and complex emulsion bases for specific cosmetic and personal care products, which deliver greater performance, economic benefits and sustainability. Ehmerex EH is a range of fatty acid esters derived from 2-ethylhexanol and palm-based fatty acids. Both Emerlux OW and Ehmerex EH are non-irritating, non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic and non-photo allergenic esters. They deliver a silky and soft skin feel, and are available in RSPO-certified grade.
All of these moves come at a time when consumers are having a bigger say in what products contain—and what they don’t.
“Customers are looking for other type of surfactants and not just the traditional ones with differentiated properties and performance. Awareness of sustainability is also a driver for this growth,” said Neil Barrientos, global marketing director, home and personal care, Solvay. “End users are more knowledgeable through media in general (including FaceBook, Twitter and Google) and the awareness of less aggressive products and more environmental respect is driving this growth.“
More Moves by Suppliers
In the past year, Solvay has taken a number of actions in the way of acquisitions, plant expansions and also investments in new regions, according to Barrientos. In 2014, Solvay acquired ERCA and Dhaymers in Brazil to expand its production capacity in the region and build a presence in the skin care market, too.
Solvay also invested in alkoxylation plants in Singapore and in the US to serve its customers with local production and also to expand its product portfolio for personal and home care.
“As part of Solvay’s investment plans and also to accompany our customers’ growth we’ve invested in a multipurpose plant in Germany and a recent investment in the Netherlands where Solvay has completed the acquisition of ERCA Emery Surfactant BV,” he said.
These moves are Solvay Novecare’s latest investment to expand its surfactant footprint.
“They complement the alkoxylation site in Italy and the new surfactant plant in Germany as well as the new surfactant plant in Brazil to support our customer’s development plans and further strengthen our partnerships with them,” explained Barrientos.
Univar recently entered into commercial agreements with Penford Products and Evonik Personal Care in the northeastern US. In July, Univar acquired Chemical Associates, a distributor of oleochemicals, including tall oil fatty acids, oleic acids and stearic acids. In November, the firm picked up D’Altomare Química, which expanded its footprint and capabilities in the Brazilian personal care market. Finally, in the US, Univar added technical specialists and account executives to the personal care and HI&I teams.
Air Products has undergone a reorganization that will enable its materials-related businesses to become more responsive to market needs, according to Fonseca.
During the past year, Colonial Chemical has hired three chemists and 10 additional personnel for the plant, installed four more reactors, as well as a finished goods warehouse. Colonial is counting on the specialty surfactant market, and in particular the green and mild surfactant market, to continue to be strong both domestically and internationally, Anderson told Happi.
“LATAM will continue to be an important area of growth for years to come because it is a growing and sophisticated marketplace, and we are very fortunate to have a technically-able and skilled partner in Vantage,” he added.
Lubrizol has invested in a state-of-the-art multi-purpose reactor in Brazil to produce a wide range of secondary surfactants and blends including Chembetaine betaines, Amidex amides and Chemoxide amine oxides, according to Kaltenbach.
Stepan, too, is betting on Latin America. It completed the purchase of the sulfonation production site in Bahia, Brazil from Procter & Gamble do Brazil. The facility has 30,000 metric tons of capacity.
According to the firm, this acquisition expands Stepan’s capabilities in Brazil, which is world’s fifth most populous country and has a growing middle class. As the country’s usage of laundry products transitions from soap bars to powders to liquids, surfactant use expands. Surfactants used in functional applications, including the large Brazilian agricultural industry, are also increasing.
“Brazil is a strategic priority for Stepan. This acquisition is synergistic with our existing Vespasiano, Brazil plant and provides an opportunity to serve the growing northeast of Brazil,” said Stepan.
The world can be a scary place right now, especially for companies deploying assets. But surfactant suppliers realize in this increasingly complex, global economy, it’s better to make moves rather than sit on the sidelines.
New Surfactant Ingredients
Air Products & Chemicals
Allentown, PA
Email: prodInfo@airproducts.com
Website: www.airproducts.com/clean
TomaDyne 108 Surfactant
Description: Formulated surfactant system
Applications: Water-based degreasing formulations for hard-surface cleaning
Use levels: 2-10%
BASF Corporation
Florham Park, NJ
Tel: 800-669-2273
Website: www.carecreations.basf.com/?utm_source=HAP&utm_medium=ContentMarketing&utm_campaign=HAP
Email: personal-care-na@basf.com
Dehyton AO 45
INCI: Capric/lauric/myristic/oleic amidopropyl betaine (from microalgae oil)
Applications: Shampoos, hand soap, facial wash, body wash
Use levels: 1%-10%
Comments: The first commercially available algal derived betaine
Colonial Chemical
South Pittsburg, TN
Tel: 423-837-8800
Email: david.anderson@colonialchem.com
Website: www.colonialchem.com/
PolySugaMulse D9
INCI: Sorbitan oleate decylglucoside crosspolymer
Uses: Fragrance solubilizer in all systems, perfumed waters, deodorants, skin care formulations, hair care products.
Comments: A PEG-free, nonionic fragrance solubilizer made from 100% bio- based raw materials. It is hydrophilic, freely soluble or dispersible in water, and soluble in varying degrees in organic liquids. SugaNate 160NC
INCI: Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate
Uses: Sulfate-free shampoos, low and high-pH shampoos, bath gels and body washes, facial cleansers, baby cleansing products, personal care wipes and makeup removers, pet shampoos and non-irritating bubble baths.
Comments: SugaNate 160NC is a naturally-derived, high- performance surfactant that provides numer- ous advantages for a variety of formulations. Using SugaNate 160NC, formulators can start with a high-foaming product and build to preferred aesthetic properties without con- cerns of irritation to eyes and skin. SugaNate 160NC is also very low in toxicity and cost- effective when compared to other surfactants used in typical sulfate-free formulations. SugaNate 160NC is 100% natural carbon biobased, derived from natural materials.
ColaMoist 200
INCI: Hydroxypropyl bis-hydroxyethyldimonium chloride
Uses: Skin care products, creams, lotions, tonics, shower gels, sun care lotions, makeup products, foundations, lipsticks, shampoos, condition- ers, hair tonics, creams, health care lotions and other products.
Use levels: up to 3%
Comments: ColaMoist 200 is a highly ionized water soluble compound that enhances water bonding structures. It is highly hygroscopic at all humidities, attracting and binding water ex- tremely effectively, and provides a higher humidity protective gradient on both skin and hair to enhance moisturization.
Croda
Edison, NJ
Tel: 732-417-0800
Email: marketing-usa@croda.com
Website: www.crodapersonalcare.com
Trade name: Cithrol 10GTIS
Description: PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate
Applications: Body washes, shower gels, facial washes, skin cleansers, toners
Use levels: 5-30%
Comments: Cithrol 10GTIS creates advanced high performance microemulsion facial cleansers that are crystal clear, gentle to skin and easily rinsed with no oily residue. A highly effective and mild surfactant, Cithrol 10GTIS allows the formulation of crystal clear facial cleansers made up of oil and water in a microemulsion, maintaining the perfect hydro-lipophilic balance required for this type of high performance system. Cithrol 10GTIS can also be used to create simple oil cleansers, emulsifying cleansing oils on contact with water so they can be rinsed from skin with application of water. The microemulsion and oil cleansers are very effective at removing long wear and water proof makeup while leaving the skin feeling renewed, smooth and soft to the touch.
HallStar
Chicago, IL
Tel: 877.427.4255
Website: www.hallstar.com
Florasolvs PEG-10 Sunflower
INCI: PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides
Suggested Use Level: 0.5–5%
Applications: Body washes, shower gels, facial scrubs, toners, shampoos
Comments: Water-dispersible liquid sunflower oil emolliency for water-based formulas. High-performance refatter that leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. Conditions hair. JP quasi-drug ingredient.
Florasolvs PEG-80 Jojoba
INCI: Jojoba Wax PEG-80 Esters
Suggested Use Level: 0.5–5%
Applications: Aftershaves, bath oils, colognes, cleansers, creams & lotions, nail care, shampoos, styling gels
Comments: Superior fragrance and essential oil solubilizer, secondary emulsifier, water-soluble source of jojoba emolliency with high slip, conditioner, cleanser.
RITA Corporation
Crystal Lake, IL
Tel: 815-337-2500
Email: info@ritacorp.com
Website: www.ritacorp.com
Ritafactant 138AN
INCI: Decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant 138LG
INCI: Lauryl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Comments: Naturally-derived, mild, and sulfate-free blends that utilize sodium lauroyl lactylate to boost foam, viscosity and improve moisturization. These blends work exceptionally well in shampoos, body washes, face washes and baby care products. A stable, dense foam comparable to many sulfated blends is the driving force behind the 138 blends. Perfectly suited as primary surfactants in a wide range of systems from pearlescent to clear.
Ritafactant 138AN
INCI: Decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant 138LG
INCI: Lauryl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant SCI-2
INCI: Cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium cocoyl isethionate
Comments: Mild, sulfate free surfactants used as both primary and secondary options for stabilizing systems and boosting foam. Amino and plant based surfactants gentle enough for daily use.
Solvay Inc
Cranbury, NJ
Tel: 609-860-4221
Email: neil.barrientos@solvay.com
Website: www.solvay.com
Rhodaterge TBC 290
Description: Mixture of surfactants
Applications: Toilet bowl cleaner
Use levels: 2 to 4%
Comments: Rhodaterge TBC 290 is a cost effective thickener for variety of highly acidic home, industrial and institutional cleaning formulations. In addition to the efficient viscosity building, Rhodaterge TBC 290 provides also, perfume solubilization and good stability, without necessity of any other additives. It is easily processable and does not need any heating or intense stirring.
Stepan Company
Northfield, IL
Tel: 800-745-7837
Email: techserv@stepan.com
Website: www.stepan.com/citri-met
Steposol Citri-Met
Description: a fully formulated cleaner concentrate, comprised of Steposol MET-10U, (n, n-dimethyl 9-decenamide), natural citrus terpenes, surfactant emulsifiers and sodium carbonate.
Applications: A wide range from household to industrial to institutional cleaners.
Use levels: 1-20%
Comments: A revolutionary fully formulated solution developed from Nobel Prize-winning metathesis chemistry, ecologically responsible citrus terpenes and emulsifiers. Diluted to a solution of 96% water, it surpasses the cleaning and solvency power of products containing up to 40% petroleum-based solvents and requires a low use level, less dwell time, and less mechanical action.
Suppliers have to deal with a host of issues all the while dealing with gyrating economies around the world. There’s never a dull moment in the global surfactant industry, but it remains a profitable category for suppliers that are nimble enough to react to changes wherever they occur. They better be; the world is watching closely after China de-pegged the yuan from the US dollar, a move that pushed financial markets down around the world and added to fears that after six-and-a-half years of economic expansion, the US and the rest of the world could be heading toward recession.
No wonder then, that marketers and suppliers are tempering expectations for the rest of the year.
“Overall, I see more similarities to 2012 demand levels and overall market pattern than to what we saw in 2014,” explained Arnoldo Fonseca, marketing manager, Americas Personal Care and I&I, Air Products. “There are various factors affecting the sector in 2015, including currency impacts, availability of select surfactants, and continued effects from consolidation by formulators.”
New product forms rely less on surfactants and they, too, are impacting results.
“Surfactant growth, like much of the personal and home care industry, has been flat to weak from an organic view,” observed Jarrod Kaltenbach, NA business director PHC, Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. “Volume losses in laundry detergents due to consumer shifts to pods and lower active content across all segments have softened demand.”
Yet, for Brenntag, there’s been an uptick in surfactant demand through the first half of 2015, according to Jim Ormiston, North American director of care chemicals.
“In terms of demand, the care market continues to keep pace with economic conditions; however, there continues to be pressure on pricing due to drop in demand in the oil and gas sector as both sectors employ similar technologies and products, and strong US currency valuation which has led to greater influence of imported products,” he said.
Growth Stage
China’s growth may be slowing and its currency plunging, but most suppliers told Happi that they remain upbeat about emerging markets in general as consumer demand for more sophisticated cleaners, cleansers and detergents, outweighs the risks associated with these regions. In established markets, consumer preference for sulfate-free formulas is providing new opportunities for suppliers and their customers, while newer categories, such as pet care, show promise too.
One of the more interesting developments, which underscores the long-term trend of surfactant production consolidation, is Stepan Company’s supply agreement with The Sun Products Corporation, a leading US detergent maker. Under terms of the agreement, Stepan will supply Sun’s anionic surfactant requirements for laundry in North America.
The agreement is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2015. Stepan will service this demand from its existing North American manufacturing assets.
“It’s great news for Stepan,” noted Neil Burns, managing partner, Neil A. Burns LLC and CEO of P2 Science. “It shows that the US is the place to be to make surfactants unlike in Europe and Asia, where there is so much excess capacity.”
Separate from the supply agreement, Stepan also reached an agreement to purchase select chemical manufacturing assets from Sun’s Pasadena, TX manufacturing site. With part of this agreement, Stepan also received an exclusive two-month real estate purchase option on Sun’s property located in Pasadena, TX.
“The supply agreement was made possible due to the strength of our sulfonation expertise and North American supply network, that provide Sun with multiple source locations and increased surfactant flexibility,” said F. Quinn Stepan Jr., president and CEO, Stepan Company. “This agreement allows Stepan to significantly improve its North American capacity utilization.”
According to Stepan, the asset acquisition will enable the company to redeploy assets as needed to reduce future capital expenditures.
“We are evaluating alternatives for the use of the land and will determine whether to exercise the purchase option on the land,” added Stepan Jr.
Burns and others noted that Brazil’s weakening economy has spread to other parts of Latin America too, but LATAM has been a rapid growth market for Colonial Chemical in 2015, due primarily to its new partnership with Vantage.
“Vantage has been successful in bringing Colonial to customers that need a mid-sized, specialty surfactant manufacturer, and additionally Vantage has worked hard to find markets for Colonial’s unique lines of chemistry, specifically our Suga, PolySuga and ColaLipid product lines,” explained David Anderson, sales manager, Colonial Chemical.
Peter Piringer, senior vice president and chief business officer, Emery Oleochemicals, pointed toward a Frost & Sullivan report that predicted India’s personal care surfactants market will rise 23% from 2013 until 2017.
“This makes the developing region a hotspot in the ‘volume game’ for surfactant manufacturers, a trend that is likely to continue, given the growing affluence of the population who are looking to improve their quality of life,” he explained.
What They’re Buying
New products in the consumer market are often more natural, ethoxylate-free and milder. That profile has helped Colonial Chemicals’ household and personal care sales increase 26% through the first half of the year, according to Anderson.
“New and emerging cosmetic and household companies are a driving force behind these trends,” he explained. “No longer is the finished product market dominated by a few major players. Sales channels such as Amazon.com and Whole Foods are giving new and unique formulators a new way to reach consumers.”
These developments in the industry have played well to Colonial’s strengths and technologies, he added.
According to Kelly Gilroy, senior director of personal care and household and industrial cleaning, Univar, demand for surfactants within the personal care space has risen slowly this year, helped along as health and wellness trends drive growth in specialty surfactants with sulfate-free claims in particular.
“In personal care, market data indicates that demand for specialty surfactants continue to grow consistently year-over-year with sulfate-free trends in salon shampoo being responsible for a major portion of specialty growth, especially in the Western US region,” said Gilroy. “Customers appear to be seeking more gentle cleansing products.”
Tom Keech, senior formulating chemist at RITA, agreed.
“From an R&D perspective, I’ve seen a steady increase in requests for RITA’s sulfate-free surfactants. The market is certainly expanding into this segment with greater consumer awareness on the ingredients that are being used in personal care products.”
Keech noted that sulfate-free options are a core part of RITA’s surfactant offerings, and the company has an extensive portfolio of glucoside, lactylate, amino-based and amphoteric-based blends.
“Customer requests have significantly increased for sulfate-free and DEA/MEA-free surfactants,” he observed. “Products are continually being marketed with extra emphasis on the safety and mildness of the ingredients.”
Meanwhile, Fonseca of Air Products noted that surfactant demand for nonwovens and wipes has risen as users seek solutions that facilitate the efficacy and speed of cleaning processes. Like other observers, he reported softness in the laundry category.
Consumer preference for high quality pet grooming products, driven through celebrity endorsements and the success of large pet retailers, are a key growth area for personal care, according to Ormiston of Brenntag North America.
“Formulators are looking for surfactants and other ingredients that provide performance across this market segment that closely emulate those found in human consumer products,” he explained. “Brenntag has had great success tapping into this segment providing our customers solutions through collaborative effort with our strategic supply partners.”
A trend that is spreading from Asia is clear cleansing systems, such as micro emulsions and cleansing oils, noted Jennifer Donahue, marketing manager, skin care at Croda.
“We have responded to this trend with Cithrol 10GTIS, an emulsifier/cleanser that can maintain clarity in these systems,” she said.
Regulatory Issues
As formulators and their suppliers develop new systems, regulations seem to follow. In the household and industrial and institutional cleaning (HI&I) sector, surfactants are impacted by increasing environmental regulations related to the use of alkylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol ethoxylates.
“These surfactants do not biodegrade quickly and are more toxic to aquatic life than more advanced, safer surfactants known as linear alcohol ethoxylate,” said Bailey. “LAEs are much safer on the ecosystem than NPEs. Many customers are adjusting their product mix to try to be more environmentally responsible about manufacturing processes.”
According to Fonseca, although much of the cleaning category is expected to be grandfathered under the EPA’s proposed new use regulation for NPEs, he suspects that the EPA’s decision to act in this long-standing topic signals that the agency is continuing to track NPE use with some concern; therefore, formulators will continue to move away from NPEs. He noted that Air Products has been a leader in offering surfactant alternatives to NPEs that are not only safer from an aquatic and human exposure perspective, but offer biodegrabability claims as well.
CleanGredients is a list of ingredients that have been pre-approved by the US EPA to meet the criteria of the Safer Choice Standard. As a result, CleanGredients surfactants are growing faster than traditional surfactants the HI&I category.
“Univar has a broad portfolio of CleanGredients for hard surface, laundry and warewash applications from some of the world’s premier suppliers,” said Bailey. “Combined with our market and technical support to assist customers in reformulating cleaning products, we bring total HIC solutions to our customers.”
At the same time, Bailey noted a demand for cationic surfactant disinfectants or quaternary ammonium compounds due to worldwide health concerns.
“Not only has the use of disinfecting products surged, those containing bio-based surfactants and biodegradable materials have also experienced growth,” she said. “This is, again, due to the demand for environmentally-friendly products delivering high-performance results.”
According to Donahue, regulations are forcing formulators to remove not only DEA-based surfactants, but MEA-based surfactants as well, as they may contain trace amounts of DEA.
“The Promidium range of products from Croda can serve as drop-in replacements for cocamide DEA and cocamide MEA,” said Donahue. “They offer excellent sensory benefits, including foam stabilization and enhanced fragrance solublization, along with shear thinning performance in surfactant-based systems.”
Stepan has introduced Steposol Citri-MET, a fully-formulated household and industrial cleaning solution that is said to outperform existing commercial products on a wide variety of soils and surfaces. According to Stepan, Steposol Citri-MET is a versatile product that when diluted, can remove soils from hard surfaces and fabric and when concentrated, can attack crude oil stains and strip latex. Steposol Citri-MET has a VOC level of 0.5% at a 1:14 dilution and its active ingredients are biorenewable.
Later this year, Stepan will introduce Ninol CAA, a naturally-derived, multifunctional surfactant that provides the benefit of solubilizing fragrances up to 1% while maintaining excellent viscosity and foam properties expected of a secondary surfactant.
Oil’s Swoon
In recent years, nearly every household and personal care marketer became determined to move away from petroleum as a feedstock—some faster than others, of course. But with crude prices crashing from $140 a barrel a few years ago to about $40 today, marketers are rethinking—and restating—their green goals.
The effects of the crude oil price decline have been spectacularly fast by comparison and will be felt for years to come, noted Joel Houston, president, Colin A. Houston & Associates.
"First there was the NGL revolution that brought back USGC ethylene economics, and now we have a price war in crude oil that overturns our expectations of the last ten years of the crude oil product chain," he explained. "Our assumptions about biodiesel and vegetable oils as fuels have been blown away. The currency effects from the decline of commodity prices will bring a re-balance as devaluations like in the RMB/Yuan and MYR/Ringett may make some surfactant exports more competitive but dollar-denominated raw materials have also become more costly for them. The playing field has changed and the effects are to come."
Five years ago, P&G pledged to replace 25% of its petroleum-derived raw materials with renewable materials by 2020. But last year, the company revised that pledge, committing “to creating technologies by 2020 that would let P&G substitute its top petroleum-derived raw materials with renewable materials, as cost and scale permit.”
P&G executives explained that their researchers had developed a number of petroleum-based solutions, but after the bottom fell out on oil prices, those solutions proved to be too costly and too complex to expand on a global scale. As a result, to get to a full 25% substitution by 2020 would have hugely added costs either to P&G, its suppliers or the consumer. And when it comes to the consumer, P&G knows he or she refuses to pay more for products that are good for the environment.
Industry consultant Burns added that the demand-pull from China is gone and that may keep oil prices low for some time.
“It’s not 8-9% growth anymore. It may be 2-3% growth and that has taken the wind out of a lot of sails. So, barring a geopolitical upheaval, a rebound in crude in the near future is remote,” he said.
As Procter and other marketers grapple with the new realities in petroleum prices, suppliers say they have answers when it comes to green feedstocks. One of the newest is Dehyton AO 45, a high-performance algal betaine for use in home and personal care applications that was developed by BASF and Solazyme. According to the companies, Dehyton AO 45 is a high-performance alternative to amidopropyl betaine in products that require rich and gentle foam such as shampoos, hand soap, facial wash and body wash. BASF calls it the world’s first commercial, algal-derived betaine. Some of its attributes include: efficient salt response, effective viscosity builder, comparable foam profile to traditional betaine, quick solubility, cold processability and preservative-free.
Dehyton AO 45 is produced with Solazyme AlgaPur Microalgae Oils, which are made in a matter of days, using Solazyme’s highly controlled fermentation process to convert sugarcane into oils of the highest purity and performance. AlgaPur Microalgae Oils are produced with low carbon, water and land use impact, according to the companies.
Marketers show some willingness to try algae as a feedstock for household and personal care products. Ecover, for example, replaced some palm oil-based soap with an algal oil equivalent. According to industry experts, the project did not progress as hoped and Ecover pulled the plug on the plan. Elsewhere, Unilever put algal oil-based soaps into its Lux brand as part of a trial.
Baby steps, perhaps, but they demonstrate a desire on the part of finished product formulators to move away from petroleum, and even palm oil, in an effort to improve their ecological impact.
Croda’s been offering green solutions to its customers for years. The latest, in the US, came in April when the company broke ground for the first North American plant that will make 100% sustainable nonionic surfactants.
“This initiative will offer a solution to an age-old dilemma: performance or sustainability?” insisted Kevin Gallagher, president, personal care and actives, Croda Inc. “Formulators and consumers no longer need to choose. They will be able to have both. This first of its kind plant in North America, will produce materials that offer equivalent performance and sustainability.”
Operations are expected to commence in 2017.
And Lubrizol has invested in high-active sulfation to provide products that require less water to be shipped around the country and offer very low dioxane levels.
Outside the US, Burns advised Happi that the palm oil industry is exploring the viability of creating plantations in West Africa.
“Wilmar, KLK and others have established ventures in West Africa, where the climate is right and the environment is right,” he said. “They’ve run out of land in Malaysia, so it could be the answer. With that, and a growing population, Africa could be a nice emerging market for the industry.”
Emery Oleochemicals has been formulating products based on renewable resources for 175 years, and has expanded its eco-friendly solutions for home and personal care, said Piringer, who noted that the market is more accepting of RSPO-certified feedstocks.
“In response to this, we have expanded our facility to enable the commercial production of RSPO SG (fully segregated) and RSPO certified fatty alcohols and surfactants,” he said.
Emery launched Emersense, a range of RSPO-certified sodium lauryl ethersulphate with outstanding quality and especially low dioxane content, to meet increasing demand for lower dioxane levels and sodium laurylsulphate in needles and powder. Also new is Emerlux OW, a range of specially designed oil-in-water emulsion based systems. In addition to these basic emulsion bases, Emery offers unique and complex emulsion bases for specific cosmetic and personal care products, which deliver greater performance, economic benefits and sustainability. Ehmerex EH is a range of fatty acid esters derived from 2-ethylhexanol and palm-based fatty acids. Both Emerlux OW and Ehmerex EH are non-irritating, non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic and non-photo allergenic esters. They deliver a silky and soft skin feel, and are available in RSPO-certified grade.
All of these moves come at a time when consumers are having a bigger say in what products contain—and what they don’t.
“Customers are looking for other type of surfactants and not just the traditional ones with differentiated properties and performance. Awareness of sustainability is also a driver for this growth,” said Neil Barrientos, global marketing director, home and personal care, Solvay. “End users are more knowledgeable through media in general (including FaceBook, Twitter and Google) and the awareness of less aggressive products and more environmental respect is driving this growth.“
More Moves by Suppliers
In the past year, Solvay has taken a number of actions in the way of acquisitions, plant expansions and also investments in new regions, according to Barrientos. In 2014, Solvay acquired ERCA and Dhaymers in Brazil to expand its production capacity in the region and build a presence in the skin care market, too.
Solvay also invested in alkoxylation plants in Singapore and in the US to serve its customers with local production and also to expand its product portfolio for personal and home care.
“As part of Solvay’s investment plans and also to accompany our customers’ growth we’ve invested in a multipurpose plant in Germany and a recent investment in the Netherlands where Solvay has completed the acquisition of ERCA Emery Surfactant BV,” he said.
These moves are Solvay Novecare’s latest investment to expand its surfactant footprint.
“They complement the alkoxylation site in Italy and the new surfactant plant in Germany as well as the new surfactant plant in Brazil to support our customer’s development plans and further strengthen our partnerships with them,” explained Barrientos.
Univar recently entered into commercial agreements with Penford Products and Evonik Personal Care in the northeastern US. In July, Univar acquired Chemical Associates, a distributor of oleochemicals, including tall oil fatty acids, oleic acids and stearic acids. In November, the firm picked up D’Altomare Química, which expanded its footprint and capabilities in the Brazilian personal care market. Finally, in the US, Univar added technical specialists and account executives to the personal care and HI&I teams.
Air Products has undergone a reorganization that will enable its materials-related businesses to become more responsive to market needs, according to Fonseca.
During the past year, Colonial Chemical has hired three chemists and 10 additional personnel for the plant, installed four more reactors, as well as a finished goods warehouse. Colonial is counting on the specialty surfactant market, and in particular the green and mild surfactant market, to continue to be strong both domestically and internationally, Anderson told Happi.
“LATAM will continue to be an important area of growth for years to come because it is a growing and sophisticated marketplace, and we are very fortunate to have a technically-able and skilled partner in Vantage,” he added.
Lubrizol has invested in a state-of-the-art multi-purpose reactor in Brazil to produce a wide range of secondary surfactants and blends including Chembetaine betaines, Amidex amides and Chemoxide amine oxides, according to Kaltenbach.
Stepan, too, is betting on Latin America. It completed the purchase of the sulfonation production site in Bahia, Brazil from Procter & Gamble do Brazil. The facility has 30,000 metric tons of capacity.
According to the firm, this acquisition expands Stepan’s capabilities in Brazil, which is world’s fifth most populous country and has a growing middle class. As the country’s usage of laundry products transitions from soap bars to powders to liquids, surfactant use expands. Surfactants used in functional applications, including the large Brazilian agricultural industry, are also increasing.
“Brazil is a strategic priority for Stepan. This acquisition is synergistic with our existing Vespasiano, Brazil plant and provides an opportunity to serve the growing northeast of Brazil,” said Stepan.
The world can be a scary place right now, especially for companies deploying assets. But surfactant suppliers realize in this increasingly complex, global economy, it’s better to make moves rather than sit on the sidelines.
New Surfactant Ingredients
Air Products & Chemicals
Allentown, PA
Email: prodInfo@airproducts.com
Website: www.airproducts.com/clean
TomaDyne 108 Surfactant
Description: Formulated surfactant system
Applications: Water-based degreasing formulations for hard-surface cleaning
Use levels: 2-10%
BASF Corporation
Florham Park, NJ
Tel: 800-669-2273
Website: www.carecreations.basf.com/?utm_source=HAP&utm_medium=ContentMarketing&utm_campaign=HAP
Email: personal-care-na@basf.com
Dehyton AO 45
INCI: Capric/lauric/myristic/oleic amidopropyl betaine (from microalgae oil)
Applications: Shampoos, hand soap, facial wash, body wash
Use levels: 1%-10%
Comments: The first commercially available algal derived betaine
Colonial Chemical
South Pittsburg, TN
Tel: 423-837-8800
Email: david.anderson@colonialchem.com
Website: www.colonialchem.com/
PolySugaMulse D9
INCI: Sorbitan oleate decylglucoside crosspolymer
Uses: Fragrance solubilizer in all systems, perfumed waters, deodorants, skin care formulations, hair care products.
Comments: A PEG-free, nonionic fragrance solubilizer made from 100% bio- based raw materials. It is hydrophilic, freely soluble or dispersible in water, and soluble in varying degrees in organic liquids. SugaNate 160NC
INCI: Sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate
Uses: Sulfate-free shampoos, low and high-pH shampoos, bath gels and body washes, facial cleansers, baby cleansing products, personal care wipes and makeup removers, pet shampoos and non-irritating bubble baths.
Comments: SugaNate 160NC is a naturally-derived, high- performance surfactant that provides numer- ous advantages for a variety of formulations. Using SugaNate 160NC, formulators can start with a high-foaming product and build to preferred aesthetic properties without con- cerns of irritation to eyes and skin. SugaNate 160NC is also very low in toxicity and cost- effective when compared to other surfactants used in typical sulfate-free formulations. SugaNate 160NC is 100% natural carbon biobased, derived from natural materials.
ColaMoist 200
INCI: Hydroxypropyl bis-hydroxyethyldimonium chloride
Uses: Skin care products, creams, lotions, tonics, shower gels, sun care lotions, makeup products, foundations, lipsticks, shampoos, condition- ers, hair tonics, creams, health care lotions and other products.
Use levels: up to 3%
Comments: ColaMoist 200 is a highly ionized water soluble compound that enhances water bonding structures. It is highly hygroscopic at all humidities, attracting and binding water ex- tremely effectively, and provides a higher humidity protective gradient on both skin and hair to enhance moisturization.
Croda
Edison, NJ
Tel: 732-417-0800
Email: marketing-usa@croda.com
Website: www.crodapersonalcare.com
Trade name: Cithrol 10GTIS
Description: PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate
Applications: Body washes, shower gels, facial washes, skin cleansers, toners
Use levels: 5-30%
Comments: Cithrol 10GTIS creates advanced high performance microemulsion facial cleansers that are crystal clear, gentle to skin and easily rinsed with no oily residue. A highly effective and mild surfactant, Cithrol 10GTIS allows the formulation of crystal clear facial cleansers made up of oil and water in a microemulsion, maintaining the perfect hydro-lipophilic balance required for this type of high performance system. Cithrol 10GTIS can also be used to create simple oil cleansers, emulsifying cleansing oils on contact with water so they can be rinsed from skin with application of water. The microemulsion and oil cleansers are very effective at removing long wear and water proof makeup while leaving the skin feeling renewed, smooth and soft to the touch.
HallStar
Chicago, IL
Tel: 877.427.4255
Website: www.hallstar.com
Florasolvs PEG-10 Sunflower
INCI: PEG-10 Sunflower Glycerides
Suggested Use Level: 0.5–5%
Applications: Body washes, shower gels, facial scrubs, toners, shampoos
Comments: Water-dispersible liquid sunflower oil emolliency for water-based formulas. High-performance refatter that leaves skin feeling smooth and soft. Conditions hair. JP quasi-drug ingredient.
Florasolvs PEG-80 Jojoba
INCI: Jojoba Wax PEG-80 Esters
Suggested Use Level: 0.5–5%
Applications: Aftershaves, bath oils, colognes, cleansers, creams & lotions, nail care, shampoos, styling gels
Comments: Superior fragrance and essential oil solubilizer, secondary emulsifier, water-soluble source of jojoba emolliency with high slip, conditioner, cleanser.
RITA Corporation
Crystal Lake, IL
Tel: 815-337-2500
Email: info@ritacorp.com
Website: www.ritacorp.com
Ritafactant 138AN
INCI: Decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant 138LG
INCI: Lauryl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Comments: Naturally-derived, mild, and sulfate-free blends that utilize sodium lauroyl lactylate to boost foam, viscosity and improve moisturization. These blends work exceptionally well in shampoos, body washes, face washes and baby care products. A stable, dense foam comparable to many sulfated blends is the driving force behind the 138 blends. Perfectly suited as primary surfactants in a wide range of systems from pearlescent to clear.
Ritafactant 138AN
INCI: Decyl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant 138LG
INCI: Lauryl glucoside, sodium lauroyl lactylate
Ritafactant SCI-2
INCI: Cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium cocoyl isethionate
Comments: Mild, sulfate free surfactants used as both primary and secondary options for stabilizing systems and boosting foam. Amino and plant based surfactants gentle enough for daily use.
Solvay Inc
Cranbury, NJ
Tel: 609-860-4221
Email: neil.barrientos@solvay.com
Website: www.solvay.com
Rhodaterge TBC 290
Description: Mixture of surfactants
Applications: Toilet bowl cleaner
Use levels: 2 to 4%
Comments: Rhodaterge TBC 290 is a cost effective thickener for variety of highly acidic home, industrial and institutional cleaning formulations. In addition to the efficient viscosity building, Rhodaterge TBC 290 provides also, perfume solubilization and good stability, without necessity of any other additives. It is easily processable and does not need any heating or intense stirring.
Stepan Company
Northfield, IL
Tel: 800-745-7837
Email: techserv@stepan.com
Website: www.stepan.com/citri-met
Steposol Citri-Met
Description: a fully formulated cleaner concentrate, comprised of Steposol MET-10U, (n, n-dimethyl 9-decenamide), natural citrus terpenes, surfactant emulsifiers and sodium carbonate.
Applications: A wide range from household to industrial to institutional cleaners.
Use levels: 1-20%
Comments: A revolutionary fully formulated solution developed from Nobel Prize-winning metathesis chemistry, ecologically responsible citrus terpenes and emulsifiers. Diluted to a solution of 96% water, it surpasses the cleaning and solvency power of products containing up to 40% petroleum-based solvents and requires a low use level, less dwell time, and less mechanical action.
