A new commercial surfactant derived from microalgae oil has been launched to market by BASF and Solazyme Inc, the first of its kind. A high performance algal betaine for use in home and personal care, it is being marketed as an alternative to amidopropyl betaine in products that require foam, such as shampoos and liquid soaps.

Made from renewable microalgae oil, the algae betaine surfactant has been commercialised by BASF under the trade name Dehyton A0 45. Thanks to their vast benefits, amidopropyl betaines are increasingly being used in cosmetic, toiletries and home care applications. Benefits include good detergency, good foam properties and foam stabilisation, hard water compatibility, mildness to skin and hair, ability to reduce irritation of anionic systems, viscosity building, conditioning effect, stability at a broad range of pH, and great biodegradability.

“Consumer demand for sustainable and innovative surfactants has increased significantly, particularly in the home and personal care markets,” said Josef Koester, Director Marketing Home and Personal Care, Sustainability Care Chemicals, BASF North America. “Combining BASF’s chemistry expertise with Solazyme’s unique range of renewable microalgae oils allows us to deliver products that meet this demand.”

The surfactant is created with Solazyme AlgaPūr Microalgae Oils, which are themselves created by Solazyme using a highly controlled fermentation process to convert sugarcane into oils of the highest purity and performance.