Dodecylbis(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium chloride

Dodecylbis(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium chloride (CAS 22340-01-8) is a quaternary ammonium compound functioning as a cationic surfactant with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. It delivers simultaneous biocidal, emulsifying, and surface-active performance across industrial and personal care applications. In water treatment, it controls microbial growth in cooling towers, industrial process water, and wastewater systems where biofilm formation is a persistent operational problem. Personal care formulators incorporate it into conditioning rinses and skin cleansers.

It is also used in preservative systems where cationic substantivity to hair and skin surfaces is commercially valuable. Textile and leather processors use it as an antistatic and softening agent during finishing operations, improving handle and reducing static charge. In industrial cleaning and printing applications, it supports degreasing formulations and ink-system maintenance where both surface wetting and microbial control are required simultaneously. This versatility makes it a staple in chemical manufacturing.

Dodecylbis(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium chloride is typically supplied as an aqueous solution, with active content concentrations commonly ranging from 50% to 80%. Technical grade is the standard offering for industrial water treatment and textile markets. Personal care applications may require higher-purity specifications with documented impurity profiles to meet formulation compliance requirements. The material is handled according to standard safety protocols for quaternary ammonium compounds.