Polyethylene glycol tetradecyl ether

Polyethylene glycol tetradecyl ether (CAS 27306-79-2), commercially recognized as Myreth, is a nonionic surfactant produced by ethoxylating tetradecyl alcohol.

Where is Polyethylene glycol tetradecyl ether used?

• Personal care and cosmetics: emulsifier, wetting agent and detergent; stabilises oil-in-water emulsions in lotions, creams and conditioning products
• Household and industrial cleaning: reduces surface tension and improves soil removal from hard surfaces and fabrics
• Textile processing: wetting and scouring agent for uniform dye penetration and fibre preparation
• Leather and paper manufacturing: surface modification and dispersing during wet processing
• The ethoxylation degree is selected to match the required HLB value.

Good to know: Common commercial grades are differentiated by the number of ethylene oxide units, typically ranging from Myreth-3 to Myreth-10; the EO count is specified in the technical product documentation. Lower EO variants tend toward waxy solids while higher EO grades remain fluid at ambient temperature.

Commercial specifications

• Common commercial grades differentiated by ethylene oxide units, typically Myreth-3 to Myreth-10