A‑TEN: The Nonionic Surfactant Behind Cleaner Clothes and Shinier Dishes

In every liquid detergent, textile wash and dishwash gel, there is one ingredient quietly doing the heavy lifting: the surfactant.

Among the different surfactant types, nonionic surfactants are favourites for modern formulators because they combine strong cleaning with broad compatibility.

A‑TEN is Anant Chem’s dedicated nonionic surfactant, designed to perform in a wide range of home‑care and textile applications. It is especially suited for liquid detergent, textile and liquid dishwash formulations, where consistent cleaning and process stability are essential.

What Makes A‑TEN a Nonionic Workhorse?

Nonionic surfactants have no electrical charge on their hydrophilic part. This gives them several practical advantages in real‑world formulations:

• Good performance across different pH ranges

  
  

• Lower sensitivity to hard water and electrolytes

  
  

• Excellent wetting, emulsifying and detergency properties

  
  

• High compatibility with anionic, cationic and other nonionic surfactants

Thanks to this behaviour, A‑TEN can be used both as a primary surfactant and as a powerful co‑surfactant to boost cleaning, wetting and stability in complex systems.

Key Application Areas of A‑TEN

1. Liquid Detergent Formulations

In household and institutional liquid detergents, A‑TEN helps the wash liquor quickly wet the fabric and loosen soils. It supports:

• Better removal of oily and particulate stains

  
  

• Stable foam profile as per formulation design

  
  

• Enhanced synergy with anionic bases commonly used in detergents

Because it works well alongside builders, solvents and other auxiliaries, A‑TEN makes it easier to balance performance, mildness and cost‑effectiveness in liquid laundry products.

2. Textile and Pre‑Treatment Systems

Textile processing often begins with removing natural and processing‑related impurities. A‑TEN is well suited for:

• Scouring and pre‑treatment baths

  
  

• Wetting and cleaning of cotton and blends before dyeing

  
  

• Supporting more uniform absorption of dyes and finishes

Using A‑TEN in the preparation stage contributes to cleaner substrates and more reproducible fabric quality in later processes.

3. Liquid Dishwash and Hard‑Surface Cleaners

In the kitchen, consumer expectations are simple: quick grease‑cutting, easy rinsing and a pleasant hand feel. A‑TEN plays a key role here by:

• Emulsifying fats and food residues

  
  

• Helping formulations remove tough, sticky soils from dishes and surfaces

  
  

• Working in combination with other surfactants to fine‑tune foam and sensory profile

This makes A‑TEN a strong option in liquid dishwash and related hard‑surface cleaning products.

Formulation Benefits for R&D and Production

Beyond cleaning performance, a surfactant must also behave well during manufacturing and storage. A‑TEN offers several formulation‑friendly characteristics described in its Technical Data Sheet:

• It is supplied in a form that is easy to handle, pump and dose in typical plant conditions.

  
  

• It blends smoothly with common detergent and textile auxiliaries, allowing simple incorporation into existing bases.

  
  

• It supports stable products when used within recommended guidelines, helping to minimise separation, haziness or unexpected viscosity shifts.

These properties can reduce development time and troubleshooting efforts for formulation chemists and production teams.

A‑TEN and the Shift to Smarter, Safer Cleaning

Global trends in cleaning chemistry are moving toward:

• Lower wash temperatures

  
  

• Higher concentration products

  
  

• Better environmental and safety profiles

Nonionic surfactants are central to this shift because they enable effective cleaning even under milder conditions and can be tailored for improved biodegradability and reduced irritation in final formulations.

A‑TEN has been developed with these expectations in mind, giving formulators a reliable building block as they redesign portfolios for the next generation of detergents, textile auxiliaries and dishwash products.

How to Start Working With A‑TEN

If you are developing or upgrading:

• Liquid laundry detergents

  
  

• Textile scouring or pre‑treatment systems

  
  

• Liquid dishwash and other home‑care cleaners

A‑TEN can serve as a central nonionic surfactant in your formulation strategy.

Next steps:

Review the A‑TEN Technical Data Sheet (TDS) for detailed guidance on usage, compatibility and handling.

Conduct lab trials in your base formulations, adjusting the surfactant blend to reach the desired foam, cleaning and rheology profile.

Validate performance under real use conditions that match your target market.

For more information, samples or technical support, please contact the Anant Chem team via the website.