Partners Unveil Biobased Surfactant

Elevance, which creates building block molecules via olefin metathesis, and partner Stepan Co. , a surfactant maker, have developed a high-performance surfactant derived from natural oils that they say can replace alkaline degreasers and solvents in products including household cleaners, adhesive removers, and paint strippers. The product, called Steposol MET-10U, is the first product to come out of a collaboration that began in 2010. The two firms say the surfactant, used in low concentration, can replace solvents such as N-methylpyrrolidone and methylene chloride.