Cetethe

Cetethe are the polyoxyethylene ethers of cetyl alcohol.

Polyalkylene glycol ethers, also known as fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, are non-ionic surfactants whose lipophilic part consists of fatty alcohols (e.g. lauryl alcohol, palmitic alcohol, stearyl alcohols, etc.). The hydrophilic part forms short-chain polyethylene glycols (polyoxyethylene). In the designation of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, the inserted numbering indicates the average number of ethylene oxide units per mole. Ceteth-10 is the INCI designation for Ceteth-10 polyoxyethylene, a polyoxyethylene ether with 10 ethylene oxide units per mole.

Representatives are: Ceteth-1 to Ceteth-6, Ceteth-10, Ceteth-12, Ceteth-14, Ceteth-15, Ceteth-16, Ceteth-20, Ceteth-25, Ceteth-30. They act as surfactants.