Alkyl Polyglycosides

Alkyl polyglucosides or polyglycosides (APGs) are high-quality nonionic surfactants that provide an environmentally friendly and completely biodegradable alternative to nonyl phenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and alcohol ethoxylates.

Specialy surfactants such as APGs and NPEs have been developed for the purpose of cleaning. In the old days, the term "lye soap" applied to any fat treated with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to yield a water soluble fatty acid salt - the earliest surfactant. Washing clothes and hands with a salt was effective from a cleaning standpoint, but not the best for tough grease stains and definitely not friendly to the skin.

With advanced science comes better detergent materials. Alcohol ethoxylates and nonyl phenol ethoxylates have been used extensively in cleaning products due to their chemical versatility and abundant supply. They are both found in products intended for household cleaning, industrial and institutional detergents, metalworking, textile and leather processing, emulsion polymerisation, paints and coatings, oil and gas exporation and production, agriculture, and production of pulp and paper.