Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate
- Nonionic surfactants
- CAS 84133-50-6
- IUPAC: Alcohols, C11-14-iso-, C13-rich, ethoxylated
Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate (CAS 84133-50-6) appears in 1 of the 1,812 car-care products CarCareTruth tracks (as of June 2026). It is readily biodegradable.
Low mammalian toxicity. May cause mild skin and eye irritation at concentrate concentrations. At product use dilutions, health hazard is minimal. No respiratory sensitizer or carcinogen classification.
Secondary alcohol ethoxylates (SAE) are nonionic surfactants made from branched C11-C14 alcohols that are ethylene oxide-condensed. They function as wetting agents and emulsifiers in aqueous formulas. In leather care sprays they help disperse the conditioning oils and silicones into the water phase.
The branched structure makes them more readily biodegradable than their linear counterparts but also gives them moderate aquatic toxicity at higher concentrations. In finished products at typical 0.1-2% concentrations, risk to aquatic environments is low when properly disposed of.
Health & environment profile
- VOC
- no
- Prop 65 listed
- no
- Asthmagen
- no
- EPA Safer Choice
- no
- Aquatic toxicity
- yes
- Biodegradable
- yes
- Bioaccumulative
- no
- Persistent
- no
- Ozone depleting
- no
- Microplastic
- no
- PFAS
- no
- Env. score
- 3/5
Common questions about Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate
- What is Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate used for in car care?
- Nonionic surfactant, wetting agent, emulsifier in aqueous cleaning and conditioning formulas
- Is Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate a VOC?
- No. Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate is not classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC).
- Is Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate on California's Proposition 65 list?
- No. Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate is not on California's Proposition 65 list.
- Is Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate biodegradable?
- Yes. Secondary Alcohol Ethoxylate has a confirmed biodegradable profile.
1 product contain this
Griot's Garage Leather 3-in-1 SprayProp 65leather-care
Related
Health and environment notes translate the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet, the GHS classification, and authoritative regulatory listings (California Prop 65, EPA). Not medical advice. They describe the ingredient itself; whether a hazard applies to a finished product depends on its concentration and how it's used.