Microemulsions formed with palm oil-based materials as all-purpose spray liquid cleaners for hard surfaces

This article describes the formation of microemulsions by utilising fatty acid methyl esters (fame) and a surfactant or mixed surfactant system derived from palm oil-based oleochemicals. the effects of 1,2 hexanediol as a conventional non-toxic co-surfactant were investigated by observing the ternary phase behaviour of palm oil-based microemulsions for three types of surfactant systems,i.e.,fatty alcohol ethoxylates 7eo (fae 7); mixed surfactants fae 7 and fatty alcohol ethoxylates 2eo (fae 2) in a 75:25 ratio; and mixed surfactants fae 7,fae 2 and methyl ester sulphonate (mes) in a 60:20:20 ratio. the microemulsion (μe) solutions formed were characterised by conductivity,viscosity and droplet-size measurements. the cleaning performance of selected palm oil-based microemulsions as all-purpose spray liquid cleaners for hard surfaces is also reported.