Revolutionising the world of cleaning with glycolipid biosurfactants

A leading initiative by Evonik.

Surfactants play an indispensable role in our daily lives. They are integral to a wide array of personal and household products, serving as essential components for cleansing, foaming, emulsifying, solubilizing, and conditioning. Yet, traditional surfactants present sustainability and safety challenges. Evonik, a pioneer in the field, has developed a groundbreaking platform of sustainable glycolipid biosurfactants, encompassing sophorolipids and rhamnolipids. These biosurfactants offer exceptional cleaning capabilities, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low ecological toxicity. Evonik stands as the first company to manufacture rhamnolipids in commercial quantities, effectively addressing the escalating demand for safe and sustainable biosurfactants.  

The Challenge of Sustainability  

In today’s consumer landscape, there is a growing concern about the sustainability and safety of products. Particularly in personal and home care markets, there is a strong desire for natural and mild ingredients sourced responsibly.  

The Role of Surfactants  

Surfactants are fundamental to numerous personal and home care applications, ranging from laundry detergents, shampoos, and body cleansers to lubricants, pharmaceuticals, and crop protection products. They serve as core ingredients, fulfilling vital functions such as cleansing, foaming, and solubilization.  

Issues with Traditional Surfactants  

Traditional surfactants excel in various applications but often exhibit poor biodegradability, posing a threat to ecosystems and water systems. Some traditional surfactants can also cause skin irritation and other health concerns. Moreover, these surfactants are typically petrochemical-based or derived from overexploited commodity oil crops.  

The Biosurfactant Solution  

One viable solution to these issues is replacing traditional surfactants with biosurfactants. These natural surfactants are generated through biotechnology. Biosurfactants, particularly glycolipids, offer a more sustainable alternative.  

Glycolipids as Biosurfactants  

Glycolipids, typically found in microorganism cell membranes, can be produced through natural fermentation processes using renewable resources. They feature nature-identical molecules, ensuring excellent biocompatibility, high biodegradability, and minimal ecological toxicity. Glycolipid-based personal and home care applications are both effective and mild, making them attractive to consumers and personal care manufacturers seeking natural, mild, and sustainable products.  

Evonik’s Glycolipid Biosurfactant Platform  

As a leader in glycolipid technologies, Evonik has developed an extensive portfolio of next-generation glycolipids that meet the highest sustainability, gentleness, and functionality standards. These eco-friendly glycolipids are produced through bio-fermentation, boasting a low carbon footprint and utilizing a responsibly sourced 100% renewable feedstock. They excel in foaming, cleansing, and solubilization, making them ideal for personal care products such as shampoo and shower gel, as well as home care applications like hand dishes, hard surface cleaning, and laundry.  

Sophorolipids – The First Glycolipids for Cosmetics and Cleaning  

Sophorolipids are produced through yeast fermentation and occur naturally in substances like bumblebee honey. They are derived industrially from sugar and rapeseed oil, offering mildness to the skin and eyes. Evonik’s SOPHANCE® LA-A, an acidic-rich sophorolipid, delivers exceptional cleansing performance, skin-friendliness, and rinsability, making it suitable for various personal care applications.  

Rhamnolipids – The Next Generation in Cleaning and Cosmetics  

Rhamnolipids consist of rhamnose and fatty acids and are produced by certain microorganisms. Evonik has developed these rhamnolipids using a safe bacterium strain and sugar feedstock, resulting in biodegradable, skin-friendly, and highly effective surfactants. REWOFERM® RL 100, a rhamnolipid product, offers exceptional cleaning properties, foaming, and wetting power, making it ideal for a range of applications, including laundry detergents and industrial cleaners.  

Commercial Quantities of Rhamnolipids  

Evonik’s innovative biotechnological process has enabled the production of rhamnolipids in commercial quantities. A substantial investment has led to the establishment of the world’s first rhamnolipid manufacturing plant, addressing the soaring market demand for sustainable biosurfactants.  

Safety and Sustainability  

Evonik places a strong emphasis on safety and sustainability, providing comprehensive information on glycolipids’ health risks and lifecycle impacts. These glycolipids exhibit low aquatic toxicity and 100% biodegradability under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.  

Benefits of Evonik’s Glycolipids  

• Perceived consumer and community value  
• High efficacy and versatility in applications  
• Biodegradability and low aquatic toxicity  
• Utilisation of renewable plant-based feedstocks  
• Diversification of feedstocks for flexibility  
• Carbon-optimised processes/products  

Transparency with Toolboxes  

Evonik offers two toolboxes designed for the personal and home care industries, providing full transparency on the sustainability and safety characteristics of glycolipids.  

• Caretain® toolbox: Offers dynamic information about Evonik’s cosmetics product portfolio to track sustainability characteristics.  
• Cleantain® toolbox: Offers dynamic information about Evonik’s cleaning product portfolio to track sustainability characteristics.  

With Evonik’s glycolipid biosurfactants, the cleaning revolution has just begun. Evonik aims to create a platform of commercially available sustainable biosurfactants, ushering in an era of safe and sustainable chemicals across a wide range of applications.