Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt (Sodium 2-butyl-1-naphthalenesulfonate), CAS 25638-17-9, also known as Pelex NB, NekalBX, is an anionic surfactant. Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt is widely applied in multiple industrial and production fields. Let’s take a look at this product from the following aspects.
Basic information
Product name: Butylnaphtalenesulfonic Acid Sodium Salt
Molecular formula: C14H15NaO2S
Molecular weight: 286.32
Other aliases: Pelex NB; NekalBX; sodium butylnaphthalenesulfonate; Butylnaphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt; Sodium 2-butyl-1-naphthalenesulfonate; Sodium 4-butylnaphthalene-1-sulfonate
Appearance: Off-white or slightly yellowish powder.
Solubility: Readily soluble in water.
Stability: Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt is relatively stable to acids, bases and hard water. When the solid is heated to 110℃, it does not dissolve but carbonizes and releases alkaline vapor.
Performance features
Sodium butylnaphthalene sulfonate (CAS 25638-17-9) is an excellent anionic surfactant with outstanding penetrating, wetting, emulsifying, diffusing and foaming properties. Sodium 4-butylnaphthalene-1-sulfonate performs well in terms of acid resistance, alkali resistance, hard water resistance and inorganic salt resistance. Adding a small amount of table salt can significantly increase its penetrating power.
Excellent permeability
The combination of “butyl hydrophobic chain + naphthalene ring + sodium sulfonate hydrophilic group” in the molecular structure can quickly penetrate the gaps or waxy layers on the surfaces of solid materials such as fibers, fabrics, and pigment particles. Especially in scenarios like textile desizing and pesticide spraying, sodium 2-butyl-1-naphthalenesulfonate can significantly shorten the penetration time of the treatment solution (for example, in textile processes, butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt can allow the scouring solution to penetrate the inner layer of the fabric within 1-3 minutes). Moreover, after adding a small amount of salt, the penetration power can be further enhanced by 30% to 50%, which is its unique advantage over other penetrants.
High wettability
Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt can quickly spread water or aqueous solutions on hydrophobic surfaces (such as fabric fibers, crop leaves, and pigment surfaces) to form a uniform wetting film, avoiding the “droplet agglomeration” phenomenon – for example, in the papermaking industry, NekalBX can evenly disperse pulp fibers in water, reducing the uniformity defects of paper caused by fiber agglomeration. In coatings, Pelex NB can help the base material wet the pigment particles, laying the foundation for subsequent dispersion.
Good emulsifying and dispersing properties
Emulsifying property: NekalBX can stably disperse the oil phase (such as pesticide active ingredients, rubber monomers) in the aqueous phase to form a uniform emulsion (for example, after diluting pesticide emulsifiable concentrate with water, sodium 2-butyl-1-naphthalenesulfonate can maintain for more than 4 hours without stratification).
Dispersibility: Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt has a good dispersing and stabilizing effect on solid particles (such as dyes and paint pigments), and can prevent particle agglomeration. For example, in dyeing and printing, it can keep dye particles at a uniform particle size of 1-5μm, avoiding the occurrence of “color streaky” during dyeing.
Moderate foaming property
During the stirring or flowing process, a certain amount of foam will be produced. The foam can assist in suspending solid particles (such as fillers in papermaking), but the foam stability is moderate (it is not easy to produce “dead bubbles” that are difficult to eliminate), and there is no need to add a large amount of defoamer later. Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt takes into account both “suspension assistance” and “convenience of subsequent treatment”.
Main uses
1. Textile printing and dyeing field (core application field)
This is the main application scenario of butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt, which mainly functions as a penetrant, wetting agent and dyeing assistant:
Pretreatment process: Added during the desizing, scouring, carbonization, flocking, chlorination and other processes of fabrics, sodium 4-butylnaphthalene-1-sulfonate can quickly reduce the surface tension of water, allowing the treatment liquid (such as desizing liquid, scouring liquid) to efficiently penetrate into the interior of fabric fibers, improving the removal efficiency of impurities (such as sizing, wax), and at the same time avoiding defects in fabrics due to uneven treatment.
Dyeing/printing process: As a dye co-solvent and co-dyeing agent, Pelex NB can improve the solubility and dispersion of dyes in water, help dyes adhere evenly to fibers, reduce color streaking and color difference problems, and is especially suitable for dyeing natural fibers such as cotton and linen, as well as blended fabrics.
Post-treatment process: Assist functional finishing agents (such as anti-wrinkle agents and softeners) in penetrating to ensure that the finishing effect evenly covers the fabric.
2. The field of coatings, inks and adhesives
Mainly used as a dispersant:
In the production of paints, water-based coatings and inks, the addition of sodium butylnaphthalene sulfonate can evenly disperse pigments (such as titanium dioxide and carbon black) and fillers in the base material, prevent pigment agglomeration, improve the stability, color uniformity and leveling of coatings/inks, and at the same time avoid sedimentation and stratification during storage.
In the preparation of adhesives, butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt can improve the dispersion effect of resins and fillers, and enhance the bonding strength and stability of adhesives.
3. Papermaking industry
As a wetting agent and dispersant:
In the pulp preparation stage, butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt helps chemical agents (such as bleaching agents, cooking agents) quickly penetrate into the pulp fibers, improving the processing efficiency;
During the paper forming process, butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt 25638-17-9 improves the dispersibility of fibers and fillers (such as calcium carbonate, talcum powder), reduces fiber agglomeration, and enhances the uniformity, strength and surface smoothness of the paper.
4. Pesticide field
As a pesticide additive (penetrant, emulsifier) :
When added in the preparation of emulsions or aqueous solutions of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, Pelex NB can enhance the wetting and penetration ability of the liquid medicine on the surface of crops (or the surface of weeds and pests), break the waxy layer of the crop epidermis, enable the active ingredients to enter the target more quickly, improve the utilization rate and control effect of pesticides, and at the same time reduce the waste caused by the “rolling off” of the liquid medicine.
5. Other industrial and daily chemical fields
Rubber industry: Sodium 2-butyl-1-naphthalenesulfonate serves as an emulsifier in the preparation of rubber pastes (such as natural rubber and synthetic rubber latex), helping rubber particles to be evenly dispersed in water, enhancing the stability of the latex, and facilitating subsequent processing (such as coating and molding).
In the field of daily chemicals: Butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt is used in small amounts in detergent and cleaning agent formulas to assist in enhancing the decontamination ability. Or it can be used as an emulsifier in some cosmetics (such as lotions and creams) to improve the uniformity and stability of the product texture.
We are a professional manufacturer of chemical raw materials and have been engaged in the production of butylnaphtalenesulfonic acid sodium salt for nearly twenty years. If you have the need for this product, please contact us at any time.
Post time: Sep-17-2025