The Independent Commodity and Intelligence Services (ICIS) announced Stepan Company as the winner the 2021 Sustainability Award for our latest sustainable hair conditioning agent, STEPANQUAT® Soleil. Our BIO-SOFT® LFS technology for home, industrial and institutional cleaning was also shortlisted for the ICIS Innovation Award.
Stepan Company Wins the 2021 ICIS Surfactants Sustainability Award
May 26, 2021
The ICIS Surfactants Awards recognize and reward companies paving the way in product, process and sustainability innovations in our industry. Entries to the ICIS Surfactants Awards are judged by a specially chosen panel of leading industry experts. They are looking for innovative projects that solve problems and provide solutions for companies, their customers and society at large, as well as benefitting the environment and progressing sustainability.
“A sincere thank you to the ICIS committee and our fellow industry members. [Stepan Company is] honored to receive this prestigious sustainability award,” said Jason Keiper, Stepan Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer.
Click the drop-down menus below to read more on STEPANQUAT Soleil and BIO-SOFT LFS.
Stepan understands that consumers today demand clean label products that are sustainable and do not compromise on performance. STEPANQUAT Soleil is a sustainable and safe solution for this growing market.
STEPANQUAT Soleil’s patented technology is derived from a non-GMO sunflower seed oil and contains no water, hazardous solvents or preservatives. It is 100% active and fits the rising need for concentrated ingredients that optimize transportation and handling. It is liquid in form and decreases the need for heating, thus reducing energy use in processing. It also provides a longer lasting effect on the hair than traditional conditioning ingredients, such as behentrimonium chloride.
STEPANQUAT Soleil also speaks to our larger sustainability goals at Stepan. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, we are committed to advancing greater societal goals within our areas of impact. We are targeting 80% of our global R&D investment to sustainable processes and products by 2023.
Download our STEPANQUAT Soleil Brochure to learn more.
Hard surface cleaners are notorious for leaving behind a residue from surfactants and other component, along with unremoved soils. Nonionic surfactants are particularly prone to film/streak issues, so they tend to be used sparingly in hard surface cleaning formulations. Yet, they are readily available within the market.
To address this formulation challenge, a strategic group of Stepan scientists with diverse technical and application experience, brainstormed and screened a large number of molecules, studied their behavior and related it to their molecular structure to understand what drives good and bad filming/streaking, as well as cleaning performance.
The result of these studies is two high-active alkoxylates — BIO-SOFT LFS-04 and BIO-SOFT LFS-07 – that help solve a formulator’s challenge with cleaning and low film/streak performance.
Both products can be used in a variety of household, industrial and institutional cleaning applications, and can be used on glass, ceramic, vinyl and metal surfaces. BIO-SOFT LFS-04 is ideal for average soil loads on glossy or glass surfaces; perfect for low-active, high-dilution products like floor and glass cleaners. BIO-SOFT LFS-07 is ideal for use in products formulated for heavier soil loads such as kitchen degreasers.
Download the Low Film/Streak Brochure to learn more.