CO₂ Surfactants Impress in Next-Generation Rinse Aid Formulations 

At Econic Technologies, we’re focused on helping the surfactants industry transition away from fossil carbon without compromising performance. 

As consumers’ sustainability expectations increase across household and industrial cleaning markets, formulators are under growing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of their products while still meeting demanding technical performance. That’s why we recently evaluated our CO₂-based Recreaire® surfactants in automatic dishwashing rinse aid formulations, benchmarking them directly against high-performing industry-standard low-foaming nonionic surfactants. 

The results show that Recreaire can deliver rinse aid performance on par with conventional benchmarks while enabling lower-carbon, more flexible formulation strategies. 

Performance comparable to industry standards 

In neutral rinse aid systems, Recreaire matched benchmark performance and delivered visibly clean glassware. In acidic formulations, performance was shown to be close to conventional surfactants, confirming applicability across the pH ranges typically used in commercial rinse aids. 

These results highlight Recreaire’s capabilities in demanding rinse aid applications, where low foam, effective wetting, non-gelling and low viscosity, and thermal stability at low use levels are essential, particularly in hard water conditions

Recreaire stands up to the industry benchmark in a neutral formulation 

Built-in formulation flexibility 

Beyond performance, we also explored formulation design options to support real-world product development. 

Recreaire systems formed clear dispersions when hydrotropes were included, while viable hydrotrope-free formulations were also demonstrated. This gives formulators flexibility to optimize clarity, cost structure, and formulation simplicity depending on product requirements—an increasingly important consideration as brands look to streamline ingredient lists, formulation economics, and build more resilient supply chains. 

“Rinse aids are a demanding application for nonionic surfactants, requiring low foam, effective wetting, and thermal stability at low use levels,” says Dr Anthea Blackburn, Surfactants Technical Director at Econic Technologies. “These results show that CO₂-based surfactants can perform in real formulations today, while giving formulators flexibility in how they design their systems.”

Lower-carbon surfactants designed for scale 

Meeting performance demand is only part of the story. 

Recreaire surfactants are biodegradable, feature ultra-low 1,4-dioxane content (<0.25 ppm), and are compatible with existing alkoxylation infrastructure, making integration into current manufacturing processes more straightforward. 

Life cycle assessment indicate that Recreaire surfactants can deliver approximately 50% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with the industrial surfactant used in the benchmark formulation. Unlike many bio-based surfactants derived from agricultural feedstocks, Recreaire uses captured CO₂ as a renewable carbon source; avoiding competition with food systems while supporting more resilient supply chains. 

Expanding CO₂-based surfactants across cleaning applications 

Rinse aids represent just one of several household and industrial cleaning applications we’re developing for Recreaire. 

We continue to work closely with formulators and brand owners to expand performance data and accelerate adoption of CO₂-based surfactants across broader product categories. As the industry moves toward more sustainable alternatives, these early formulation results show that renewable carbon surfactants are no longer theoretical, they’re beginning to prove their place in real-world systems. 

We’ll be sharing more application insights as development continues. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This article was written by Simon Bennett,  Econic’s Commercial Director for Surfactants. Simon has nearly 30 years of experience in the chemical sector and has helped formulators and brand owners choose surfactants for a wide range of applications, with a special focus on the home and personal care industries. To contact Simon, click here.