US-based Sironix Renewables has declared the successful completion of pilot-scale production trials for its lauroyl furan sulphonate anionic surfactant – branded as Furasoft‑LFS – using the falling film air SO3 reactor technology of Italy-based Ballestra.
The campaign confirmed that Ballestra’s reactor platform can manufacture high-purity, low-colour surfactants at commercially attractive operating conditions at the same time as maintaining performance attributes needed for high-end personal care applications.
“When we generated the Furasoft personal care line, our aim was to support companies meet developing demand for high-performing products that are milder, more sustainable,” stated Mr. Christoph Krumm, CEO and co-founder of Sironix Renewables. “Obtaining this level of purity and colour in a expandable air SO3 sulphonation method confirms that vision and marks a primary milestone in the commercialisation of Furasoft sulphonate surfactants. Our collaboration with the Ballestra team permitted us to leverage its technology platform to manufacture surfactant that met or surpassed our prior overall performance specifications whilst also showing the potential for advanced production economics.”
Mr. Alberto Travaglini, business unit director, Soap, Detergents & Surfactants, Ballestra, stated the successful pilot campaign confirmed the flexibility of Ballestra’s multitube falling film reactor technology in allowing the manufacturing of revolutionary, high-quality surfactants while maintaining tremendous product performance and process efficiency.
Using the advanced multitube falling film reactor, the demonstration confirmed that the pilot-scale sulphonation process can deliver sulphate-free, dioxane-free and amine-free fatty acid furan sulphonate surfactants with excellent foam generation, exceptional mildness and sturdy tolerance to both hard water and cold water conditions. The Ballestra platform also obtained considerably advanced product high-quality and yield relative to formerly analyzed sulphonation methods, with minimal degradation and negligible byproduct formation showed through analytical testing; NMR analysis confirmed structural integrity across the tested operating conditions.
Key consequences from the pilot campaign included high-quality sulphonate purity with negligible byproducts; product colour meeting goal specifications for personal care use; stable pH and active content over about 6 months of storage; high foam generation and mild cleaning performance; sturdy compatibility with hard water and cold water; and 100% biobased USDA Biopreferred certification.
Conducted in November 2025 at 40°C, the production demonstration analyzed multiple mild and scalable operating conditions and also showed the successful recovery of high-purity unconverted lauroyl furan feedstock for recycling.
The surfactant is formed to be used in shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers and other personal-care applications where foam quality, mildness and method flexibility are important. Following the a successful pilot campaign, Sironix plans to keep optimisation work targeted on improving yield, refining post-processing processes, and expanding consumer sampling programmes in the US and global markets.
