The alcohol ether carboxylate (AEC) with molecular formula of R-(CH₂CH₂O)_nOCH₂COOX(H), is a new functional an-nonionic surfactant developed during the research of 9th Five-Year National Science and Technology Plan. AEC has excellent solubility in water and extremely strong ability of calcium soap dispersion. It remains stable not only in hardwater, acidic/alkali/electrolyte solution, but at high temperature or to hypochlorous acid/peroxide. Meanwhile, AEC is non-toxic, mild to skin and eyes as well as biodegradable; the degradation rate by OECD test is 98%. Addition of AEC may significantly improve the safety of the formula. AEC is applicable in daily chemical and industrial fields such as textile printing, aqueous metal cutting fluid, tertiary oil recovery, crude oil dilivering, developing solution, and so on.

There are two types of AEC products. One is the AEC produced through carboxymethylation, the other is by catalytic oxidation. Particularly, the catalyticly oxidized AEC is free of (sodium) chloroacetic acid, reaching the cosmetic level, can be used in personal care, cosmetics and infant washing products.