sulfates are well known and represent one of the first classes of detergents ever synthesized. Most uses of those compounds exploit their surface-active properties. They contain both hydrophillic and hydrophobic portions within the molecule, and the capability for alteration of those properties allows the tailoring of a given sulfate to answer a desired application. the sulfates thus offer an attractive surfactant base, both for economic reasons and for the variability essential to the specific needs of the formulator