South America possesses vast agricultural and livestock resources, and its industrialization process is continuously deepening. Nonylphenol Ethoxylate (NPE) series products play an irreplaceable role in enhancing resource processing efficiency and product quality due to their excellent penetration, emulsification, and dispersion properties, particularly in the following two traditional yet crucial sectors:

1. Industrial Aquaculture and Net Maintenance

Chile, Peru, and Ecuador have large salmon and shrimp farming industries. In open-net pen aquaculture, nets are highly susceptible to biofouling by algae, shellfish, and other organisms. This severely impedes water exchange, increases net weight and rupture risk, and affects fish health.

● Core Component of High-Efficiency Net Cleaners: Specialized cleaning agents using NPEs as the primary surfactant can effectively remove stubborn biofouling due to their strong penetration and stripping action. Their application significantly shortens net cleaning cycles, reduces labor and mechanical wear, ensures dissolved oxygen levels in the culture water, and is a key logistical support for maintaining smooth operations in high-density, industrial aquaculture.

● Auxiliary Emulsifier for Feed Fats: In the production of high-lipid aquatic feed, the addition of small amounts of these products promotes the uniform mixing of oils with other nutrients, improving the stability and palatability of feed pellets and supporting the growth of cultured animals.

2. The “Penetration Engine” in Leather Processing

Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil are globally renowned for their high-quality leather. In the complex process of transforming raw hides into finished leather, chemicals such as tanning agents, dyes, and fatliquors need to penetrate deeply and uniformly into the leather’s collagen fibers.

● Efficient Soaking and Tanning Aid: In initial stages like soaking and liming, NPEs rapidly wet and penetrate dry-salted hides, removing non-fibrous proteins and opening up pathways for subsequent treatments. During main tanning and retanning stages, they act as penetrants, significantly promoting the binding of chrome tannins, synthetic tannins, etc., with the hide fibers. This shortens process time, improves tanning uniformity, and yields more full and soft crust leather.

● Leveling and Dispersing Medium for Dyes and Fatliquors: In dyeing and fatliquoring processes, they help uniformly disperse hydrophobic dyes and oils in the treatment baths and promote their penetration into the leather, ensuring consistent color and hand feel in the finished leather, meeting the stringent quality requirements of high-end leather goods.