Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) is the common name for ammonium dodecyl sulfate (CH
3(CH
2)
10CH
2OSO
3NH
4). The dodecyl signifies the presence of a 12-member carbon chain in the molecular backbone which allows the molecule to bond with non-polar portions of molecules while the highly polar sulfate head allows the molecule to bond with polar molecules such as water. ALS is classified as an
alkyl sulfate and is an
anionic surfactant found primarily in
shampoos and body-wash as a foaming agent. Lauryl sulfates are very high-foam
surfactants that disrupt the
surface tension of water in part by forming
micelles around the highly
polar water molecules at the surface-air interface.