3402.39.90.10 - Salts of sulfated alcohols

This HTS category, 3402.39.90.10, specifically covers salts derived from sulfated alcohols. These compounds are organic surface-active agents, characterized by the presence of both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and lipophilic (oil-attracting) portions, enabling them to reduce surface tension. They are widely used in various industrial and household cleaning formulations, as well as in other applications requiring emulsifying, wetting, or foaming properties. The "salts" designation refers to the ionic form, where the sulfate group is neutralized by a cation such as sodium, potassium, or ammonium.

It is important to distinguish this category from its siblings. HTS 3402.39.90.20 covers salts of sulfated polyethers, which are structurally different due to the presence of ether linkages in their backbone. The "Other" category at 3402.39.90.50 serves as a residual category for anionic organic surface-active agents that do not fit the specific definitions of sulfated alcohols or sulfated polyethers. Therefore, classification under 3402.39.90.10 relies on the absence of polyether structures and the presence of sulfated alcohol moieties in the salt form.

As this is a leaf node in the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification is determined at this level based on the precise chemical composition and the fact that the compound is a salt of a sulfated alcohol, fulfilling the requirements for anionic organic surface-active agents not otherwise specified in more granular headings.