CatOnium quaternary ammonium salts are cationic surfactants with extensive use in fabric softening, hair care formulations, disinfectants, organoclays, and as phase transfer catalysts.

Three household product types are manufactured by the use of CatOnium quaternary ammonium salts: rinse cycle softeners; tumbler dryer sheets; and detergent containing softeners. Typical rinse cycle softeners contain 3-8% CatOnium salts. When used in tumble dryer sheets, the major role of CatOnium salts next to the softening effect is to prevent static charge build up on the clothes during drying and wear. CatOnium salts are also incorporated in detergents when they are mixed with the other ingredients. The major benefits of such detergents are fabric softening, ease of ironing and prevention of build up of static charge on the clothes.

CatOnium salts are also used as active ingredients in hare care formulations such as creme rinses and shampoo conditioners. They provide reduction of combing forces, increased hair luster, and improved antistatic properties.

Sanitation products are widely formulated by using CatOnium quaternary ammonium salts. Compared to other sanitizing chemicals such as phenols, organohalides and organomercurials, CatOnium salts are less irritating, have very low odor, and retain long activity. Disinfectants and sanitizers containing CatOnium salts are used in food and diary industry for sanitization of the processing equipment, hospitals, public buildings, cooling water applications, restaurants, food shops etc.

Modification of clays with CatOnium salts where the adsorbed cation is displaced by the quaternary ammonium salts results organo-modified clay that can be wet by organic liquids. Organoclays of this types are used as viscosity modifiers of nonaqueous liquids such as drilling fluids, greases, lubricants, and oil-based paints and coatings.

CatOnium quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts are widely used as phase transfer catalysts. Phase transfer catalysis is a phenomenon of rate enhancement of a reaction between reactants located in different phases (immiscible liquids or solid and liquid) where the catalyst extracts one of the reactants, most commonly an anion, across the interface into the other phase so that reaction can proceed.

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