ISO/TR 896:1977

Surface active agents — Scientific classification

The classification is intended to provide a clear and logical designation of the structural chemical groups of a surface active agent, in the form of a decimal notation. Its aim is to describe a surface active agent according to its chemical formula. The subdivision of the classification is, however, not taken far enough to enable one classification index number to be considered as necessarily corresponding to a specific product. The classification index number would enable to reconstruct a molecular structure which is approximate but nevertheless sufficiently precise.