Cov xab npum yog ib qho ntawm cov surfactants ntxov tshaj plaws, uas tau pib siv nyob rau hauv lub xyoo pua 7th mus rau 6th BC. Cov xab npum yuav precipitate thaum ntsib cov dej tawv thiab tsis ruaj khov hauv cov kua qaub. Cov roj liab (tseem hu ua Türkiye liab roj) yog cov khoom sulfated ntawm castor roj (anionic surfactant). Nws yog thawj zaug synthesized los ntawm German Baden Aniline Soda Ash Company nyob rau hauv 1875 thiab yog thawj hluavtaws surfactant siv nyob rau hauv textile thiab tawv industries. Thaum Ntiaj Teb Tsov Rog Thoob Ntiaj Teb thib 1, Lub Tebchaws Yelemees tau ua tiav kev tshawb fawb txog kev tsim cov alkyl naphthalene sulfonate los ntawm naphthalene, propanol, los yog butanol siv fuming sulfuric acid, uas tuaj yeem siv los hloov cov xab npum, yog li txuag tsiaj thiab zaub rog siv hauv xab npum ua. Txawm hais tias alkyl naphthalene sulfonate muaj peev xwm tu tsis zoo, nws muaj qhov ntub dej zoo thiab permeability, thiab tsis cuam tshuam los ntawm cov dej tawv lossis cov kua qaub, yog li nws tseem siv dav niaj hnub no. Xyoo 1936, nrog rau kev txhim kho ntawm petrochemicals, Tebchaws Asmeskas yog thawj zaug kawm tiav kev tsim cov alkylbenzene sulfonate los ntawm benzene thiab kerosene. Tom qab ntawd, vim yog qhov sib ntxiv ntawm ntau yam khoom siv ntxiv thiab kev siv tshuab ua kom zoo dua qub, cov khoom siv hluavtaws feem ntau tsim los ntawm alkylbenzene sulfonate tau zoo dua ntawm kev ua haujlwm thiab nqi piv rau xab npum, thiab pib siv dav hauv kev tsim khoom thiab lub neej txhua hnub. Txij thaum ntawd los, qhov kev faib ua feem ntawm cov tshuaj detergents nyob rau hauv tag nrho cov nyiaj ntawm cov khoom siv ntxhua khaub ncaws tau nce xyoo los ntawm lub xyoo. Xyoo 1982, lub ntiaj teb kev tsim cov khoom siv hluavtaws tau mus txog 28Mt, tshaj li xab npum thiab txuas ntxiv mus. Kev tshawb fawb thiab kev tsim cov surfactants, sawv cev los ntawm cov khoom siv hluavtaws, tau tsim sai heev thiab tam sim no tau dhau los ua ib qho tseem ceeb ntawm kev tsim tshuaj. Muaj ntau txhiab ntau yam ntawm surfactants.
Kev lag luam surfactant thiab hluavtaws hluavtaws hauv Suav teb tau pib hauv xyoo 1950, thiab txawm tias nws pib lig, nws tau tsim sai heev. Xyoo 1995, tag nrho cov khoom ntxhua khaub ncaws tau nce mus txog 3.1 lab tons, nyob rau qib thib ob hauv ntiaj teb tom qab Tebchaws Meskas. Kev tsim cov khoom siv hluavtaws tau nce los ntawm 400000 tons hauv xyoo 1980 txog 2.3 lab tons hauv xyoo 1995, nce ntxiv ntawm 4.7 npaug, thiab loj hlob ntawm qhov nruab nrab txhua xyoo kev loj hlob ntawm ntau dua 10%.
Raws li cov ntaub ntawv pov thawj hauv Suav teb, tag nrho cov khoom ntxhua khaub ncaws yuav ncav cuag 3.6 lab tons hauv xyoo 2000, ntawm cov khoom siv hluavtaws yuav ncav cuag 655000 tons. Ntawm lawv, hom surfactants uas muaj peev xwm ntau tshaj 10000 tons muaj xws li sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), sodium fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES), ammonium fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AESA), sodium lauryl alcohol sulfate (K12). los yog SDS), nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (TX-10), Pingpingjia O, diethanolamide (6501), glycerol stearate, lignosulfonate, hnyav alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate (petroleum sulfonate), diffuser NNO, diffuser MF, alkyl polyether (PO-EO copolymer), fatty alcohol polytheroxyethylene (AEO) ), thiab lwm yam.