English to Russian Tech/Engineering Chemistry; Chem Sci/Eng

The first non-ionic surfactants are typically prepared by alkoxylating the corresponding fatty alcohol R'OH which itself can be derived from naturally-occurring sources or from precursor lower molecular weight alcohols using for example the Guerbet synthesis.
Such surfactants are sometimes referred to as 'linker surfactants' and are characterised by exhibiting a critical micelle concentration (CMC) which is relatively low.
The alkyl groups mentioned above can be branched or unbranched.