Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-10 is produced by using natural castor oil as the starting material, which undergoes ethoxylation reaction with ethylene oxide (EO) in the presence of a catalyst. The "EL" in its name indicates the castor oil series, and "10" represents an average addition of approximately 10 moles of ethylene oxide. The CAS number is 61791-12-6. Other names include Emulsifier EL-10, PEG-10 Castor Oil, and Polyoxyethylene Castor Oil EL-10.
From a chemical structure perspective, the main component of castor oil is triglyceride of ricinoleic acid (triesters formed from glycerol and ricinoleic acid), containing hydroxyl groups and ester groups. During the ethoxylation process, ethylene oxide primarily adds to the hydroxyl positions on the ricinoleic acid chain, forming polyoxyethylene ether chains (—(CH₂CH₂O)ₙ—H), thereby imparting excellent hydrophilicity and surface activity to the product. The product appears as a light yellow to yellow transparent oily liquid and belongs to the class of nonionic surfactants.
Thanks to the natural fatty acid carbon chain structure of castor oil and the polyoxyethylene hydrophilic groups introduced through ethoxylation, EL-10 combines excellent lipophilicity with certain hydrophilicity, making it particularly suitable for W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion systems. It is widely used in pesticide emulsifiable concentrates, cosmetic creams, metalworking fluids, and industrial cleaning.
| Parameter Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Chemical Name | Polyoxyethylene Castor Oil (PEG-10 Castor Oil) |
| CAS Number | 61791-12-6 |
| Ionic Type | Nonionic surfactant |
| Appearance | Light yellow to yellow transparent oily liquid |
| Raw Material Composition | Castor oil + ethylene oxide (EO), average EO addition of approximately 10 moles |
| HLB Value | Not available (specific value not recorded in database; this product is lipophilic and suitable for W/O systems) |
| Flash Point | >150°C |
| Solubility | Soluble in most organic solvents, dispersible in water |
Based on the chemical composition characteristics of its castor oil-based polyoxyethylene ether, the core application of EL-10 is emulsification and dispersion in W/O (water-in-oil) systems. Typical uses include: nonionic emulsifier for pesticide emulsifiable concentrates (EC), W/O emulsifier and emollient for cosmetic cold creams and sunscreens, smoothing and wetting component for synthetic fiber spinning oils, penetrating and softening agent in leather fatliquoring, and lubricating and emulsifying component in metalworking fluids.