Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-10 (PEG-10 Castor Oil) is a classic nonionic surfactant, appearing as a light yellow to yellow transparent oily liquid. Thanks to the reasonable ratio of the natural fatty acid chain structure of castor oil and the polyoxyethylene chain segment, its HLB value is moderate, making it particularly suitable for W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion systems. This product exhibits excellent stability against acids, alkalis, and hard water, maintaining high chemical activity even under complex water quality or extreme pH conditions, making it an indispensable functional additive in many industrial formulations.
In practical applications, EL-10 leverages its outstanding emulsifying, wetting, penetrating, and dispersing properties to significantly reduce oil-water interfacial tension, helping to form stable emulsions between organic and aqueous phases. At the same time, it has good affinity for pigments and oily substances, effectively preventing particle aggregation and sedimentation, thus improving the storage stability of the system. These characteristics enable it to span multiple industrial fields, becoming one of the representative multifunctional surfactants.
| Industry Field | Specific Process/Use | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| Pesticide Formulations | Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) formulations of pesticides such as beta-cypermethrin, abamectin, etc. | Nonionic emulsifier, improving emulsion stability, spreading, and penetration ability, enhancing efficacy |
| Textile Industry | Spinning and post-processing of synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon | Smoothing agent and wetting component, imparting smoothness, antistatic property, and cohesiveness to fibers, reducing breakage and fuzz |
| Cosmetics Industry | W/O creams, cold creams, sunscreens, skin lotions | Emulsifier and emollient, improving skin feel and product stability |
| Leather Processing | Leather fatliquoring process | Fatliquoring component, penetrating between leather fibers, imparting soft and full hand feel to finished leather, improving flex resistance and water repellency |
| Metalworking Fluids | Emulsified cutting fluids, grinding fluids, rust preventive oils | Emulsifier and lubricating component, with rust preventive function, suitable for ferrous metals and some non-ferrous metals |
| Coatings and Inks | Solvent-based coatings and ink systems, dispersing organic pigments (e.g., phthalocyanine blue, azo pigments) | High-efficiency dispersant, reducing system viscosity, improving tinting strength and storage stability |
| Industrial Cleaning | Low-foam or medium-foam hard surface cleaners | Excellent emulsifying and solubilizing ability for mineral oils and grease stains, suitable for cleaning hard surfaces such as metal and plastic |
In pesticide EC formulations, EL-10 is usually used in combination with nonionic or anionic emulsifiers; the recommended dosage is 5%-15% of the total formulation, and the specific amount should be determined through blending tests based on the type of active ingredient and solvent system. In cosmetic W/O creams, the addition amount is generally 2%-8%, with better effects when used with suitable oil phases (e.g., mineral oil, silicone oil). In metalworking fluids, it is recommended as the main component of the emulsifier composite, used in synergy with anionic surfactants and rust inhibitors. In the coatings and inks field for pigment dispersion, the recommended dosage is 5%-20% of the pigment weight, and the best dispersion effect can be achieved by adding it during the grinding process.