Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-12 (PEG-12 Castor Oil) is a nonionic surfactant produced by the addition polymerization of natural castor oil with ethylene oxide. With its excellent emulsifying ability, outstanding chemical tolerance (stable in acidic, alkaline, and hard water media), and low irritation properties, this product plays a key auxiliary role in multiple industrial fields. Its molecular structure enables efficient emulsification of various oil phases and organic solvents, significantly reducing oil-water interfacial tension and forming stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions.
In the cosmetics and personal care industry, EL-12 is primarily used as a nonionic solubilizer and emulsifier in formulations such as creams, lotions, cleansing oils, and bath products. It effectively solubilizes oil-soluble components like fragrances and essential oils, giving the product a fine skin feel. In the pesticide formulation field, it serves as an efficient emulsifier for emulsifiable concentrates (EC) and oil-in-water emulsions (EW), ensuring uniform dispersion of active pesticide ingredients in water, enhancing wetting and spreading properties of the spray liquid, and significantly improving field application efficacy. In the textile industry, EL-12 is used in spinning oils, soft finishing agents, and high-temperature leveling agents, imparting smoothness and antistatic properties to fibers and helping dyes to be applied evenly.
In the field of metalworking fluids, EL-12 acts as an emulsifying and lubricating component in semi-synthetic and emulsifiable cutting fluids and grinding fluids, promoting the dispersion of the oil phase to form stable emulsions while providing good boundary lubrication to protect workpieces and tools. In industrial cleaning agents and degreasers, this product performs triple functions of wetting, penetrating, and emulsifying, quickly removing oil and grease from surfaces such as metal and plastic, and is suitable for a variety of water-based and semi-water-based cleaning formulations.
| Application Industry | Specific Process/Product | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics and Personal Care | Creams, lotions, cleansing oils, bath products, fragrance solubilization | O/W emulsifier, solubilizer |
| Pesticide Formulations | Emulsifiable concentrate (EC), Oil-in-water emulsion (EW) | Efficient emulsifier, wetting and spreading adjuvant |
| Textile Auxiliaries | Spinning oils, soft finishing agents, high-temperature leveling agents | Smoothing agent, antistatic agent, leveling auxiliary |
| Metalworking Fluids | Semi-synthetic cutting fluids, emulsifiable cutting fluids, grinding fluids | Emulsifier, boundary lubricant |
| Industrial Cleaning Agents | Water-based/semi-water-based cleaners, degreasers | Wetting and penetrating agent, oil emulsifier |
EL-12 is a nonionic surfactant that can be widely compatible with nonionic, anionic, and cationic auxiliaries, offering high formulation flexibility. In emulsification processes, it is recommended for O/W systems, especially suitable for emulsifying mineral oils, animal and vegetable oils. Good wetting of substrates and dispersion of solid particles can be achieved at low concentrations. It is recommended to perform gradient tests during formulation development to determine the optimal dosage. The product is derived from natural castor oil raw materials, has good biodegradability, and is particularly suitable for formulations with requirements for environmental friendliness and skin mildness.