Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-20 is widely used in six major industries: textile printing and dyeing, pesticide formulations, personal care products, metalworking fluids, coatings and inks, and industrial cleaning, serving as a core emulsifying, dispersing, and wetting functional component.
Detailed Description
Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-20 (PEG-20 Castor Oil, CAS No.: 61791-12-6) is a high-performance nonionic surfactant with an HLB value of approximately 10.5, combining hydrophilic and lipophilic characteristics, making it an indispensable multifunctional additive in various industry formulations. This product exhibits high stability to acids, alkalis, and hard water, and has excellent compatibility with anionic, cationic, and other nonionic surfactants, enabling flexible compounding to meet diverse complex process requirements.
In practical applications, EL-20 plays distinct key roles across different industries. It can serve as an O/W emulsifier for pesticide emulsions (EW) and cosmetic creams and lotions; in metalworking fluids, it performs triple functions of emulsification, lubrication, and rust prevention; in textile printing and dyeing processes, it provides leveling and softening effects due to its excellent penetrating power (approximately 50 seconds, 1% aqueous solution). Its low-foaming property and anti-redeposition capability are particularly prominent in industrial cleaning scenarios.
Technical Parameters
| Parameter | Value/Property |
|---|
| Appearance (25°C) | Light yellow to yellow viscous liquid |
| Ionic Type | Nonionic |
| HLB Value | Approx. 10.5 |
| Active Content | ≥ 99% |
| Cloud Point (1% Aqueous Solution) | ≥ 85°C |
| pH Value (1% Aqueous Solution) | 5.0 – 7.0 |
| Surface Tension (1% aq., 25°C) | Approx. 42 mN/m |
| Penetrating Power (1% Aqueous Solution) | Approx. 50 seconds |
| Foaming Property | Low foam |
| Density (25°C) | 1.05 – 1.10 |
Application Suggestions
Based on practical application feedback from Guoli Chemical, specific process solutions of this product in six major industries are as follows:
- Textile Printing and Dyeing: Used as an efficient leveling agent and dispersant to improve dye penetration and uniform distribution on fabric. It is recommended to add at a working concentration of 1–3 g/L during the initial stage of the dyeing process, effectively preventing color spots while imparting a soft and smooth hand feel to fibers.
- Pesticide Formulations: Used to prepare environmentally friendly formulations such as emulsions (EW) and microemulsions (ME). Recommended dosage is 3%–8% of the total formulation. When compounded with other anionic emulsifiers, it can further enhance the dispersion stability and bioefficacy coverage of active ingredients.
- Cosmetics and Personal Care Products: Acts as an emulsifier and solubilizer for creams, lotions, cleansing oils, etc. It is recommended to pre-dissolve in the oil phase, with a dosage of about 2%–5% of the formulation, to help stabilize the oil-water mixture and provide a mild skin feel.
- Metalworking Fluids: Performs combined functions of emulsification, lubrication, and rust prevention in cutting fluids and grinding fluids. As a basic emulsifier, reference dosage is 5%–15% of the concentrate, significantly improving cooling and lubrication performance and extending tool life.
- Coatings and Inks: Used as a pigment wetting dispersant and emulsion polymerization emulsifier. It is recommended to add at 1%–3% of the pigment amount during the grinding stage, improving the fineness and storage stability of the color paste and enhancing the gloss of the coating film.
- Industrial Cleaning Agents: Exhibits excellent emulsifying detergency and anti-redeposition ability. In hard surface cleaning and industrial degreasing formulations, it is recommended to compound with other additives at a ratio of 2%–8%, offering high oil removal efficiency with low foam and easy rinsing.
Precautions
This product is non-hazardous with no acute toxicity (oral LD50 in rats > 2000 mg/kg), but precautions should still be taken during handling: it has mild irritancy to skin and eyes, so it is recommended to wear nitrile gloves and chemical safety goggles, and maintain good ventilation in the working environment; storage temperature should be controlled at 5–35°C, avoiding freezing; should be stored separately away from strong oxidizing agents.
