Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-60 (CAS No.: 61791-12-6), also known as Polyoxyethylene (60) Castor Oil, PEG-60 Castor Oil, Ethoxylated Castor Oil (60 EO), is a light yellow paste. This product is made from natural castor oil as the starting material through addition reaction with ethylene oxide (ethoxylation), belonging to nonionic surfactants.
With its unique molecular structure – combining hydrophilic polyoxyethylene chains with hydrophobic castor oil fatty acid chains – EL-60 can efficiently orient at the oil-water interface, significantly reducing interfacial tension. This gives it excellent emulsifying, dispersing and solubilizing capabilities in various formulations, while also showing good tolerance to acid, alkali and hard water systems. It can be widely compounded with nonionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants.
This product has extremely low irritation to human skin and eyes (no irritation in OECD 404/405 tests), acute oral toxicity LD₅₀ > 5000 mg/kg (practically non-toxic), and is readily biodegradable (BOD/COD > 60% in OECD 301B test), meeting the requirements for sustainable green chemicals.
As an efficient oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifier, it is widely used in emulsion polymerization, metalworking fluids, industrial cleaners, hydraulic fluids and other formulations. It can stably disperse mineral oils, animal and vegetable oils, and various organic phases, providing long-lasting emulsification stability and thermal stability.
Used as a leveling agent and dispersant in high-temperature/high-pressure or normal-temperature dyeing processes, it helps dyes uniformly adsorb onto fibers, preventing color spots and streaks, improving dyeing consistency and color fastness. It can also serve as an antistatic agent to improve fabric hand feel and processing properties.
Used as an emulsifier and wetting agent in the formulation of emulsifiable concentrates (EC), oil-in-water emulsions (EW), microemulsions (ME) and other pesticide forms, enhancing the spreading and penetration of the spray liquid on plant leaves and targets, thereby improving efficacy.
In emulsified cutting fluids, grinding fluids, rolling fluids and other formulations, it provides synergistic effects of emulsification, lubrication and rust inhibition, giving the working fluid good cooling performance and helping to extend tool life.
As a solubilizer and emulsifier, it is used in makeup removers, facial cleansers, shower gels, shampoos, creams and other formulations. It can effectively solubilize fragrances, essential oils and fat-soluble active ingredients, helping to build transparent, uniform product systems while improving the application feel.
As a nonionic emulsifier participating in the polymerization of acrylate, styrene-acrylic, vinyl acetate-acrylic and other systems, it provides effective micelle nucleation and monomer emulsification, helping to control latex particle size distribution and polymerization stability.
| Parameter Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-60 |
| CAS No. | 61791-12-6 |
| Aliases | PEG-60 Castor Oil; Polyoxyethylene (60) Castor Oil; Ethoxylated Castor Oil (60 EO) |
| Product Type | Nonionic Surfactant |
| Appearance | Light yellow paste |
| Raw Material Source | Natural Castor Oil |
| Number of EO | 60 |
| Emulsion Type | O/W (Oil-in-Water) |
| Acute Oral Toxicity (LD₅₀, Rat) | > 5000 mg/kg |
| Skin Irritation (OECD 404) | Non-irritating |
| Eye Irritation (OECD 405) | Non-irritating |
| Skin Sensitization (OECD 406) | Non-sensitizing |
| Biodegradability (OECD 301B) | > 60% BOD/COD, Readily Biodegradable |
| Ecotoxicity (Fish, 96h LC₅₀) | > 100 mg/L |
| GHS Classification | Non-hazardous substance or mixture |