Question

What is Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80

Answer
2026-05-27 官方文档 蓖麻油聚氧乙烯醚EL-80

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 is a high HLB value nonionic surfactant produced by the condensation of natural castor oil with ethylene oxide, offering excellent emulsifying, dispersing, solubilizing, and antistatic properties.

Detailed Description

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 (CAS No.: 61791-12-6) is a nonionic surfactant derived from natural castor oil as the base raw material, which undergoes addition condensation with approximately 80 moles of ethylene oxide under the action of a catalyst. Its molecular structure simultaneously contains long-chain fatty acid ester hydrophobic groups and polyoxyethylene ether hydrophilic chain segments. This unique "comb-shaped" structure endows it with versatile interfacial activity. At room temperature, the product appears as a pale yellow paste to solid, readily soluble in water to form a transparent solution.

The core advantage of this product lies in the high hydrophilicity brought by its high degree of ethylene oxide addition, with an HLB value in the range of 15.5 to 16.5, making it an efficient oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifier. Additionally, it exhibits excellent stability against hard water, acids, alkalis, and electrolytes, maintaining stable activity under complex process conditions. Compared with conventional nonionic surfactants, EL-80 produces low foam at working temperatures, is easy to rinse, and can reduce the amount of defoamer required.

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 is produced by Hai'an Guoli Chemical Co., Ltd. Using natural castor oil as the starting material, it offers good biodegradability (with a 28-day degradation rate of over 70%) and low ecotoxicity, making it an environmentally friendly surfactant. The product is typically packaged in 200kg galvanized iron drums or new plastic drums, with a shelf life of 24 months, and can be transported under general chemical conditions.

Technical Parameters

ParameterTypical Data
Product NameCastor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80
CAS No.61791-12-6
TypeNonionic Surfactant
Appearance (Room Temperature)Pale yellow paste to solid
Moles of EO AdditionApproximately 80
HLB Value15.5 to 16.5
Water SolubilityReadily soluble in water, forming a transparent solution
IonicityNonionic
Flash Point (Closed Cup)>150°C
Biodegradability28-day degradation rate >70% (OECD 301B)
Aquatic Toxicity (Daphnia magna 48h EC50)>100 mg/L
Shelf Life24 months (unopened)

Application Recommendations

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 has a wide range of applications covering multiple industrial fields:

  • Textile Industry: Used as a smoothing component and antistatic agent in spinning oils for synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester, etc.), with a recommended dosage of 0.1% to 0.5% of the oil working solution; as a leveling agent, it can be added at 0.05% to 0.2% (based on the dye bath mass).
  • Pesticide Formulations: Used in emulsifiable concentrate systems for pyrethroids, organophosphates, etc., typically added at 5% to 12%, often compounded with anionic emulsifiers to obtain stable emulsions.
  • Industrial Cleaning: Recommended addition amount is 1% to 5% of the total cleaning agent formulation; when compounded with linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, it significantly enhances degreasing and soil removal capabilities.
  • Metalworking Fluids: Used as an emulsifying and lubricating component, suggested addition at 1% to 3% of the total formulation.
  • Personal Care: Used as a solubilizer and emulsifier in products such as shampoos, body washes, creams, and lotions.
  • Emulsion Polymerization: Used as a nonionic emulsifier and colloidal stabilizer in emulsion polymerization systems for acrylates, styrene-acrylics, etc.

Precautions

It is recommended to conduct small-scale tests to determine the optimal dosage before use. Maintain ventilation during operation and avoid contact with strong oxidizing agents. Storage temperature should be kept between 5 and 40°C to prevent softening and caking at high temperatures or hardening at low temperatures. After opening, the container should be resealed promptly to prevent moisture absorption. For detailed safety information, please refer to the product SDS.