Castor oil polyoxyethylene ether EL-80 is a high-HLB nonionic surfactant formed by condensing natural castor oil with ethylene oxide (approximately 80 moles). It appears as a pale yellow paste to solid at room temperature and is widely used in textiles, pesticides, household and personal care, metalworking, and other fields due to its excellent emulsifying, dispersing, solubilizing, and antistatic properties.>
Detailed Description
Castor oil polyoxyethylene ether EL-80 (CAS No.: 61791-12-6), also known as polyoxyethylene (80) castor oil, ethoxylated castor oil (80 EO), PEG-80 castor oil, or emulsifier EL-80, is a nonionic surfactant. It is produced by the addition polymerization of natural castor oil with approximately 80 moles of ethylene oxide under catalyst action. The high degree of ethoxylation gives the product an HLB value in the range of 15.5–16.5, imparting strong hydrophilicity and water solubility, and it dissolves in water at room temperature to form a clear solution.
The core advantage of this product lies in its outstanding emulsifying and solubilizing ability, which can effectively emulsify aromatic, aliphatic, and mineral oils to form stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. At the same time, it offers good wetting and penetrating power, hard-water tolerance, and stability in acids and alkalis, maintaining good activity in hard water and weak acid or weak alkali media. Its low-foaming characteristics also give it a significant advantage in industrial cleaning and other applications, reducing the amount of defoamer needed. The synergistic effect of the long-chain fatty acid ester structure and the polyoxyethylene ether chain in the molecule also provides the product with good antistatic performance and softening and smoothing effects.
In addition, EL-80 has excellent compatibility for compounding; it can be combined with nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants as well as most organic solvents and auxiliaries to achieve synergistic effects, demonstrating strong formulation adaptability. From an ecological and environmental perspective, the product has good biodegradability. In ready biodegradability tests such as OECD 301B, it achieves a degradation rate of over 70% within 28 days, qualifying as a surfactant that is ultimately biodegradable.
Technical Parameters
| Parameter Item | Typical Data |
|---|
| Product Name | Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 |
| CAS No. | 61791-12-6 |
| Product Type | Nonionic Surfactant |
| Appearance (at room temperature) | Pale yellow paste to solid |
| HLB Value | 15.5–16.5 |
| Moles of EO Added | Approx. 80 |
| Ionic Character | Nonionic |
| Water Solubility | Readily soluble in water, forms clear solution |
| Flash Point (closed cup) | >150°C |
| Biodegradability | 28-day degradation rate ≥70% (OECD 301B) |
| Shelf Life | 24 months (unopened, 5–40°C) |
Application Recommendations
Castor oil polyoxyethylene ether EL-80 is applied across various industrial fields. Specific recommendations are as follows:
- Textile Industry: When used as a component in synthetic fiber spinning finishes, it accounts for 0.1%–0.5% of the working solution; as a leveling agent, it is added at 0.05%–0.2% of the dyebath weight; it can also serve as an emulsifier and lubricating aid in wool spinning wool oil formulations.
- Pesticide Formulations: In mixed-solvent emulsifiable concentrates, the recommended addition rate is 5%–12%, often combined with anionic emulsifiers to obtain stable emulsions; used as the primary emulsifier in aqueous emulsions and microemulsions.
- Household and Personal Care Products: Used as a solubilizer and emollient in shampoos and shower gels; as an emulsifier in O/W creams and lotions; especially suitable for clear systems that solubilize oil-soluble ingredients such as fragrances and plant essential oils.
- Industrial Cleaning: Suggested addition is 1%–5% of the total cleaning formulation, used in combination with alkylbenzene sulfonic acids, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ethers, etc.
- Metalworking Fluids: As an emulsifying and lubricating component, recommended at 1%–3% of the total formulation, helping to improve emulsion stability and anti-rust synergy.
- Emulsion Polymerization: Used as a nonionic emulsifier and protective colloid in systems such as acrylic, styrene-acrylic, and vinyl acetate-acrylic, maintaining the dispersion stability of latex particles.
Precautions
- Prior to use, it is recommended to conduct a small-scale trial to determine the optimal dosage and formulation process conditions.
- The product is hygroscopic. After opening the container, reseal it promptly and store in a cool (5–35°C), dry, and well-ventilated warehouse.
- During handling, avoid contact with strong oxidizing agents (e.g., peroxides, permanganates) and keep away from heat sources, sparks, and open flames.
- Although not classified as a hazardous chemical, avoid unauthorized discharge into water bodies or soil.
- Standard packaging is 200 kg galvanized steel drums or new plastic drums; 50 kg plastic drums or 25 kg paper-plastic composite bags can also be provided according to customer requirements.
