What are the main characteristics of Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80?

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 is a nonionic surfactant with a high HLB value (15.5~16.5), characterized by excellent water solubility, powerful emulsifying and solubilizing capacity, and outstanding stability to acids, alkalis, and hard water. It is widely applied in various industrial fields such as textiles, agrochemicals, personal care, and metalworking.

Detailed Description

Castor Oil Polyoxyethylene Ether EL-80 is produced by the condensation of natural castor oil with ethylene oxide (approximately 80 moles EO) under the action of a catalyst. At ambient temperature, it appears as a light yellow paste to solid. Its molecular structure contains both a long-chain fatty acid ester hydrophobic group and a polyoxyethylene ether hydrophilic chain. This unique structure imparts a range of outstanding properties to the product.

The most prominent features of this product are high HLB value and strong emulsifying and solubilizing capacity. The high degree of ethoxylation gives it an HLB value of 15.5~16.5. It dissolves easily in water to form a clear solution and effectively emulsifies aromatic, aliphatic, and mineral oils, forming stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. At the same time, it exhibits excellent stability to hard water, acids, alkalis, and electrolytes, maintaining good activity and reliable performance under complex process conditions.

Furthermore, EL-80 has low-foaming characteristics. At working temperatures, foam generation is low, making rinsing easy and reducing the amount of defoamer required. Its molecular structure also provides good antistatic properties and a softening and smoothing effect, making it particularly suitable for synthetic fiber spin finishes and fabric finishing treatments. The product exhibits good compatibility for compounding with anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants, demonstrating exceptional formulation adaptability.

Technical Specifications

Application Recommendations

Core Function Positioning: Used as an O/W emulsifier, solubilizer, dispersant, and antistatic agent, suitable for emulsifying systems of mineral oils, animal and vegetable fats and oils. Specific application scenarios include:

• Textile Industry: Smoothing and antistatic component for synthetic fiber spin finishes (working solution 0.1%~0.5%); leveling agent (dye bath 0.05%~0.2%).
• Pesticide Formulations: Primary emulsifier in emulsifiable concentrate (EC) systems (dosage 5%~12%), especially suitable for difficult-to-emulsify systems such as pyrethroids and organophosphates.
• Industrial Cleaning: Adding 1%~5% to formulations significantly enhances oil and stain removal and dispersing power.
• Metalworking Fluids: Emulsifying and lubricating component; recommended addition 1%~3%.
• Personal Care Products: Solubilizer and superfatting agent in shampoos and shower gels; emulsifier for O/W creams and lotions.
• Emulsion Polymerization: Nonionic emulsifier and protective colloid for acrylate, styrene-acrylic, and similar systems.

It is recommended to conduct a small-scale trial first to determine the optimal dosage and formulation process conditions.

Precautions

• The product is hygroscopic; after opening the container, it should be resealed as soon as possible for storage.
• Storage temperature should preferably be maintained at 5~40°C to prevent softening and caking at high temperatures or paste hardening at low temperatures.
• In unopened original packaging, the shelf life is 24 months from the date of manufacture.
• It is recommended to wear nitrile rubber gloves and chemical safety goggles when handling.
• Avoid contact with strong oxidizing agents (e.g., peroxides, permanganates).
• Although it is not classified as a hazardous chemical, discharge directly into water bodies or soil without prior permission should still be avoided.