OP-4 (Octylphenol Polyoxyethylene Ether, CAS No.: 9036-19-5) is a non-ionic surfactant produced by Guoli Chemical Factory, appearing as a light yellow oily liquid with high purity and stable performance. Its core characteristic lies in excellent water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifying ability, along with good wetting, dispersing, and low-foaming properties, exhibiting outstanding chemical stability in acid, alkali, and hard water media. These features make it a key multifunctional additive widely used across various industries.
In pesticide formulations, OP-4 serves as an efficient emulsifying component, improving the dispersion uniformity of organophosphorus and pyrethroid active ingredients in water, enhancing the wetting and spreading ability of the spray liquid on plant leaves; in textile printing and dyeing, it can be used as a pre-treatment penetrant to accelerate the penetration of alkali and bleaching solutions, and also as a leveling agent in high-temperature and high-pressure dyeing to prevent color spots; in the petroleum sector, it is used in oil displacement systems for emulsification and viscosity reduction, as well as for pre-treatment of crude oil demulsification and dehydration.
Additionally, OP-4 is utilized in industrial and household cleaning agents to formulate metal degreasers and hard surface cleaners, with strong emulsifying and dispersing ability for mineral oils and polar dirt; in leather processing, it acts as a degreasing agent to remove natural fats from leather fibers; in metalworking fluids, it provides emulsification and lubrication to help form stable microemulsions; it also serves as a key starting material for synthesizing anionic surfactants such as sulfates and sulfonates.
| Application Industry | Specific Process/Use | Functional Role |
|---|---|---|
| Pesticides | Emulsification of organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticide formulations | Emulsifier, improving dispersion uniformity and efficacy |
| Textile Printing and Dyeing | Fabric pre-treatment penetration; high-temperature and high-pressure dyeing leveling | Penetrant, Leveling Agent |
| Petroleum Extraction and Processing | Emulsification and viscosity reduction in oil displacement systems; pre-treatment for crude oil demulsification and dehydration | Emulsifying aid, adjusting interfacial tension |
| Industrial and Household Cleaning | Degreasing of metal parts; formulation of hard surface cleaners | Emulsifying and dispersing component |
| Leather Processing | Degreasing of raw hides in liming, bating, and other preparatory stages | Degreasing Agent |
| Metal Processing | Formulation of cutting fluids, grinding fluids | Emulsifier, lubricating additive |
| Surfactant Synthesis | Sulfonation, sulfation, and other unit reactions | Synthesis Intermediate |
OP-4 is particularly suitable for oil-phase-dominant emulsification system designs, with a relatively low HLB value, making it a typical water-in-oil emulsifier. It is recommended for priority use in the following scenarios: