OP-40 Octylphenol Polyoxyethylene Ether (CAS No.: 9036-19-5) is a high-performance nonionic surfactant launched by Guoli Chemical. With its excellent emulsifying, dispersing, and detergency capabilities, it is widely used as a key functional additive in many industrial fields. This product has excellent chemical stability, can withstand certain concentrations of acid, alkali, and hard water environments, and can be compounded with nonionic, anionic, and cationic auxiliaries, making it a reliable general-purpose component in complex formulation systems.
The core function of OP-40 lies in its outstanding surface activity performance, enabling efficient preparation and stabilization of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, significantly reducing interfacial tension even at low dosages. At the same time, it has excellent dispersing, suspending, and detergency effects on various solid particles and oil stains, maintaining stable performance under high-temperature and high-shear conditions, making it an indispensable core raw material in many industrial formulations.
Below is a detailed explanation of the specific application roles and functions of OP-40 in various processes by industry.
| Industry Field | Application Process/Role | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|
| Textile & Dyeing | High-temperature leveling agent, dispersant, detergent | Used as a key raw material for high-temperature leveling agents and dispersants, improving dyeing uniformity and preventing dye aggregation; also used as a detergent to effectively remove impurities and excess dyes from fabric surfaces |
| Pesticide Formulations | Emulsifier, synergist | Used to prepare stable emulsifiable concentrates (EC), emulsion in water (EW), etc., enhancing the wetting and spreading ability of the spray liquid on plant leaves to improve efficacy |
| Emulsion Polymerization | Primary emulsifier, stabilizer | Applied in emulsion polymerization of systems such as acrylates and vinyl acetate, imparting excellent mechanical and chemical stability to the emulsion, ensuring uniform particle size |
| Industrial & Domestic Cleaning | Metalworking cleaning agent, hard surface cleaner, liquid detergent | Suitable for metalworking fluids, industrial hard surface cleaning, and domestic liquid detergent formulations, with excellent removal effect on heavy soil and oil stains |
| Oilfield Chemicals | Emulsion viscosity reducer, dispersant | Used in emulsion viscosity reduction processes in oilfield extraction to improve the flowability of heavy crude oil; also plays a dispersing and stabilizing role in drilling fluids |
| Leather Processing | Degreasing agent | Used as a degreasing agent in the pre-treatment stage of leather processing, effectively removing natural fats from raw hides, creating favorable conditions for subsequent tanning processes |
| Papermaking Industry | Deinking agent, dispersant | Plays a key role in waste paper recycling deinking processes, helping ink particles detach from fiber surfaces and remain suspended and dispersed, preventing ink redeposition |
When using OP-40 for formulation design, it is recommended to adjust the dosage according to specific process requirements: when used as the primary emulsifier for O/W emulsion systems, the recommended dosage is usually 2% to 10% of the oil phase weight; in textile leveling agent formulations, the recommended dosage is 0.5 to 3 g/L of the working solution; in pesticide emulsifiable concentrate formulations, the usual addition amount is 5% to 15% of the total formulation. Due to its excellent acid, alkali, and hard water resistance, OP-40 can maintain stable usage effects within the pH range of 3 to 11, especially suitable for harsh process conditions such as high-temperature dyeing (130°C).
OP-40 can be compounded with various surfactants. Compounding with anionic surfactants (e.g., LAS, AES) can produce synergistic effects, further enhancing emulsifying and detergency performance. In emulsion polymerization, it is recommended to use it in conjunction with anionic emulsifiers (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate) to achieve better emulsion stability.
Safety Warning: OP-40 is harmful if swallowed and in contact with skin (H302+H312), causes skin irritation (H315) and serious eye damage (H318), is very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects (H410). When handling, must wear chemical safety goggles, protective gloves, and work clothes, ensuring good ventilation in the workplace. Do not discharge the product or its containers directly into soil, waterways, or drainage systems. Waste must be disposed of by qualified professional agencies.
Storage Conditions: Should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated warehouse; recommended storage temperature is between 5°C and 30°C; keep containers tightly closed, away from heat sources and ignition sources, avoid direct sunlight and moisture.