Polyethylene glycol PEG-8000 (CAS No.: 25322-68-3) is a high molecular weight nonionic surfactant product produced by Guoli Chemical, polymerized from ethylene oxide with a molecular weight of approximately 8000. It appears as a white waxy solid or free-flowing powder, has extremely high solubility in water, forms clear and transparent solutions, and exhibits good compatibility with various organic solvents.
As a nonionic product, PEG-8000 maintains stable performance over a wide pH range and in hard water conditions, without adverse reactions with other components in the system. It has extremely low acute oral toxicity (rat oral LD₅₀ > 50,000 mg/kg), is non-irritating to the skin, and has no sensitizing potential. It is recognized as a low-toxicity, low-irritation safe material.
The core functional characteristics of this product include: excellent emulsifying, wetting, dispersing, and solubilizing capabilities; superior lubricity and mold release properties; good film-forming and moisture retention; and outstanding tolerance to acids, alkalis, and hard water, making it an irreplaceable role in various industrial formulations.
Pharmaceutical Industry: Used as a key component in hydrophilic ointment bases and suppository bases, as well as an efficient water-soluble lubricant and binder for tablets. It can also be used as a thickener in eye drops to prolong drug retention on the ocular surface and improve bioavailability.
Personal Care and Cosmetics: Used as a humectant, lubricant, and emulsion stabilizer in creams, lotions, and cleansing products, providing a moisturizing, non-greasy skin feel while extending product shelf life.
Coatings and Inks: Used as a dispersant for pigments and fillers, improving color development and system fluidity, preventing particle flocculation and sedimentation, and enhancing color uniformity.
Rubber and Plastic Processing: Used as an efficient mold release agent and antistatic agent, forming a uniform isolation layer on the mold surface, improving product surface quality, and enabling smooth demolding.
Metalworking Fluids: Provides excellent boundary lubrication performance, effectively protecting tools and workpieces under demanding conditions such as cutting and grinding, thereby improving machining accuracy.
Textile Industry: Used for warp sizing to increase fiber cohesion and smoothness; also used as an antistatic finishing agent to eliminate static electricity problems during fiber processing.
Papermaking Industry: Used as a coating gloss agent to enhance paper surface smoothness and gloss, improving printability.
Modern Agriculture: Used as an efficient carrier and dispersing aid for water-dispersible granules, promoting rapid disintegration and suspension of pesticide active ingredients, thereby improving efficacy.
Biotechnology: Used in experimental procedures such as protein precipitation and crystallization, cell fusion promotion, and virus concentration.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Polyethylene Glycol PEG-8000 |
| CAS No. | 25322-68-3 |
| Synonyms | Polyethylene Glycol 8000, PEG 8000, Polyoxyethylene 8000, Macrogol 8000, Carbowax 8000, Polyethylene Oxide 8000 |
| Product Type | Nonionic Surfactant |
| Appearance | White waxy solid or free-flowing powder |
| Molecular Weight | Approximately 8000 |
| Water Solubility | Highly soluble in water, forming a clear and transparent solution |
| Acute Toxicity (Rat Oral LD₅₀) | > 50,000 mg/kg |
| Skin Irritation | Non-irritating |
| Sensitization | Non-sensitizing |
Recommended Application Scenarios: Pharmaceutical preparations (ointments, suppositories, tablet excipients), cosmetic formulations (humectants, emulsion stabilizers), industrial mold release and lubrication, coating dispersion, textile sizing and antistatic treatment, papermaking gloss agents, pesticide water-dispersible granule carriers, biomolecule purification, etc.
Dosage Recommendations: The specific dosage depends on the application field and formulation system; optimization through experiments is recommended. In pharmaceutical tablets as a lubricant, the dosage is typically 0.5%-3%; in cosmetics as a humectant, the dosage is usually 1%-5%.