PEG400MO is a highly efficient, mild, and widely compatible nonionic surfactant, with core advantages in excellent emulsifying power, outstanding wetting and dispersing properties, and superior stability against acids, alkalis, and hard water.
Detailed Description
PEG400MO (Polyethylene Glycol 400 Monooleate/CAS: 9004-96-0) is esterified from polyethylene glycol and oleic acid, appearing as a light yellow to amber transparent oily liquid. Its unique amphiphilic molecular structure—with a hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chain at one end and a lipophilic fatty acid long chain at the other—endows it with excellent surface activity, effectively reducing oil/water interfacial tension and forming stable, fine emulsion systems.
As a nonionic surfactant, PEG400MO maintains stable surface activity under acidic, alkaline, and high-hardness water conditions, which is a key distinction from anionic surfactants. Additionally, it has good skin affinity and extremely low irritation (Rabbit skin primary irritation index PII = 0.0), making it widely used in personal care products such as creams, lotions, and cleansing oils, providing a silky feel and stable texture to formulations.
Furthermore, PEG400MO has broad compatibility, allowing it to be compounded with nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric surfactants arbitrarily, offering great flexibility in formulation design. It plays a key role in industries such as textiles, metalworking, agrochemical formulations, coatings, industrial cleaning, and leather chemicals.
Technical Parameters
| Parameter | Specification/Data |
|---|
| Product Name | Polyethylene Glycol 400 Monooleate (PEG400MO) |
| Alias | PEG-8 Monooleate, PEG-8 Oleate, Polyoxyethylene (8) Monooleate |
| CAS No. | 9004-96-0 |
| Appearance | Light yellow to amber transparent oily liquid |
| Ionic Type | Nonionic |
| Flash Point (Closed Cup) | >150°C (Non-flammable liquid) |
| Acute Oral Toxicity LD50 (Rat) | >5,000 mg/kg (Low toxicity) |
| Acute Dermal Toxicity LD50 (Rabbit) | >2,000 mg/kg (Low toxicity) |
| Skin Irritation (Rabbit) | No irritation (PII = 0.0) |
| Skin Sensitization (Guinea Pig) | Negative, non-sensitizing |
| Aquatic Toxicity (Zebrafish 96h LC50) | >100 mg/L (Low toxicity) |
Application Recommendations
PEG400MO has extremely rich application scenarios. The following are typical uses and recommendations in various fields:
- Cosmetics and Personal Care: Used as an emulsifier and emollient in creams, lotions, cleansing oils, and facial cleansers. Recommended dosage is generally 2% to 8% of the total formulation, and it can be compounded with nonionic and anionic surfactants.
- Textile Auxiliaries: Provides lubrication, antistatic, and softening effects in spinning oils and finishing agents, improving fiber processing smoothness and reducing breakage and static buildup.
- Metalworking Fluids: Used as an emulsifying and lubricating component in cutting fluids, grinding fluids, and rust prevention formulations, providing extreme pressure lubrication and helping to form stable emulsion systems.
- Agrochemical Formulations: Used as a nonionic emulsifier in emulsifiable concentrates, oil-in-water emulsions, and microemulsions to promote uniform dispersion of active ingredients and enhance spreading and penetration of the spray solution.
- Coatings and Inks: Used as a pigment wetting and dispersing agent to prevent particle agglomeration and sedimentation, improving system fluidity and film gloss.
- Industrial Cleaning: Exhibits excellent emulsifying and stripping ability for mineral oils and animal/vegetable oils in metal degreasing and hard surface cleaning formulations.
- Leather Chemicals: As a component of fatliquors and softeners, it penetrates deep into leather fibers, imparting a soft, full, and elastic feel to the finished leather.
Precautions
- Storage Temperature: Recommended long-term storage temperature is between 5°C and 40°C. Low temperatures may cause the product to solidify or become viscous; this is a physical change. Gentle warming and stirring before use will restore it without affecting product quality.
- Moisture Protection: The product is somewhat hygroscopic. After opening, the container should be tightly sealed to avoid exposure to high-humidity environments.
- Incompatible Substances: Avoid contact with strong oxidizers (e.g., peroxides, high-concentration nitric acid, perchlorates).
- Eye Protection: Although skin irritation is low, it may cause mild eye discomfort. Safety goggles are recommended during operation.
- Environmental Disposal: Large spills of undiluted product should be prevented from entering drains or surface waters. Waste should be disposed of by a qualified professional treatment facility.
