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Can Cationic be mixed with Anionic?
I have Triethanolamine on order so I can start creating Triethanolamine Stearate. Reading, I can’t find a correct answer if Cationic be mixed with Anionic. For safety, can these two be mixed? I’m asking because I’d like to test BTMS-50 with Triethanolamine Stearate.
Thanks for helping.
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2 Replies
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Yes they can sometimes be mixed together but sometimes they can’t. It depends on your system & what you’re hoping to achieve by blending the ingredients.
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For safety? No problem there, but for stability, yes you will have many problems. Compatibility leans on the relative charge-mass ratio of the anionic and cationic materials to combine. In your case TEA-Stearate has a high c/m ration while BTMS-50 a moderate one. That is not likely to be stable resulting in a mess. BTW, this is why so many cationic charged polymers work so well in anionic-amphoteric shampoo formulas. Most of the polyquats have very low c/m ratios allowing better cooperation.
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