Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Cationic Surfactant

  • Cationic Surfactant

    Posted by Roy on February 7, 2023 at 9:52 pm

    How to avoid or deal with the formation of aggregates when mixing a formula with cationic surfactants as distearyldimethyl ammonium chloride?

    Roy replied 1 year, 10 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • ketchito

    Member
    February 8, 2023 at 9:07 am

    Could you be a bit more specific? What type of solvent you use (I assume it’s water)? what are the materials you’re using in your formula?

    • Roy

      Member
      February 8, 2023 at 10:50 am

      Yes, water base with fatty alcohol, glycerin, quat-80 and behentrimonium chloride. sometimes creates agglomerates (I supposed by electrostatic attraction) and cant reach viscosity. thank you

  • ketchito

    Member
    February 9, 2023 at 6:12 am

    There’s no reason why cationic surfactants would agglomerate in solution due to electrostatic interaction (if anything, they would repel since they have the same charge). Now, are you warming up your water above the melting point of your harder wax? Also, keep in mind that fatty alcohol and cationic surfctants form a gel network…if your ratio is not adequate, those agglomerates could be your fatty alcohols crystalizing out of your system.

  • Roy

    Member
    February 10, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    Thank you for your help

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