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Laureth-4 separation
I am having some issues with the separtation of Laureth-4. It is separating into two layers- clear on top and milky white on bottom. I have already tried to heat with mixing to get the two phases to go back together, but what I end up with is a white precipatate at the bottom of a clear solution. Is this white precipitate laurel alcohol, and is the product still good? Any help with this would be appreciated!
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6 Replies
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While I have not used Laureth-4, I do use Laureth-23 in a couple of my products.Could you give a bit more detail about the formulation in which the Laureth-4 is separating? -
Guess @DandyFormulator is talking about separation in the material on storage, happens when the temperature goes down below 25C, this is mentioned in the literature supplied. But they have not mentioned anything about the salvage of the material. I would be interested too if any solution exists for such situation. -
@Milliachemist is correct. It is happening on storage of the material. I think the laurel alcohol is separating and precipitating out. Is it still salvegable?
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If you’ve already tried gently heating and stirring, try it again at 70 - 80C. If that doesn’t work, you will have to scrap the material.
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Are you working with a water-based system? If so, you might try moving up the food chain and using a Laureth with more EO units which will have a higher HLB and better solubility in water.
Best you contact the tech service dept. of the manufacturer of the Laureth for help. I would be interested in what they tell you. -
Thanks everyone! I will let you know what I find.
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