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  • Neutralising agents

    Posted by LuisJavier on December 24, 2019 at 10:33 pm

    Why do people often use sodium hydroxide to neutralise carbomer solutions? I have sodium bicarbonate at home and I’ve been told this would work too. Is it due to a price difference? pH difference between the two chemicals? Electrolytes?

    LuisJavier replied 4 years, 8 months ago 3 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • LuisJavier

    Member
    December 24, 2019 at 10:51 pm

    What is your favourite carbomer?

  • EVchem

    Member
    December 27, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    Sodium Hydroxide is a much stronger base, you’ll need less of it compared to sodium bicarb. 

    Most of the ultrez series are fine, depends on your application. I don’t like that 940 is still around because it is processed with benzene and there can be residual left behind.

  • LuisJavier

    Member
    December 27, 2019 at 6:26 pm

    Isn’t residual benzene about as harmful as residual ethylene oxide or 1,4 dioxane in ethoxylated compounds such as phenoxyethanol or phenylethyl alcohol which is a reaction between benzene and ethylene oxide if I remember correctly, PEG-100 Stearate etc?
    I think I will possibly end up going with one of the Ultrez polymers. Does niacinamide count as an electrolyte? I mean, it dissolves really well in water so I was wondering if it breaks up into ions?  

  • LuisJavier

    Member
    December 27, 2019 at 6:36 pm

    Also what solvents are Sepimax ZEN made with? I’ve been looking online but haven’t found the answer as of yet.

  • Ichlas

    Member
    January 23, 2020 at 1:03 am

    Also what solvents are Sepimax ZEN made with? I’ve been looking online but haven’t found the answer as of yet.

    It’s t-Butyl Alcohol and Water

  • EVchem

    Member
    January 23, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    @LuisJavier I’d rather take dioxane than benzene any day of the week.

    As far as I know dioxane is considered possibly carcinogenic, and definitely bad for the environment. There are suggested limits for exposure

    Benzene is a confirmed carcinogen, and associated with a host of other conditions. There is  no safe concentration.

  • LuisJavier

    Member
    January 23, 2020 at 5:35 pm

    EVchem said:

    @LuisJavier I’d rather take dioxane than benzene any day of the week.

    As far as I know dioxane is considered possibly carcinogenic, and definitely bad for the environment. There are suggested limits for exposure

    Benzene is a confirmed carcinogen, and associated with a host of other conditions. There is  no safe concentration.

    Very interesting! I read somewhere that a lot of the negative health effects seen among the children born to the Vietnamese who were exposed to agent orange was due to the dioxane impurity in the process of making the agent orange (the producers weren’t too concerned in purity).

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