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The RLM45 CA experiment
I use Kao’s surfactant, AKYPO RLM45 CA in my sulphate-free shampoo. LAURETH-6 CARBOXYLIC ACID (INCI) and being an acid, I have to neutralise it, normally using NaOH.
Today I thought, what will happen if I use TEA instead?
So I prepared a 30% solution and titrated with TEA until pH=5. (The starting pH = 2)
It was rather foamy so I left it to settle down and went out. A couple of hours later I returned and found this (see image). It is completely solid. The line of bubbles in the middle is where I had a glass stirring rod in it…
Anyway I tried breaking off a piece and using it as a hand soap and it was rather nice, lots of foam.
I suppose this is laureth-6 carboxy amide? Or what?
Quite an odd result, I wasn’t expecting quite this level of viscosity…If anyone wants to know, it takes 23g of TEA to neutralise 100g of RLM45 CA to pH5. The result is not quite clear.
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5 Replies
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According to these Kao tech papers
There’s no Nitrogen atom in their formulas, so there are no amides.
IMO it has to do with it being not too soluble given the high concentration 30%.
I got similar results neutralizing Oleic acid with Sodium hydroxide: a thick paste floating at the top.
You may wish to use Potassium hydroxide to neutralize it
as its salts are more soluble than Sodium ones,
and Sodium more soluble than Triethanolammonium ones in turn. -
Good thinking. If I can get higher viscosity by using TEA as the neutraliser I will use it, because right now I have to use 3% of Glucamate VLT to thicken it, and that’s an expensive thickener. But first I will have to make an experimental batch to see how the sensorials and hair results come out.
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I use 1.5% arlypon TT from BASF to achieve the same thing as the glucamate vlt. will try using tea this afternoon on a small batch.
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@Belassi, how did the experiment with the TEA work on the RLM 45CA? I have the fortunate situation to have acquired a couple of 25l drums of this from an Indian supplier and am keen to try some out.
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Quite satisfactory. However it needs quite a lot of TEA to neutralise, so I suspect it might be a rather expensive option.
When you try using RLM45, don’t forget the very high active content, you won’t need to use a lot compared with using 30% SLS or SLES.
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