Industrial grade, food grade, pharmaceutical grade Tween 80 CAS 9005-65-6

What is Tween 80 (Polysorbate 80)? What are its industrial applications?

1. What is Tween 80?

Tween 80, also known as polysorbate 80 or Tween 80, is a polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate. It is one of the most widely used nonionic emulsifiers in the food and cosmetics industries. Its chemical formula is usually written as:

C64H124O26 (average molecular formula, CAS No.: 9005-65-6, EINECS No.: 500-019-9)

At room temperature, it is a pale yellow to orange-yellow viscous oily liquid with a slightly characteristic odor and a slightly bitter and astringent taste. It is easily soluble in water, ethanol, methanol, and ethyl acetate, but insoluble in mineral oil and vegetable oil. With an HLB value of about 15, it belongs to the hydrophilic oil-in-water (O/W) type emulsifier.

From a molecular structure perspective, Tween 80 is obtained by the addition of sorbitan monooleate and 20 ethylene oxide units: the long oleic acid chain (C18:1) provides lipophilicity, and the polyoxyethylene chain provides hydrophilicity. This amphiphilic structure of “hydrophilic head + lipophilic tail” endowed it with unique application logic, which could greatly decrease the interfacial tension between oil and water, and stably disperse oil droplets in water to form oil-in-water emulsion.

Tween 80 is chemically stable and resistant to acids and alkalis, but it is hygroscopic and may slowly oxidize and deteriorate with prolonged storage. Low irritation. The different grades of products have different requirements for purity and impurity control, and industrial grade products cannot be mixed with food grade products.

Industrial grade Tween 80 means Tween 80 products intended for use in food processing, cosmetics, and industrial formulations. In general they are classified by use into food-grade (E433), cosmetic-grade and industrial-grade. Compared with reagent grade products, industrial grade products pay more attention to the following indicators:

Saponification value

The saponification value is a measure of the degree of esterification and composition of the product . Industrial grade usually calls for 45-55 and this will have a direct impact on how well the emulsification works.

Hydroxyl value

The hydroxyl value reflects the degree of addition of the polyoxyethylene chain, and is generally required to be 65–80, which is closely related to the HLB value.

acid value

The acid value indicated the free acid content and a low value (usually ≤2) was required. If the acid value is too high it will affect the stability of the formula and quality of the product.

Moisture

Generally, the moisture content should be ≤3%, as high moisture content will affect emulsification performance and storage stability.

Color and appearance

The color should be pale yellow to amber, uniform and without layering; abnormal color often indicates oxidation or deterioration.

HLB value and emulsifying properties

The HLB value of around 15 is a crucial indicator of the emulsifying properties of Tween 80 as an O/W emulsifier and has a direct impact on the emulsification performance and formulation selection.

What are the applications of industrial-grade Tween 80?

Industrial-grade Tween 80, with its amphiphilic structure of "hydrophilic head + lipophilic tail" and hydrophilic properties of HLB≈15, is widely used in the food, cosmetics, and industrial formulation fields.

1. Food emulsifiers (core application)

Food emulsifier E433 is Tween 80. It is used in the ice cream, dairy products, salad dressings, baked goods, beverages etc. It promotes dispersion of oil and water, stabilizes emulsions, inhibits formation of ice crystals and separation of oil, and enhances flavor and texture.

2. Cosmetic emulsifiers (core application)

Tween 80 is a common O/W emulsifier used in cosmetics used in products such as face creams, lotions, makeup removers and sunscreens to help form a stable and delicate lotion texture .

3. Industrial emulsion polymerization

Tween 80 can be used as a surfactant, emulsifier and stabilizer in emulsion polymerization, and it is involved in the production of polymer products such as synthetic resins, latexes and adhesives.

4. Agrochemicals

Tween 80 can be used as emulsifier and wetting agent in pesticide formulations such as emulsifiable concentrates (EC) and suspension concentrates (SC). This helps to distribute active ingredients of pesticides evenly and increase their efficiency.

5. Paints, inks, and cleaning agents

Tween 80 is a dispersing and emulsifying agent in water based coatings, inks and industrial cleaning agents to aid formulation stabilization and removal of oil stains.

6. Oilfield chemicals

Tween 80 is utilized as emulsifier, wetting agent, demulsification-related additive in oilfield development, in drilling fluids, oil production and other processes.

7. Biotechnology and Others

Tween 80 can be used for defoaming and emulsification in cell culture, textile auxiliaries, and other applications. With the development of fine chemicals, its application scope continues to expand.

Summarize

Tween 80, or polysorbate 80 (C64H124O26, CAS No. 9005-65-6), is a pale yellow to orange-yellow viscous oily liquid, produced by the addition reaction of sorbitan monooleate with 20 ethylene oxide molecules. With an HLB value of approximately 15, it is one of the most widely used nonionic oil-in-water emulsifiers. In daily life, we encounter it through food products such as ice cream (E433), and cosmetics. In industry, food-grade, cosmetic-grade, and industrial-grade Tween 80 are widely used in food emulsification, cosmetic emulsification, emulsion polymerization, agrochemicals, paints and inks, oilfield chemicals, and biotechnology, serving as a multifunctional amphiphilic molecule bridging "surfactant chemistry" with "food, cosmetics, and industry."