Polysorbate 20 Chemical Properties

Melting point:

98.9 °C (decomp)

Boiling point:

100 °C

Density 

1.11 g/mL at 20 °C

vapor pressure 

<1.4 hPa (20 °C)

FEMA 

2915 | POLYSORBATE 20

refractive index 

n20/D 1.468(lit.)

Flash point:

>230 °F

storage temp. 

Store below +30°C.

solubility 

100 g/L

form 

viscous liquid

color 

Amber

Specific Gravity

1.090～1.130 (20/20℃)

PH

6-8 (50g/l, H2O, 20℃)

PH Range

7

Odor

mild alcohol odor

Odor Type

alcoholic

Water Solubility 

100 g/L

Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB)

16.7

Stability:

Stable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.

EPA Substance Registry System

Polysorbate 20 (9005-64-5)

Safety Information

Hazard Codes 

Xi

Risk Statements 

22-36/37/38-37/38-41

Safety Statements 

24/25-36/37/39-36-26

WGK Germany 

1

RTECS 

TR7400000

F 

10-23

TSCA 

Yes

HS Code 

34021300

Hazardous Substances Data

9005-64-5(Hazardous Substances Data)

Toxicity

LD50 orally in Rabbit: 38900 mg/kg

MSDS

• Language:English Provider:Tween 20
• Language:English Provider:SigmaAldrich
• Language:English Provider:ACROS
• Language:English Provider:ALFA

Polysorbate 20 Usage And Synthesis

Description

Tween 20, whose common commercial names includes Alkest TW 20 and Polysorbate 20, is a mild nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan before the addition of lauric acid which is a medium-chain fatty acid found mainly in coconut oil. It is allowed to be used as the emulsifier, detergent, dispersant, solvent and stabilizer, etc. in a number of fields such as pharmaceutical, chemical, food, textile and other industries due to its stability and relative non-toxicity.
Tween 20 is widely applied in biological techniques and sciences, which can be added to buffers and reagents for immunohistochemistry, such as Western blots and ELISAs, helping to prevent non-specific antibody binding, decrease background staining and enhance reagent spreading. Besides, Tween 20 also has applications in food production as a common food grade additive which are found in many consumables on the market today. It can also be used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops such as Ice Drops, in oral or non-gastrointestinal suspensions and in rubber balers in the elastomer industry.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysorbate_20
http://www.organic-creations.com/thickeners-stabilizers/599-polysorbate-20

Chemical Properties

Polysorbate 20 is a mixture of laurate partial esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides condensed with approximately 20 mole of ethylene oxide (C2H4O) for each mole of sorbitol and its mono- and dianhydrides. It has a faint, characteristic odor and a warm, somewhat bitter taste.

Chemical Properties

Yellow liquid

Uses

Used for solubilizing membrane proteins during isolation and purification.Polysorbate 20 is used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops. It acts as a washing agent in Western blots and ELISAs and prevents antibody binding. It is a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins. In pharmaceutical chemistry, it is used as an excipient to stabilize emulsions and suspensions. Further, it is used as a dispersing agent, stabilizer, lubricator and also used in creams, salves, ointments, protective creams, balms, pomades, lipsticks, mascaras and glosses.

Uses

polysorbate 20 is a solubilizer, emulsifier, viscosity modifier, and stabilizer of essential oils in water.

Preparation

polysorbate 20 is prepared by condensing the partial esters of sorbitol and its anhydrides with ethylene oxide to effect an oxyethylene copolymerization at the free hydroxyl groups.

Definition

ChEBI: Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20) is a polymer composed of PEG-ylated sorbitan, where the total number of poly(ethylene glycol) units is 20 (w + x + y + z = 20) and a single terminal is capped by a dodecanoyl group. It is a surfactant and emulsifier used in cleaners and personal care products.

brand name

Tween 20 (ICI Americas).

General Description

Polysorbate 20 is a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant generally used as emulsifiers, dispersing agent and solubilizer.

Health effects

Polysorbate 20 was a skin irritant in dermatitis patients but was reported not to induce irritant responses when applied to the intact skin of health volunteers. It produced, at worst, minimal irritation in the eyes of rabbits. Only a small number of cases of skin sensitization have been reported in humans, although a moderate to strong sensitizing potential was seen in guinea-pigs treated by intradermal injection.

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Safety Profile

Moderately toxic by intravenous route. Mddly toxic by ingestion. A human skin irritant. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

Polysorbate 20(9005-64-5)Related Product Information

• Cremophor EL
• Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether
• Span 80
• POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOOLEYL ETHER
• Polyethylene Glycol Monocetyl Ether
• Span 20
• EMULSIFIER
• Tween 60
• Polyethylene Glycol
• alkyl phenyl polyoxyethylene ether
• polysorbate 40
• Triton X-100
• Sorbitol
• Span 60
• Tween 80
• HEPTAETHYLENE GLYCOL MONODODECYL ETHER
• TWEEN 65
• Tween 85