My question is,what actually is carbopol chemical thickner used for and how efficient is it .?

Question

Is it very efficient for the thickning of Liquid soap,i want to use it for the thickning of Liquid soap,what is the normal usage and what would be the yield of finish product,is there any side effect for it usage,thanks

Answer 1

Carbopol® is a registered trademark of Noveon, Inc. (formerly B.F. Goodrich Co.) for a family of polymers that are used as thickeners, suspending agents and stabilizers. They are utilized in a wide variety of personal care products, pharmaceuticals and household cleaners. Most Carbopol polymers are high molecular weight acrylic acid chains, usually crosslinked, and are available as powders or liquids.

Carbopol is used as a thickener in lotions, creams and gels. It is also used to stabilize, suspend, and control the release of pharmaceutical products. At low concentrations, suspensions flow easily with a slippery feel. At higher concentrations, high viscosity varieties form gels that are pseudoplastic. At rest, the batch has a very high viscosity and resistance to flow. When shear force is applied by a mixer or pump, the apparent high viscosity is reduced.

The typical powder is very light and fluffy, forming clouds of airborne dust if not handled carefully. It tends to float on water, requiring a good vortex to wet out. Once wet, it swells quickly impating high viscosity. Different varieties produce varying viscosities, but most are used below 1% concentration. The crosslinked polymers are not actually water soluble, but swell into hydrated spheres that give the product its rheological properties.

As with many gums, Carbopol will form clumps, commonly referred to as "fisheyes", if not mixed correctly