Propoxylates

What propoxylates are

Propoxylates are surfactants and polyols made by adding propylene oxide to an alcohol, glycol, amine, oil or alkyl phenol. Adding PO lowers foam, lowers cloud point in water and increases oil solubility compared with a straight ethoxylate of similar chain length. Dyna Glycols manufactures mixed EO/PO grades on the same alkoxylation plant used for ethoxylates.

This page is for PO-containing alkoxylates specified by starter and PO (or EO/PO) moles. Named L/P/F block copolymers with a locked %EO architecture are listed under EO/PO block copolymers. Order the page that matches how the existing TDS is written.

How Dyna Glycols manufactures propoxylates

PO, or EO and PO in a defined sequence, is added to the named starter. In-process control covers hydroxyl value, cloud point, viscosity, colour and water. Random butanol EO/PO copolymers and fatty-alcohol EO/PO grades are routine catalogue points.

Bisphenol A-2 mole PO and aminopolyols are specialty starters for coatings and rigid-foam adjacent polyols. They are specified by hydroxyl number, not by a detergent HLB.

Typical grades in this range

Name the starter and whether the chain is PO-only, random EO/PO or a block. Typical points are listed below.

• Fatty alcohol EO/PO: tridecyl, lauryl, decyl, oleyl-cetyl, oleyl, stearyl
• Glycerol polyol ~4800 MW; aminopolyol; bisphenol A-2 mole PO
• Random butanol EO/PO about 1450, 1650 and 4000 MW
• Castor oil EO/PO and nonyl phenol EO/PO
• Polyglycol L/P/F and reverse-block equivalents — see also the EO/PO block copolymer page

Where propoxylates are used

Low-foam wetting in jets, CIP, bottle wash and high-pressure cleaners is the usual reason to add PO. Rinse aids and defoaming-adjacent knockdown use reverse-block or high-PO grades.

Agro, coatings and oilfield intermediates use mixed alkoxylates when a straight ethoxylate foams too much or clouds too high. Polyol grades feed PU and coatings cross-linkers.

If APEO must be absent, do not order nonyl phenol EO/PO. Ask for a fatty-alcohol propoxylate in a similar foam window and run a paired trial.

How to specify propoxylates

Send starter, PO moles or EO/PO ratio, block vs random, hydroxyl or cloud point, foam test and APEO policy. For a polyol, send hydroxyl number, functionality and viscosity.

If the current grade is written as L-61 or 17R4, order from the EO/PO block copolymer page with those identity tests.

Quality, documents and supply

Lots are released against hydroxyl value, cloud point or viscosity, pH, water and colour. SDS and COA follow verification. Foam must be checked in the customer bath, not only in deionised water.

Warm pastes until uniform. Keep containers closed. Follow the SDS.

Practical notes on propoxylates

PO addition is still alkoxylation chemistry on the Kandla plant. The starter and the EO/PO sequence change foam more than a small MW shift.

Related pages: EO/PO block copolymers, alkoxylates, ethoxylates, paper chemicals, paints. Request a sample with the foam test and the oil or fibre.

Random copolymers do not match a block copolymer of the same overall EO percentage. Architecture belongs on the purchase specification.

Pour point of high-PO grades can be low, which is useful in cold agro solvents. State the winter handling temperature.

Hydroxyl value is the identity test for polyols. Freeze it once a trial lot is approved.

English is the source language for PO-mole and block-order claims.

Ordering and evaluating propoxylates

Send the application, the analytical window and the pack size when you request a laboratory sample of propoxylates. SDS, TDS and COA follow a short company check. Handle and store the grade as the SDS describes.