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Diverse Technologies for Polymeric Oil Thickeners

Posted on March 14, 2014 by George Deckner — 11 comments

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Polymeric oil thickeners are useful oil soluble materials that have numerous potential personal care applications. The technologies available are very diverse and include polyesters, hydrophobically modified acrylates / cellulosics, polyolefin, and polyamides (EU: polyesters | acrylates | cellulosics | polyamides).

Typical uses include:

  • Increase lipid deposition from shampoos and body washes.
  • Make stable anhydrous sticks and gels.
  • Improve gloss and shine in lipsticks
  • Stabilize water in oil emulsions.
  • Improve wear of colored cosmetics.
  • Water proof formulations.
  • Boost SPF

Recommended materials:

  • Asensa CL 300 (Ethylene/VA Copolymer-MW 2500) and SC 401(Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer) by Honeywell.
    (EU: Asensa CL 300 | SC 401)
  • Performalene 400 (Polyethylene-MW 400) and Performa V 103 (Synthetic Wax-MW 2900) by New Phase Technologies.
    (EU: Performalene 400 | Performa V 103)
  • Syncrowax ORM (Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate) from Croda is a polyester based wax that that is a anhydrous gellant and also has SPF enhancing benefits.
  • Hostacerin DP (Dextrin Palmitate) from Clariant is a polymeric oil thickener which can gel oils and form clear hard sticks. Good thickening efficiency is seen with mineral oil, Squalane, Polyisobutene, and esters.
    (EU: Clariant)
  • Rheopearl ISK2/ISL2 (Stearoyl Inulin) from Chiba Flour Milling Ltd can produce hard gels with non-polar materials like dimethicone, cyclomethicone, and hydrocarbon based esters.
  • Ethyl cellulose from Dow Chemical and Ashland can be used to effectively gel polar oils such as fragrances.
    (EU: Ashland)
  • Versagels from Calumet Penreco are a series of oil gels thickened using Kraton Polymers (Styrene/Propylene/Ethylene Copolymers) from Kraton Inc.
  • Intellimer IPA 13-6 Polymer (Poly C10-30 alkyl acrylate) from Air Products and Chemicals has a non-tacky, non-greasy skin feel, has an MP of 65C, can thicken water in oil emulsions and can form anhydrous sticks at 10%.
    (EU: Air Products and Chemicals)
  • ST-200 (long chain alkyl polyacrylate) from Nippon Shokubai is a polymeric wax with an MP of 46C that has excellent solubility in a wide range of polarity oils.
  • Arizona Chemical (Croda) sells several polyamides for gelling nonpolar oils. These include OleoCraft LP-20, MP-30, HP-31, and MP-32. These are all amide terminated polyamides. Uniclear 100VG and C75V are ester terminated polyamides.
  • Landec (marketed by Air Products) has developed a series of oil soluble polymers with fatty side chains (Intelimers) that exhibit a sharp change in crystalline properties with temperatures ranging from 0-100C. This change can be used to control adhesion, permeation, and viscosity. Commercialized products for personal care use include IPA 13-6 (poly C10-30 alkyl acrylate-MP 65C) and IPA 13-1 (poly C10-30 alkyl acrylate-MP 48C). Both materials are associative thickeners and will gel oil phases. IPA 13-1 will form excellent sticks at 10% using polar oils having a solubility parameter of around 8-12. These gels also have excellent skin feel and application properties.
    (EU: Intelimers | IPA 13-6 | IPA 13-1)

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Filed Under: Personal Care & Cosmetics

About George Deckner

George Deckner brings over 40 years of experience as a formulating chemist to his role as a personal care and cosmetics industry expert at Prospector. His rich professional background in innovative product development, research, material science and exploratory formulation, as well as a passion for developing products that make people’s lives more comfortable and happy, inform the articles he writes for Knowledge.ULProspector.com.

In addition to lending his industry expertise to Prospector, George consults with personal care and cosmetics suppliers. He founded his consulting practice, Deckner Consulting Services, after retiring from Procter & Gamble in 2013, where he was a Victor Miles Research Fellow. While at Procter and Gamble, he worked in skin care product development, global fragrance development, and most recently oral care product development in the Oral Care Advanced Technology Innovation Group. Before being appointed a Victor Miles Research Fellow, he also served as Associate Director of Exploratory Formulation for skin care product development.

While at Procter & Gamble, George was one of the top inventors, with 354 granted and filed global patents (201 U.S. patents). He helped develop many of the core platform technologies used in skin care today with numerous products commercialized under the Olay, Bain de Soleil, Clearasil, Noxzema and SK2 brands.

Previously, George was a Senior Chemist and Manager in the area of skin care product development, as well as the Director of Exploratory Formulation for Charles of the Ritz Group. During this time, George received the President’s Cup Award for outstanding business contribution and developed numerous marketed skin care products under the Bain de Soleil, Jean Nate, Yves Saint Laurent and Charles of the Ritz Brands.

George is a current member of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and is on the scientific advisory board for Cosmetics & Toiletries Magazine. He is a frequent guest lecturer for numerous key global suppliers, as well as for local and national SCC meetings.

George is an avid tennis player and follower of the sport. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Learn more about Deckner Consulting Services…

11 Responses to “Diverse Technologies for Polymeric Oil Thickeners”

  1. Ngana Ifeanyi says:
    July 14, 2016 at 10:08 am

    pls George,
    which of the oil soluble polymers that can thicken with increase in temperature and loss thickeness when temp. decreases?

  2. John Nikles says:
    April 30, 2019 at 10:17 am

    Need a thickner to use in a heavy aromatic process oil. The viscosity of our oils is at 20 to 30 cst at room temperature. We need to raise it to 90 to 120 cst at room temperature (75oF). can you help. our application will use over 20 million gal. of blended oil per year.

  3. George Deckner says:
    May 1, 2019 at 6:13 am

    Probably the easiest way to do this is to use fumed silica

  4. John Pereira says:
    June 11, 2020 at 8:35 am

    Good Day Mr.Deckner. I wish to thicken Acetone (and perhaps 10% Ethyl Acetate) into a gel containing a hydrocarbon solvent and wax. Carbomers do work but the required water content is too high for my application and neutralisation is too ionic for the hydrocarbon and its wax.Alcohols also reduce effectivity of end use so I’m trying to get as close to pure acetone as possible. I will be testing a less polar neutraliser but would appreciate any suggestions in this regard. Thanks , John

  5. George Deckner says:
    June 12, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    Hi, John:

    Carbomers may gel 100% Acetone if you use Quadrol (BASF) or Ethomeen (NouryonC/25) as a neutralizer. Hydroxypropylcellulose may also gel Acetone.

    Thanks for reading,
    George

  6. Andre Santillana says:
    May 3, 2021 at 4:46 pm

    Dear George Dekner, what kaind of tech can i use for thicken white oils?

  7. George Deckner says:
    May 4, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Hi, Andre.

    You can use fumed silica or low molecular weight polyethylene.

    Thanks for reading!
    George

  8. Ali Sanjari says:
    January 2, 2022 at 2:07 am

    Dear George
    I need a polymeric thickener to gel a mixture of kerosene and mineral oil.
    I want to use this compound to produce automotive polish paste. It should be silicone freeو easy to clean and leave no trace of contamination after cleaning by Nano Fiber cloth.
    what is your best suggestion?

    Best Regard
    Ali

  9. George Deckner says:
    January 6, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    Dear Ali:

    Unfortunately, there are no good options.

    Thanks for reading,
    George

  10. Tracy says:
    January 21, 2022 at 10:16 am

    Hi George

    I want to create a body oil that will suspend mica but close to natural or naturally derived as possible. What’s the best solution? Thank you In advance!

  11. g says:
    February 10, 2022 at 10:29 am

    Dear Tracy:

    Try using fumed silica.

    Thanks for reading!
    George

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