Ciba® SALCARE® SC 80 Documentation

Ciba^® SALCARE^® Gel Thickeners consist of two products based on acrylic chemistry with different rheological properties.

Ciba^® SALCARE^® SC 80 is a highly cross linked acrylic copolymer and an associative thickener due to the presence of long chain hydrophobic groups. Thickening is achieved by chain entanglement and micelle formation when neutralized with an inorganic or organic alkaline base.

Main applications   

• Associative thickener  
• Provides clear gels and hydrogels  
• Pseudo-plastic flow properties
• For use in liquid soaps, shampoos, hair gels and other clear gels

Both are ideal for formulating clear gel products and can be used on their own or in combination to provide associative thickening with suspension characteristics. They are supplied as aqueous emulsions with a pH of around 3.5. In the acid form, the products do not significantly swell because of the limited solubilizing power of the acid groups. On neutralization, electrical repulsion between the anionic groups within the molecule causes the polymer chains to uncoil, leading to instantaneous thickening.