Ciba® SALCARE® SC 81Documentation

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

Ciba^® SALCARE^® SC 81 is a highly cross linked acrylic thickener with small particle size which provides an excellent suspension property after neutralization.

Ciba^® SALCARE^® SC 81 exhibits pseudoplastic flow behavior with a high yield value. A little thixotropy is observed.

Main applications

• Gel thickener
• Suspension aid
• Pseudoplastic flow properties
• Suitable for clear gels and exfoliating applications and as a stabilizer for emulsions

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.