SALCARE polymers product range

Micro Particulate Thickening Systems (MPTS) deliver an effective thickening effect to personal care formulations at concentrations of 1-4%. In addition, because the activator remains outside the swollen particle, further oils and silicones can be readily emulsified without the need for calculation of HLB, heat, neutralization or additional emulsifiers.

This means that the thickener can be used to produce cold-process emulsions with reduced manufacturing time; and two phases can be mixed in one vessel prior to addition of the thickener. When applied to the skin, the MPTS provides a smoothing effect due to the decrease in surface roughness from the polymer particles, coupled with the slipping properties observed as particles that move over each other.  

Ciba^® SALCARE^® Liquid Dispersion Polymers contain three main constituent ingredients:

• A dispersed polymer phase  
• A continuous carrier phase  
• An activator  

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

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.