POLYOX™ Water-Soluble resins are high molecular weight water soluble polymers. A long chain poly(ethylene oxide), POLYOX™ is available in a wide range of molecular weights making it an excellent choice for a formulator trying to tailor a specific end viscosity. As a result of its wide ranging compatibility, it is readily used in a variety of applications. It imparts lubricity, binding, water retention, thickening and film formulation.
POLYOX™ differentiates itself from other water soluble thickeners by the high wet tack it imparts, its ability to be used in thermoplastics, and the silky feel it can create in end products.
Imparts lubricity to end products resulting in a silky feel
Tacky when wet with low dry tack
A single grade can function in multiple formulations
Reduces turbulent friction & drag
Effectively separates fines from aqueous systems
Creates gels that are highly water retentive
Useful sacrificial binder
Burns off cleanly during firing
Superior adhesive grab without residual stickiness
Ideal for ionically conductive polymer electrolytes
Can function in certain solvent blends
Can be extruded, injection molded, or cast. Creates films that are flexible and resistant to oil and greases
Reduces splattering and controls drift and misting when sprayed
Information provided in the SDS applies to the United States. For any other country, go to IFF's SDS search or Contact Us.
SDSs issued in Europe are in compliance with all applicable European legislation requirements, including REACH requirements as interpreted by the European Commission.
Due to practical challenges of implementing the SDS changes required by REACH before the start of the Registration process, the European Commission supported the CEFIC position with respect to the following key points:
The manufacturer has implemented the above recommendations of the European Commission. On this basis, our SDSs comply with the REACH requirements as currently defined and interpreted by the European Commission.
The manufacturing facilities in Germany (Stade, Bomlitz, and Bitterfeld-Wolfen) are certified for Environmental Management for ISO 14001.
High Binding Efficiency -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins have high-binding efficiency for pigments, fillers, metal powders and ceramics. These binders easily burn off at low temperatures with little or no tendency to char.
Form Novel Complexes -- The strong hydrogen bonding affinity of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins accounts for the association of these polyethers with various polar compounds, such as phenolic resins, mineral acids, halogens, ureas, lignin sulfonic acids and poly (carboxylic acids). These novel complexes can be discrete chemical entities resulting from very strong intermolecular association and often exhibit properties markedly different from either component.
Crosslinkable -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can be crosslinked to form gels that are highly water-retentive.
Emollient -- When applied to the skin and hair, POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins produce a soft and “silky” feel.
Film Former, Excipient -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can be formed into flexible films both by thermoplastic processing and casting techniques. Such films may be made of POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins alone or blended with a wide variety of other polymers, such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polycaprolactone, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, etc.
Low Toxicity -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins show a very low order of toxicity in animal studies by all routes of exposure. At the maximum practical oral dose to rates of about 2 g/kg of body weight there were no deaths nor signs of toxicity. Because of their high molecular weights, the resins are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and are completely and rapidly eliminated. These resins are neither skin irritants nor sensitizers, nor do they cause eye irritation as the dry powder or as aqueous solutions.
Flocculant Activity -- High molecular weight grades of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins effectively adsorb onto many colloidal materials and perform as efficient flocculating agents. They exhibit a high affinity for a variety of materials, including silica, clays, oxidized coal fines, lignins and paper fines.
Lubricity -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins impart a high degree of lubricity when in contact with water.
Solubility/Thickening of Many Organic Solvents -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are readily soluble in and will thicken a wide variety of organic solvents at various temperatures. Typical organic solvents include most halogenated hydrocarbons, various ketones, alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons and esters. POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are not generally soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, glycols, diols and aliphatic ethers.
Thermoplasticity -- As thermoplastics, POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins are readily calendered, extruded, injection molded, or cast. Sheets and films of this material are heat-sealable and can be oriented to develop high strength. Films are inherently flexible, tough and resistant to most oils and greases. These resins are compatible with many natural and synthetic polymers. The combination of thermoplasticity and aqueous solubility and compatibility with “hydrophobic” polymers (e.g., polyethylene, polycaprolactone, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, etc.) make POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins a valuable asset for degradable plastics applications.
Wet Tack -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins exhibit a high degree of wet tack and, thus, are useful as wet adhesives. The dried residue is non-tacky.
Thickening Power (Aqueous) -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are nonionic and completely water-soluble at all temperatures up to the boiling point of water. Unlike most other high molecular weight, water-soluble resins, they do not exhibit an inverse solubility-temperature relationship, except near the boiling point.
POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are extremely effective thickening agents in both fresh and salt water. Aqueous solutions are pseudoplastic (i.e., shear thinning).
Drag Reduction/Drift Control -- Very low concentrations of the higher molecular weight POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can reduce the turbulent frictional drag of the water in which they are dissolved by as much as 80 percent.
Viscoelasticity -- The flexibility of ether linkages combined with the extremely high molecular weight of POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins produces solutions with elastic behavior. Such solutions will climb a rotating shaft! This property also tends to reduce both the spattering and misting potential of aqueous solutions.
Available in Many Grades -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are supplied in a wide variety of molecular weight grades and formulated compounds in standard and NF (National Formulary) grades.
POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are produced and supplied as white, granular powders, freely soluble in water and possessing a slightly ammoniacal odor. Typical properties are given in table below.
Typical Physical Properties(1) of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins
Appearance |
Off-white powder |
Crystalline Melting Point (2) (X-ray and DSC), °C |
62-67 |
Odor |
Slightly ammoniacal |
Melt Flow Temperature, °C |
>98 |
Volatiles Content, as packaged, % by wt (at 105°C) |
<1.0 |
Alkaline Earth Metals, % by wt as CaO, max |
1.0 |
Powder Bulk Density, lb/ft3 (kg/m3) |
19–37 (304-593) |
Polymer Density, g/cc |
1.15-1.26 |
Moisture Content, as Packaged, % |
<1 |
Heat of Fusion, cal/gm |
33 |
Solution pH |
8-10 |
Particle Size, % by wt |
|
(1) Data listed here are considered to be typical properties, not specifications.
(2) At temperatures far above the crystalline melting point, high polymers of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins
still retain a very high degree of crystalline character.
All POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are sold containing some level of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) antioxidant. You may add additional BHT as needed. The pharmaceutical grades of POLYOX resin contain 100 - 1000 ppm (industrial grades contain 0.1% max) BHT with the exact level depending on the molecular weight of the polymer. Information regarding the presence and level of BHT in the product can be found on the label of the product.
Vitamin E is also used in pharmaceutical applications as an oxidative stabilizer. The typical use level is 500 - 1000 ppm. To achieve good mixing of vitamin E into the POLYOX powder, one can dissolve the vitamin E in a small amount of isopropyl alcohol before mixing it with the POLYOX powder.
In solution, the use of alcohols or glycols (isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, and glycerol) at approximately 5 - 10% wt has the benefit of reducing loss of solution viscosity on aging since these solvents behave as solution viscosity stabilizers.
In industrial applications, a solid stabilizer that can be added to the powder or to solution is 0.1 wt% sodium thiosulfate. Sodium thiosulfate acts as a chlorine scavenger and is most useful for processes using municipal (treated) water.
Grades of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins | |||||
Viscosity Range in mPa - sec (cP) for Various Weight Percentages of Aqueous Solutions at 25°C | Brookfield Viscometer, Model RVF, Spindle No./Speed, rpm | ||||
POLYOX Grade | Approximate Molecular Weight1 | 5% | 2% | 1% | |
WSR N-10 | 100,000 | 12-50 | - | - | 1/50(2) |
WSR N-80 | 200,000 | 65-115 | - | - | 1/50(2) |
WSR N-750 | 300,000 | 600-1000 | - | - | 1/10 |
1000-1200 | 2/10 | ||||
WSR-205 | 600,000 | 4500-8800 | - | - | 2/2 |
WSR-1105 | 900,000 | 8800-17,600 | - | - | 2/2 |
WSR N-12K | 1,000,000 | 400-800 | - | 1/10 | |
WSR N-60K | 2,000,000 | - | 2000-4000 | - | 3/10 |
WSR-301 | 4,000,000 | - | - | 1650-5500 | 2/2 |
WSR Coagulant | 5,000,000 | - | - | 5500-7500 | 2/2 |
WSR-303 | 7,000,000 | - | - | 7500-10,000 | 2/2 |
WSR-308 | 8,000,000 | - | - | 10,000-15,000 | 2/2 |
UCARFLOC Polymer 300 | 4,000,000 | - | - | 1650-5500 | 2/2 |
UCARFLOC Polymer 302 | 5,000,000 | - | - | 5500-7500 | 2/2 |
UCARFLOC Polymer 304 | 7,000,000 | - | - | 7500-10,000 | 2/2 |
UCARFLOC Polymer 309 | 8,000,000 | - | - | 10,000-15,000 | 2/2 |
UCARFLOC Polymer 310 | 10,000,000 | - | - | >15,000 | 2/2 |
POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins NF for Pharmaceutical Applications(3) | |||||
Viscosity Range in mPa - sec (cP) for Various Weight Percentages of Aqueous Solutions at 25°C | Brookfield Viscometer, Model RVF, Spindle No./Speed, rpm | ||||
POLYOX Grade | Approximate Molecular Weight1 | 5% | 2% | 1% | |
WSR N-10 NF | 100,000 | 30-50 | - | - | 1/50(2) |
WSR N-80 NF | 200,000 | 65-90 | - | - | 1/50(2) |
WSR N-750 NF | 300,000 | 600-1200 | - | - | 1/10 |
WSR-205 NF | 600,000 | 4500-8800 | - | - | 2/2 |
WSR-1105 NF | 900,000 | 8800-17,600 | - | - | 2/2 |
WSR N-12K NF | 1,000,000 | 400-800 | - | 1/10 | |
WSR N-60K NF | 2,000,000 | - | 2000-4000 | - | 3/10 |
WSR-301 NF | 4,000,000 | - | - | 1650-5500 | 2/2 |
WSR Coagulant NF | 5,000,000 | - | - | 5500-7500 | 2/2 |
WSR-303 NF | 7,000,000 | - | - | 7500-10,000 | 2/2 |
POLYOX Water Soluble Resins are a class of polymers called polyethers, and as such, can undergo chain cleavage via auto-oxidation. Therefore, these products will degrade to lower molecular weight hence lower solution viscosity. Variables such as time, elevated temperature, and exposure to oxygen can impact the rate at which these polymers degrade. The rate of degradation is also dependant on the grade. Higher molecular weight grades are more sensitive than the lower molecular weight grades.
The rate of auto-oxidation can be minimized through the addition of antioxidants and by controlling storage conditions. POLYOX Water Soluble Resin grades are supplied with atypical range of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) content from 50 to 1000 ppm. BHT is a safe and effective antioxidant for polyethers.
The manufacturer supplies SENTRY POLYOX Water Soluble Resins based on analytical testing to ensure that material is within the viscosity specification. In some cases, extra measures are taken to ensure that product can withstand shipping times and still reach customers well within specification. One measure includes conducting retesting of batches of material to ensure viscosity specification compliance. Improvements have been made to the retest interval of several of our SENTRY POLYOX Water Soluble Resins NF grades. The retest interval for all of our mid molecular weight grades in 140-lb drums is being expanded from 6-months to 12-months.
This change went into effect on July 1, 2016. The SENTRY POLYOX product families are shown below, which include both LEO and non-LEO, FP, and SFP grades:
Product Family | Previous Retest Interval | New Retest Interval |
N10 | 24-months | 24-months (no change) |
N80 | 24-months | 24-months (no change) |
N750 | 6-months | 12-months |
205 | 6-months | 12-months |
1105 | 6-months | 12-months |
N12K | 6-months | 12-months |
N60K | 6-months | 12-months |
301 | 6-months | 12-months |
Coagulant | 6-months | 6-months (no change) |
303 | 6-months | 6-months (no change) |
This change represents a significant response to our most frequently received customer request: longer retest intervals. A multi-year internal study was initiated which resulted in a better understanding of product stability and our ability to extend retest intervals through the use of tighter manufacturing controls. The results of this study support an expansion of the retest intervals for the grades where indicated above.
The material may be used beyond the retest date if appropriate testing and examination shows it is still suitable for use. All other parameters are stable and do not require reevaluation.
The manufacturer does not list the last retest date on certificates of analysis for Standard grades of SENTRY™ POLYOX™ Water Soluble Resins. The result on the certificate analysis does reflect the results from the last testing conducted. With this in mind, it is important not to conclude that material is out of specification or near the end of its shelf-life based on its date of manufacture. As indicated, material is often retested and as such re-qualified following our testing procedures.
IFF and ChemPoint formed a strategic partnership in April 2014 to establish a supply chain model that is designed to meet the needs of today's industrial markets. ChemPoint is the authorized distributor for the following products from IFF: ANTISOL™, ETHOCEL™, METHOCEL™, POLYOX™, and TEXTURECEL™ . The industrial cellulosics team at ChemPoint acts as a fully-integrated extension of IFF to support and facilitate the customer needs from product selection and technical support to order placement and fulfillment. ChemPoint's customer service and supply chain professionals are dedicated to providing on-time delivery and high service levels. Call Us: 8554077176
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