Castor Oil Ethoxylate EL32: A Versatile Nonionic Emulsifier Serving Cleaning, Oilfield, Agrochemical, Asphalt and Mineral Processing Industries

EL32, chemically named castor oil ethoxylate, is a nonionic surfactant with CAS No. 61791-12-6. It is synthesized by the addition polymerization of natural castor oil with ethylene oxide at an approximate molar ratio of 1:32. The lipophilic segment originates from the glyceride skeleton of ricinoleic acid in castor oil, while the hydrophilic segment consists of 32 ethylene oxide (EO) units. The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance achieved by these 32 EO units endows EL32 with excellent emulsification, dispersion, solubilization, wetting, lubrication and antistatic properties. It has an HLB value of approximately 11.5–12.5, classified as a typical O/W (oil-in-water) emulsifier, and appears as a yellow to brownish-yellow free-flowing liquid.Different from petroleum-based surfactants, EL32 adopts renewable vegetable oil as feedstock, featuring low toxicity and ready biodegradability. Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent global environmental regulations on chemical products, these attributes constitute its core competitive advantage over conventional auxiliaries, making it a natural candidate for green and sustainable fine chemical development.

The universal applicability of a surfactant largely depends on its compatibility with diverse formulation systems. EL32 stands out as a multi-purpose auxiliary owing to the following core performance characteristics:

“Agrochemical formulation” represents the most mature application field for EL32. In emulsifiable concentrates (EC), oil-in-water emulsions (EW), suspoemulsions (SE) and microemulsions (ME), EL32 acts as an efficient emulsifier, dispersant and co-solvent. It improves the dissolution and dispersion uniformity of technical materials in organic solvents, enhances spreading, adhesion and penetration of spray liquids on crop foliage, raises the utilization rate of active ingredients and reduces pesticide residues.

In the “cleaning industry”, EL32 combines mildness with strong solubilizing power. It rapidly emulsifies and solubilizes greasy soils, features easy rinsing and low residue. It can be used for industrial hard-surface and equipment cleaning, as well as a solubilizer for lipophilic additives in detergents.

For “oilfield operations and mineral processing”, EL32 serves as an emulsifier and dispersant in drilling fluids, produced water treatment chemicals and flotation reagent systems. It modifies oil-water interfacial properties to boost operational efficiency.

“Asphalt emulsification” is another key market where Qixuan Chemical has built solid expertise. EL32 can be incorporated as the nonionic component in emulsifier packages for preparing slow-set and medium-set bitumen emulsions.

Beyond the above core sectors, EL32 is applied as a penetrant, levelling agent, softener and antistatic agent in textile printing and dyeing; it is used for pigment dispersion and rheology modification in coatings and inks. Its application scope also covers leather processing, papermaking and emulsion polymerization.

Castor oil ethoxylate is widely available on the market, yet Qixuan’s EL32 carries distinctive merits. Supported by self-optimized production processes, the company implements strict inter-batch inspection on critical technical indicators including viscosity, hydroxyl value, cloud point and water solubility. The product delivers high purity and outstanding batch consistency, with performance benchmarking leading international equivalents.Moreover, Qixuan Chemical boasts large-scale continuous production capacity and flexible fast-delivery channels. Bulk domestic and export orders are acceptable, and targeted formulation tuning service together with full-process technical support are provided to secure the stability of downstream supply chains.

Amid the global transformation of fine chemicals toward greenness, high added value and customization, castor oil ethoxylate EL32 derived from plant resources is witnessing sustained demand growth. Focused on the surfactant business, Shanghai Qixuan Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. will keep optimizing EL32 and other flagship products, expanding its application in high-value scenarios. The company is committed to delivering efficient, eco-friendly and reliable auxiliary solutions for the cleaning, oilfield, agrochemical, asphalt and mineral processing industries.