Select a Suitable Thickener for Acid Cleaners

June 1, 2020

Acid cleaners are mainly used to remove mineral deposits, rust stains and hard water deposits. Some are effective in both cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Since they are very irritating to the eyes, skin and throat, it is important for consumers to be extra careful when handling these products. To make them safer to use, formulators try to achieve high end product viscosity to prevent unwanted splashing. However, their extremely low pH poses a challenge to formulators selecting a suitable thickener for acid cleaners. Apart from high viscosity, other favourable properties that such products should have are longer dwell/contact time for vertical cleaning and good spreadability.

Problems with Current Thickening Solutions

Common rheology modifiers work within a narrow pH range and it can be difficult to find one that remains stable in products with extreme pH. Acid cleaners have very low pH. Hence, it is crucial to select thickeners that are stable as instability will shorten product shelf life, causing it to phase out.

Our Solution: Maha CP45

Maha CP 45 is a suitable thickener for acid cleaners and softeners.

Properties:

Thickener and softener for acidic aqueous system
Superior thickening ability in cationic detergents
Superior dispersibility in cold water
Easy to incorporate at any time during the formulation process without prior heating or neutralization
Good compatibility with cationic surfactants

Formulation Guide : Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Phase	Material	Chemical Name	% W/W
A
	Deionized Water	Deionized Water	q.s. to 100
	Hydrochloric Acid, 36%	Hydrochloric Acid	20.0
	Maha CP 45	Acrylamide / (2-acryloxyethyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride copolymer (and) Isoparaffin (and) Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether	4.0

Procedures

Add MAHA CP45 to deionized water.
Add hydrochloric acid with gentle mixing.
Blend until homogeneous.

Formulation Guide : Fabric Softener

Phase	Material	INCI Name	Supplier	% W/W
A
	Deionized Water	Deionized Water		q.s. to 100
	Maha FS90/FS90Y	Dialkylester ammonium methosulfate	Softener	5.56
	Maha CP 45	Acrylamide / (2-acryloxyethyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride copolymer (and) Isoparaffin (and) Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether	Thickener	0.7 – 1.2
	Troycare BD55	DMDM Hydantoin	Preservative	q.s.
	Fragrance	Fragrance		0.2

Procedures

Procedure for formula with Maha FS90:

Mix Maha FS90 and water, heat to 50-60℃, stir until uniform; or heat Maha FS90 drum in heating room at 50-60℃, then heat water to 50-60℃, mix water and Maha FS90 90 to uniform.
Cool to 45 ℃，
Dilute Maha CP 45 to 5% solution, add into system, stir until uniform.
Add the rest into system, stir until uniform.

Procedure for formula with Maha FS90Y:

Mix Maha FS90Y and water at 25℃ or higher temperature, stir for 1-2 hours until uniform.
Dilute Maha CP 45 to 5% solution, add into system, stir until uniform.
Add the rest into system, stir until uniform.