Carbomer 940 vs 941: What to Know

If you’re in the business of distributing products like lotions, gels, creams, and sanitizers, chances are you’ve heard of carbomer 940, as well as carbomer 941. But since the two are relatively similar, you may be confused in regards to the differences between each one.

Although they share similarities, they are much different and affect products differently. Take a look at the information below to learn more about the contrast between carbomer 940 and carbomer 941.

What are Carbomers?

Carbomers are a significant class of materials that should be familiar to each formulator. They are acrylic acid crosslinked polymers with a high molecular weight with molecular weights of up to 4 billion Daltons. Without the crosslinks, the polymer will be a series of physically interconnected but not chemically bound linear polymer chains.

Carbomers are polymerized into ethyl acetate, cyclohexane, and Pentaerythritol Polyallylether and Polyallyl Sucrose are widely used crosslinking agents.

What is Carbomer 940?

Carbomer 940, used to improve viscosity. It’s also a gelling agent, or suspension agent, is a polyvinyl carboxy polymer. Carbomer 940 is cross-linked with pentaerythritol ethers and is mainly used in systems requiring sparkling clarity or a sharp viscosity response. When applied to formulations, it gives exceptional softness and glide, comparable to glycols.

It’s also possible to use Carbomer 940 powder to thicken surfactant systems and to manufacture suspension products. When you need to suspend heavy particles, it is excellent.

In fact, viscosity has little to do with a product’s ability to suspend objects like beads or capispheres of jojoba. A gel with the same consistency of jello will cause the beads to rise or fall. This is because the carbomer forms a network that can very easily trap and suspend the beads.

What is Carbomer 941?

The polymer Carbomer 941 is a white powder polymer crosslinked with polyacrylic acid. It is designed to suspend, stabilize, and improve the appearance of low viscosity personal care items. It offers outstanding low viscosity emulsion and suspension stability. It is suggested for use in a range of applications for personal care, including transparent gels, hydro-alcoholic gels, and lotions. Below are some of its advantages

  • Excellent freeze-thaw and high-temperature stability in oil-in-water emulsions at low concentrations
  • Gels made with this polymer have outstanding transparency.
  • Long flow qualities
  • Poor relative viscosity and elevated value of yield
  • Medium tolerance to ions and poor tolerance to shearing

Now that you know the difference between the two carbomers, follow the highlighted link to find Carbomer 940 products.

Carbomer 940 vs 941

It’s easy to see why carbomer 940 and carbomer 941 are often confused. But the two have individual qualities that affect products in various ways. You can expect for the carbomer 940 solubility and carbomer 940 toxicity to be opposite from that of carbomer 941. 

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