Carbopol in hand sanitizer mixture

 Carbopol

In the cosmetic industry, Carbopol is used as a thickener in lotions, creams and gels. It is also used to stabilize, suspend, and control the release of pharmaceutical products. At low concentrations, suspensions flow easily with a slippery feel. At higher concentrations, high viscosity varieties form gels that are pseudoplastic. At rest, the batch has a very high viscosity and resistance to flow. When shear force is applied by a mixer or pump, the apparent high viscosity is reduced.

The typical powder is very light and fluffy, forming clouds of airborne dust if not handled carefully. It tends to float on water, requiring a good vortex to wet out. Once wet, it swells quickly creating high viscosity. Different varieties produce varying viscosities, but most are used below 1% concentration. The crosslinked polymers are not actually water soluble, but swell into hydrated spheres that give the product its rheological properties.

As with gums, Carbopol form fisheyes if not mixed correctly. The Rotosolver is a top entry high shear mixer that is widely used to disperse these materials quickly, eliminating clumps without damaging the polymer with overshear.

Making the sanitizer

Making a carbopol gel

To make an alcohol gel with carbopol, you first dissolve the carbopol in the water. It takes a while to get the particles to dissolve. (Ideally, you’d want to use a magnetic stirrer and keep it stirring until the carbopol is fully dissolved and while adding the alcohol.)

Warning

Be careful not to breathe in the carbopol powder when mixing.

Once the carbopol is dissolved in the water, add the alcohol. The mixture will be very thin. That’s because we need to adjust the pH for the carbopol to work!

Add some triethanolamine to bring the pH up. You should notice that it thickens up immediately. If the carbopol wasn’t completely dissolved, it may take longer for the mixture to gel. It should thicken up further as the carbopol completely dissolves over the next hours.

Now you can add the glycerin and any chosen essential oils.

Store your gel in a silicone tube, pump dispenser, or small bottle with a flip cap top for the most convenient dispensin

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Note!!!! The procedure here may be a little different from what you meet during the project so... Lol

How effective are the disinfectant gels against the spread of the coronavirus?

For this reason, the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) published an instruction manual to prepare an antibacterial gel in 15 minutes in a simple and economic way.

Utensils:

Small funnel

Eyedropper

A spoon

One teaspoon

A fine-mesh sieve

A plastic bottle with a dosing cap

Making your own antibacterial gel

These are the steps to follow:

Ingredients:

½ liter of boiled, distilled or bottled water

½ litre ethyl alcohol 70 degrees GL

10 grams of carbopol 940

1 teaspoon triethanolamine

Your own DIY antibacterial gel

Procedure:

Sift the carbopol in a container.

In a bottle with a codifying cap add the ½ liter of boiled distilled or bottled water, then add the sifted carbopol, cover the bottle and shake vigorously until no lumps are observed.

Pour the ½ litre ethyl alcohol 70 degrees GL, close the cap and shake until the ingredients are incorporated.

Finally, add the teaspoon of triethanolamine and shake until the right consistency is obtained.

Expiration:

Domestic antibacterial gel technology has a one-year shelf life.

Recommendations:

Store in a cool and dry place to avoid evaporation of the alcohol, which kills germs and microbes.