Triethanolamine

Triethanolamine, often shortened to TEA, is an organic compound that is both an amine and an alcohol. It is a thick, colourless to pale yellow liquid with a faint ammonia-like smell.

• Formula: C6H15NO3, written N(CH2CH2OH)3
• CAS number: 102-71-6
• Molar mass: about 149.19 g/mol
• Melting point: about 21 °C, so it can turn solid on cold winter days
• Boiling point: about 335 °C
• Solubility: mixes completely with water

It is a weak base. In cosmetics it neutralises acids such as carbomer or stearic acid. With stearic acid it forms TEA-stearate, a soap that acts as an emulsifier in vanishing creams and lotions.

Azlok sells Triethanolamine (99%), listed under cosmetic raw ingredients, so treat it as cosmetic grade material for gels, creams, lotions and shampoos. The 99% refers to purity, not a pack size.

The product name doesn't give a pack size; check the listing for available volumes or weights. See today's price per kg.

• Cosmetics: neutraliser for carbomer gels (hair gels, aloe gels, serums), pH adjuster in creams and lotions, and with fatty acids as an emulsifier in vanishing creams.
• Cleaning products: in some liquid detergents and car shampoos, where it helps form soaps and adjust pH.
• Metalworking: corrosion inhibitor and pH buffer in water-mixed cutting fluids.
• Construction: grinding aid in cement manufacture and accelerator in some concrete admixtures.
• Industry and lab: gas treatment to absorb acidic gases, textile processing, and buffer solutions.

Neutralising a carbomer gel:

1. Disperse the carbomer in water (typically 0.2 to 1%) and let it hydrate fully. It stays thin and cloudy at this stage.
2. Add TEA drop by drop while stirring slowly. Formulators commonly start at about the same weight of TEA as carbomer, then fine-tune.
3. The gel thickens and clears as the pH rises. Stop at about pH 6 to 7 for most skin and hair gels.
4. Check with pH strips or a meter; too much TEA makes the gel alkaline and can thin it again.

Vanishing cream: TEA is added to the water phase and stearic acid to the oil phase; when the hot phases are mixed, they react and form the emulsifier. Published formulas typically use around 1% TEA, but follow a tested formula rather than guessing.

Stir slowly to avoid trapping air. If the TEA has gone solid in winter, warm the closed bottle in warm water.

• It irritates eyes and can irritate skin. Wear safety glasses and gloves when handling the neat liquid.
• If it gets in the eyes, rinse with plenty of water for 15 minutes and seek medical advice.
• Keep it away from strong acids and strong oxidisers.
• Don't use it in formulas with nitrosating agents such as nitrites; TEA can form nitrosamines. Cosmetic rules in several markets restrict TEA for this reason, so check current BIS and CDSCO requirements for finished products.
• Store tightly closed, because it absorbs moisture and darkens with air and light. Keep it in a cool, dark place.
• Patch test any finished skin product on a small area first.
• Keep away from children.
• Small spills can be absorbed with sand or cloth; don't pour neat TEA down the drain.

For gels, creams and shampoos, the 99% cosmetic grade listed here is what you need. Industrial users buying for cement or cutting fluids often use commercial grades, which can contain some diethanolamine; ask for a specification if that matters.

Since only a few drops neutralise a batch of gel, a small pack lasts a home formulator months. Gel and cream makers producing regularly can buy larger packs, but TEA darkens slowly once opened, so buy what you'll use within a reasonable time.

For 25 kg and above, send a bulk inquiry with the grade, quantity and use.