What is the difference between Tween-20 and Tween-80?

What is Tween chemical ？

Polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, scientific name of Tween, is amber viscous liquid to yellow waxy substance, divided into food grade, medical grade and industrial grade, suitable for pharmaceutical industry, food industry, cosmetics industry, etc.

Tween suitable as oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifiers, solvents, dispersants, stabilizers, antistatic agents, lubricants and cleaners.

Tween is a non-ionic surfactant with odor, widely used as emulsifier and solubilizer for oily substances, it has strong hydrophilicity.

Tween Specifications:

Specification	Exterior (25℃)	Hydroxyl value (mgKOH/g)	Saponification value (mgKOH/g)	Acid value (mgKOH/g)	Moisture (%)	HLB value	proportion
T-20	amber viscous liquid	90～110	40～50	≤2.0	≤3	16.5	1.08～1.13
T-40	yellowish waxy solid	85～100	40～55	≤2.0	≤3	15.5	1.05～1.10
T-60	yellowish waxy solid	80～105	40～55	≤2.0	≤3	14.5	1.05～1.10
T-80	Amber viscous oil	65～82	43～55	≤2.0	≤3	15	1.06～1.09

What are the Tween chemical used for?

1.Emulsify protein:

In biological experiments, Tween and the same type of Triton X-100 (polyethylene glycol octyl phenyl ether) non-ionic detergent do not destroy the structure of the protein, and can reduce the impact on the protein. destruction of the original interaction.

2.oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifier :

Make other substances evenly dispersed in the solution, mainly used in pesticides, food and cosmetics. Combined with other emulsifiers such as sodium lauryl sulfate or Span, it can increase the stability of the emulsion.

Tween can be used to emulsify essential oils and dissolve them in aqueous liquids for full effect. Relatively speaking, Tween 20 is milder, and Tween 80 is more emulsifying.

3.Medicinal use:

(1) It can be used as a solubilizer for certain drugs.

(2) It has hemolytic effect, and Tween-80 has the weakest effect.

(3) The aqueous solution can be turbid after heating, and clear after cooling, without affecting the quality.

(4) Can interfere with the action of bacteriostatic agents in solution

Tween 80 vs Tween 20

Tween 20：

It is easily soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and other solvents, insoluble in dynamic and mineral oil, and has the properties of emulsifying, diffusing, solubilizing, and stabilizing.

This product is harmless to the human body and has no irritation. It is mainly used in the production of cakes, ice cream, shortening, etc. in the food industry.

In other respects, it can be used as an emulsifier for mineral oil, a solvent for dyes, an emulsifier for cosmetics, a stabilizer for foamed plastics, an emulsifier, diffusing agent and stabilizer for pharmaceuticals, and an auxiliary for photo emulsions.

Tween 80:

Easily soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, insoluble in mineral oil, used as emulsifier, dispersant, wetting agent, solubilizer, stabilizer, used in medicine, cosmetics, food and other industries.

It is used as stabilizer and auxiliary foaming agent in the production of polyurethane foam; it can be used as an antistatic agent in synthetic fibers, and it is an intermediate of chemical fiber oil; it is used as a wetting agent and dispersing agent in the production of film films from photosensitive materials In the process of fabric waterproofing, it is used to emulsify silicone oil, which has a good effect. It is also used in nylon and viscose cord as an oil agent and a water-soluble emulsifier, often mixed with S-80.

Used as oil field emulsifier, wax inhibitor, viscous oil wetting agent, drag reducing agent, treatment agent near wellbore; used as precision machine tool to modulate lubricating coolant, etc.

Tween 40：

Easily soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and other solvents, insoluble in dynamic and mineral oil, used as o/w emulsifier, solubilizer, stabilizer, diffusing agent, antistatic agent, lubricant .

Tween 60:

It is easily soluble in water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and other solvents, insoluble in dynamic and mineral oil, has excellent emulsifying properties, and has the functions of wetting, foaming, and diffusion.

Used as o/w type emulsifier, dispersant and stabilizer for the manufacture of food, medicine, cosmetics and water-based coatings.

It is used as softener and antistatic agent in the textile industry. It is a component of polyacrylonitrile spinning oil and a softener for post-processing of fibers. It can eliminate static electricity, improve its softness and give fibers good dyeing properties.