CARBOWAX™ PEGs and MPEGs

CARBOWAX PEGs for Industrial Applications

CARBOWAX™ Polyethylene Glycols (PEGs) are a family of water-soluble linear polymers formed by the addition reaction of ethylene oxide. The generalized formula for polyethylene glycol is:

H-(OCH₂CH₂)_n-OH

where "n" is the average number of repeating oxyethylene groups.

Each CARBOWAX PEG is designated by a number that represents its average molecular weight. For example, CARBOWAX PEG 600 consists of a distribution of polymers of varying molecular weights with an average of 600, which corresponds to an approximate average number of repeating oxyethylene groups ("n") of 13.The letter "E" indicates Europe grade.

CARBOWAX Polyethylene Glycols are available in average molecular weights ranging from 200 to 8000.

Two other products complete the standard CARBOWAX Product family: CARBOWAX PEG 540 Blend, which is a 41/59 weight percent mixture of PEG 300 and PEG 1450, and glycerin-started CARBOWAX Trifunctional Polyethylene Glycol (TPEG) 990.

This wide range of products provides flexibility in choosing properties to meet the requirements of many different applications.

CARBOWAX Polyethylene Glycols†
CARBOWAX PEG	CTFA(b)/INCI(c) Nomenclature	Range of Average Molecular Weight	Appearance at 27°C	Available Physical Form
200, 200E	PEG-4	190 to 210	Clear Viscous Liquid	Liquid
300, 300E	PEG-6	285 to 315	Clear Viscous Liquid	Liquid
400, 400E	PEG-8	380 to 420	Clear Viscous Liquid	Liquid
540 Blend(a)	PEG-6 (and) PEG-32	—	Soft Opaque White Solid	Paste
600, 600E	PEG-12	570 to 630	Clear Viscous Liquid	Liquid
1000	PEG-20	950 to 1050	Soft Opaque White Solid	Paste
1450	PEG-32	1305 to 1595	Soft Opaque White Solid	Paste Flake Aqueous Blend
3350	PEG-75	3015 to 3685	Hard Opaque White Solid	Molten Granular Powder Aqueous Blend
4000	PEG-90(d)	3600 to 4400	Hard Opaque White Solid	Molten Granular Powder Aqueous Blend
4600	PEG-100	4400 to 4800	Hard Opaque White Solid	Molten Granular
8000	PEG-180	7000 to 9000	Hard Opaque White Solid	Molten Granular Powder Aqueous Blend

^†Typical properties, not to be construed as specifications.
^(a)A 41/59 wt % mixture of PEG 300 and PEG 1450
^(b)Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Association
^(c)International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
^(d)Proposed CTFA/INCI Name

®™^* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow