Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-08-28 Origin: Site
Tween, also named Polysorbate, is a kind of high-performance nonionic hydrophilic surfactant. Widely adopted in industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and laboratory sectors worldwide, Tween surfactants are well-known for stable quality, superior emulsifying, solubilizing and dispersing abilities. As a professional surfactant manufacturer, we offer a full range of standard Tween products with stable batch consistency and simple operation for global clients.
The Tween product line consists of four mainstream grades: Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60 and Tween 80. Each grade has a fixed HLB value and exclusive application scenarios. All Tween variants feature good water solubility and wide compatibility, and are ideal for preparing oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions for most formulas.
Tween 20 (HLB 16.7): It has the highest hydrophilicity among the Tween series, with fast water solubility and excellent wetting and cleaning properties. It is commonly used in cosmetic formulas, daily detergents and laboratory buffer solutions, and widely applied as a blocking agent in biological experiments.
Tween 40 (HLB 15.6): It delivers balanced emulsifying and stabilizing effects. It is highly suitable for daily chemical and food emulsification systems, helping finished products maintain uniform and stable texture for a long time.
Tween 60 (HLB 14.9): It is specially designed for cream and lotion products. With reliable thickening and stabilizing functions, it effectively prevents formula delamination and precipitation, improving product shelf stability.
Tween 80 (HLB 15.0): As the most versatile grade in the series, Tween 80 boasts excellent solubilizing and dispersing performance. It is compatible with most oil-water systems and widely used in pharmaceutical production, food processing, industrial emulsification and scientific laboratory research.
Tween surfactants feature simple and standardized preparation processes. Standard operation can effectively avoid gel formation, solution delamination and excessive foam, ensuring stable and consistent performance of the final solution.
Prepare Tween aqueous solution with warm water at 40-60°C under slow and continuous stirring. Always add Tween into water, instead of pouring water into pure Tween, which can effectively avoid sticky gelation. Stir gently until the solution becomes completely clear and homogeneous. High-speed stirring is not recommended, as it will produce persistent excess foam that affects use effect.
Recommended working concentrations: 0.1%-2% for wetting and dispersion, 0.5%-5% for solubilization, and 1%-8% for emulsification applications.
First, mix Tween evenly with the oil phase and heat the mixture to 40-60°C. Keep the water phase at the same temperature, then slowly add the heated oil phase into the water phase under continuous stirring. After full homogenization, cool the mixture naturally to obtain a stable emulsion.
Do not heat Tween solutions above 70°C for a long time. Excessive high temperature will cause hydrolysis and discoloration, and reduce surfactant activity.
Tween is incompatible with cationic surfactants, which will cause precipitation and formula failure. It can be perfectly compounded with anionic and other nonionic surfactants for better comprehensive performance.
Aqueous Tween solutions are susceptible to microbial breeding. It is recommended to prepare and use the solution immediately. For long-term storage, professional preservatives are required.
Industrial and laboratory-grade Tween products are not suitable for intravenous injection to prevent potential safety hazards.
With mild properties and stable performance, Tween series surfactants serve a wide range of industries. In cosmetics and daily chemicals, they stabilize and emulsify lotions, creams and cleaning products. In pharmaceutical and biological industries, they are used for drug solubilization and laboratory buffer preparation. In the food industry, they act as safe emulsifiers and dispersants. In textile, coating, pesticide and other industrial fields, they work as efficient wetting agents and formula stabilizers.
We supply full-spec Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60 and Tween 80 surfactants with high purity and stable batch quality. Our products feature low foam, excellent solubility and strong formula compatibility, fully meeting customized demands for industrial formulas and laboratory tests. We also provide professional formula guidance and reliable after-sales technical support for global customers.
