See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/333324616

Understanding Salt Curves

Article · June 2018

DOI: 10.1111/j.0142-

CITATIONS READS

0 4,233

1 author:

Anthony J. O'Lenick
Nascent Technologies Corporation
110 PUBLICATIONS   264 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Silicone Chemistry for Cosmetic Chemists - free book View project

Silicone Polymers in Personal Care View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Anthony J. O'Lenick on 23 May 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

SCIENCE FOR FORMULATORS COLUMN SCIENCE FOR FORMULATORS COLUMN
Understanding - Salt Curves
3. Salt Added – The control gave a viscosity of 14,400 but
required 2.5% NaCl to reach that viscosity. The salient
reason to add amide is to shift the salt curve to the left.
Additionally if properly chosen it will raise the peak viscosity.

FORMULATION TIP
TONY O’LENICK
Siltech LLC, Lawrenceville, USA The formulation of suitable shampoo and body wash
Siltech Corporation, Toronto, Canada
formulations will be far more complex than the system shown
Tony O’Lenick is President of Siltech LLC. Tony has published six books, numerous articles and has over above. Each raw material added will have an impact
300 patents. He received the 1996 Samuel Rosen Award, the 1997 Innovative Use of Fatty Acids Award on the salt curve. Viscosity and foaming can be either
and the 1996 Partnership to The Personal Care. Tony was President of the U.S. SCC in 2015 and is
currently Education Chair of IFSCC. surpressed, increased or stay the same when additives are
made. Selection of raw materials is also critical. Additions of
Graphicic 1. Salt Curves for Various Amides. unsulfated matter found in the anionic and shift the salt curve
much like salt additions. Additions of ethanol, or PEG also will
KEYWORDS: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES-2), cocamidopropyl betaine (COAB), salt curve, affect the peak viscosity. Always run the salt curve on the
shampoo, surfactants, viscosity, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants finished formulations to optimize the performance.

ABSTRACT ADDITION OF OTHER SURFACTANTS

The formulation of shampoos and other aqueous surfactant containing systems in a complicate undertaking. This is because each ingredient interacts
Another way to get higher viscosity is to make use of the
with the other ingredients to make complex self-assembling units. These interactions affect viscosity, foam, rheology and aesthetics of the formulation and
often commercial success or failure of a formulation. This article will address the effect of salt, presence of amides, and anionic / amphoteric on basic interactions between ingredients. Specifically, altering using
surfactant systems. betaines to improve viscosity (3). Additionally, it has been
reported that so called “soft anionics and cationics” can
be combined in the same formulation to provide clear,
stable high viscosity shampoos (4). This approach is highly
The so-called salt curve is well documented in the literature, SALT ADDITION recommended. Cocamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium
whereby the viscosity of a surfactant solution initially increases chloride is a great material to use in such a system (5).
Table 2 . Viscosity.
with the addition of salt but then decreases with further One standard method employed in formulation of cosmetic Observed Plotted Against Viscosity. Salt additions were made to the 10% solids blends consisting
increases in salinity (1). product is to control the viscosity of formulation is by adding of 75% anionic ( SLS and SLES-2) and 25% betaine to
salt. This addition alters charge density. By adding salt to determine peak viscosity.
Perry Romanowski explains: ”The salt curve is the concept many formulations a so-called salt curve can be plotted. FORMULATION TIP Increments of 0.5% salt were added at a time to a 10% active
of adding salt - an electrolyte - to a surfactant mix to make Salt is added in increments and the viscosity is tracked with solution of the specified blend. The viscosity was measured
it thicker. It does this in two ways. The first - the electrolyte each add. There will be an increase, but at a certain point Always consider the total salt in your formulations. Some after every addition @ 22.0 ±0.3º C using a Brookfield Synchro-
increases the size of the micelles in the surfactants, so the the maximum viscosity will be reached, then the viscosity will raw materials have sodium chloride in them. Amphoterics lectricR Viscometer.
viscosity increases. The second - the electrolytes compete drop. Table 1 shows the formulation used and Graphicic 1 for example may have a very high sodium chloride level. I
with the surfactants for water, so as we add more salt, we fool shows the resulting viscosity plotted against the amount of recall a formulation which used an amphoteric and a sulfate Control Salt Curve Data for SLS (100%)
the product into thinking we’ve increased the concentration sodium chloride added. Table 2 shows the data used to make and had a high in concentration of solids. A very nice gel
of the surfactants, which will increase viscosity. Ideally you’ll the Graphic. resulted. However, the salt in the amphoteric always put the
use between 1% and 3% salt in your creation - remember to formulation at or over the maximum viscosity. It was a great
add it slowly so you don’t end up on the wrong side of that product but a manufacturing nightmare.
curve!” (2) When this happens adding water can increase
viscosity, shifting the curve to the left.
CONCLUSION
Table 3. (SLS 10% Active).
The factors that control viscosity and rheology of a
formulation work on the alteration of the size of the micelles. Graphicic 1 shows that addition of amid impacts several key
These factors include (1): attributes of the formulation;
• Concentration of surfactants 1. Addition of Amide - When one compares the control
• Type of surfactants (blue) to the formulations in which amide was added all
• Ratio of surfactants of the formulations with added amide need less salt to
• Temperature reach the peak viscosity. The curve has been “shifted to
Table 1. Shampoo Salt Curve Formulation.
• Charge density The surfactants used in this study were provided by Colonial the left”.
Chemical South Pittsburg Tn. 2. Type of amide added – The different amides chosen for
this study differ in the amount of salt added to get to
FORMULATION TIP maximum viscosity, and the actual maximum viscosity
FORMULATION TIP achieved by the addition. Cocamide DEA required slightly
The efficient formulation of a shampoo is a balancing act. more salt but gave the highest viscosity of all formulations
There are five different factors that affect the viscosity. In evaluating the salt curve, consider not only the maximum in the study. The three other amides all had around the
Addition of salt is only one of them. One of the reasons for it viscosity, but the shape of the curve. Specifically, always look same level of salt to reach peak viscosity, but had very
being one of the most important relates to the fact that salt for a curve is very broad, that is the viscosity remains at or different peak viscosity values. Cocamide DEA gave
is a relatively inexpensive additive, compared to the other near the peak for a wide range of salt added. This improves the highest viscosity (18, 000 ), cocamide MEA (16,800),
Graphic 2. (SLS 10% Active).
factors listed above. manufacturability Cocamide DIPA (14,040) and Cocamide DGA (7,600).

8 H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018 H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018 9
SCIENCE FOR FORMULATORS COLUMN

Table 4. (SLS (75)/COAB (25)

10% active).

Graphic 5. (SLES-2 (75) / COAC (25) 10% Active).

CONCLUSION - SLS SYSTEMS

1. Addition of Betaine –SLS without betaine has a peak

viscosity of 19,500 with 4.5% added salt. When betaine
is added the peak viscosity increases to 37,000 at 3.5%
added salt.

Graphic 3. (SLS (75) / COAC (25) 10% Active). CONCLUSION - SLES-2 SYSTEMS

SLES-2 SALT CURVES 1. Addition of Betaine –SLES-2 without betaine has a peak
viscosity of 25,000 with 5.5% added salt. When betaine
B-1 Control Salt Curve Data for SLES-2 (100%) is added the peak viscosity increases drops to 15,700
at 2.0% added salt. The viscosity drops but the curve
broadens.

FORMULATION TIP

The formulation of products having the proper levels of

Table 5. (SLES-2 10% active). viscosity, foam and aesthetics including all additives is a
complicated undertaking. Hopefully, this study will get the
formulator thinking about approaches to products that meet
the market demand. Such practices of blending SLS and
SLES-2 in different ration, using betaines and amides and
evaluating other raw materials will allow for fine tuning of the
formulation.

FORMULATION TIP

Once the basic platform of the formulation is established,

making changes to the raw materials and levels used will
allow for faster formulation. While formulation is complicated,
it can be understood and altered to make a formulation
having the desired properties.

Graphic 4. (SLES-2 10% Active).

REFERENCES
B-2 Salt Curve Data for SLES2 (75)/COAB (25)
1. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0142-
5463.2005.00278_5.x/abstract
2. http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/04/surfactants-
building-viscosity.html
Table 6. (SLES-2 (75)/COAB 3. http://www.scientificspectator.com/documents/surfactant%20
(25) 10% active). spectator/surfactant%20interaction/2006%20Anionic%20-%20
Amphoteric%20Complex.pdf
4. J Cosmet Sci. 2011 Mar-Apr;62(2):209-28.
5. https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/PersonalCare/
Detail/1267/330752/CATEMOL-MMM

10 H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018 H&PC Today - Household and Personal Care Today - vol. 13(3) May/June 2018 11
View publication stats