What is Triethanolamine
Triethanolamine, or TEA or TEOA, is an organic compound with the chemical formula N(CH2CH2OH)3. It is a colourless compound although samples may appear yellow because of impurities. It is a viscous oily liquid with a mild ammonia odor.
Triethanolamine is a tertiary amino compound that is ammonia in which each of the hydrogens is substituted by a 2-hydroxyethyl group. It has a role as a buffer and a surfactant. It is a tertiary amino compound, a triol and an amino alcohol. It is functionally related to a triethylamine. It is a conjugate base of a triethanolammonium.
TEA which is also referred to as Trolamine, is a triol. It is a bifunctional compound that exhibits both properties of alcohols and amines. Trolamine contains small amounts of diethanolamine and ethanolamine and may also act as an antioxidant against the auto-oxidation of animal and vegetable fats. It is commonly used as a pH adjuster and surfactant in industrial and cosmetic products such as skin and hair conditioning products.
Addition of TEA to an acidic buffer facilitates the determination of fluoride in inorganic orthophosphates by using a fluoride-selective electrode.
Production of Triethanolamine
Triethanolamine is produced from the reaction of ethylene oxide with aqueous ammonia, also produced are ethanolamine and diethanolamine. The ratio of the products can be controlled by changing the stoichiometry of the reactants.
Benefits of Triethanolamine
- Unique reactions
- Versatile
- Broad spectrum of applications
- Act as amines or alcohol
Applications of Triethanolamine
Triethanolamine is used primarily in making surfactants, such as for emulsifier. It is a common ingredient in formulations used for both industrial and consumer products. The triethanolamine neutralizes fatty acids, adjusts and buffers the pH, and solubilizes oils and other ingredients that are not completely soluble in water. Triethanolammonium salts in some cases are more soluble than salts of alkali metals that might be used otherwise, and results in less alkaline products than would from using alkali metal hydroxides to form the salt. Some common products in which triethanolamine is found are sunscreen lotions, liquid laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, general cleaners, hand sanitizers, polishes, metalworking fluids, paints, shaving cream and printing inks.
Cement and concrete
TEA and its salts are added to cement clinkers to increase the efficiency of the grinding Mill by reducing the particle agglomerations. In concrete, SABIC TEA accelerates set time and increase early set strength.
Textile
TEA is used in the manufacturing of environmental friendly textile fabric softener formulations.
Oil filed
TEA is used in enhanced oil recovery. Crude oil/ water emulsion are demulsified by TEA.
Metal working
SABIC TEA derivatives obtained by the reaction of fatty acids are used as emulsifiable oils and, cutting fluids. SABIC TEA is an excellent chelating agent in basic solutions. This chelating ability makes SABIC TEA particularly useful in metal cleaning.
Cosmetics and medicine
Various ear diseases and infections are treated with eardrops containing triethanolamine polypeptide oleate-condensate, such as Cerumenex in the United States. In pharmaceutics, triethanolamine is the active ingredient of some eardrops used to treat impacted earwax. It also serves as a pH balancer in many different cosmetic products, ranging from cleansing creams and milks, skin lotions, eye gels, moisturizers, shampoos, shaving foams, TEA is a fairly strong base: a 1% solution has a pH of approximately 10, whereas the pH of skin is less than pH 7, approximately 5.5−6.0. Cleansing milk–cream emulsions based on TEA are particularly good at removing makeup.
In the laboratory and in amateur photography
Another common use of TEA is as a complexing agent for aluminium ions in aqueous solutions. This reaction is often used to mask such ions before complexometric titrations with another chelating agent such as EDTA. TEA has also been used in photographic (silver halide) processing. It has been promoted as a useful alkali by amateur photographers.
In holography
TEA is used to provide a sensitivity boost to silver-halide-based holograms, and also as a swelling agent to color shift holograms. It is possible to get the sensitivity boost without color shift by rinsing out the TEA before squeegee and drying.
In electroless plating
TEA is now commonly and very effectively used as a complexing agent in electroless plating.
In ultrasonic testing
2-3% in water TEA is used as an corrosion inhibitor (anti-rust) agent in immersion ultrasonic testing.
In aluminium soldering
Triethanolamine, diethanolamine and aminoethylethanolamine are major components of common liquid organic fluxes for the soldering of aluminium alloys using tin-zinc and other tin or lead-based soft solders.
Buy Triethanolamine
Tikochem Group is a sales agent and supplier of all types of Iranian Triethanolamine. Contact us to order, inquire about Triethanolamine prices and purchase Triethanolamine from Iran. We offer a wide range of chemicals and petrochemical available.
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