CETYL TRIMETHYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDE: A Key Ingredient for Antiseptic and Surfactant Solutions
Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride, a quaternary ammonium compound, is commercially available as a colorless pale-yellow liquid with a rubbing alcohol smell. It is obtained from vegetable oil, mainly rapeseed oil, and is an organic chloride salt of Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium. This compound plays an essential role in surfactants and antiseptics. In this article, we discuss this quaternary compound in detail. Key Properties of Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride Due to this compound's properties, it is frequently used in various industrial applications. Some of the properties that make it well sought after include the following. Cationic Surfactant This compound is a cationic surfactant that can attach to negatively charged surfaces, such as dirt and grease, to make them easily cleanable. It is an amphiphilic molecule capable of forming micelles that surround and disincline from the redeposition of impurities. This makes it very useful in scrubbing and washing, as it leaves minimal residu...