CARBOMER

Carbomer is a highly efficient acrylic polymer that builds viscosity and creates smooth gel structures even at low usage levels.
Carbomer helps stabilize formulations by keeping particles, droplets, and active ingredients evenly suspended.
Carbomer's water-swellable structure makes it valuable in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial formulations that need controlled texture and consistency.

CAS Number: 9003-01-4
Chemical Formula: (C3H4O2)x

Synonyms: Carbomer, Carbopol, Polyacrylic Acid, Crosslinked Polyacrylic Acid, Carboxypolymethylene, Carboxyvinyl Polymer, Acrylic Acid Polymer, Acrylic Acid Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate Polymer, Carbomer Homopolymer, Carbomer Copolymer, Carbomer Interpolymer, Polyacrylic Acid Crosspolymer, Crosslinked Acrylate Polymer, High Molecular Weight Acrylic Polymer, Synthetic Acrylic Acid Polymer, Water-Swellable Acrylic Polymer, Rheology Modifier Carbomer, Gelling Agent Carbomer, Thickening Agent Carbomer

Carbomer is an inactive ingredient that helps the active ingredients in formulation work better.
Carbomers are used in a variety of cosmetic, skin care, and hair care products because of their multiple uses.

Carbomer is a thickening agent that helps improve the texture of the products and also binds the other ingredients together - preventing them from separating.
Carbomer comes in the form of white fluffy powder, but in the cosmetic industry, it is used in the form of gel or liquid.

Further, there are many different types namely - Carbomer 940, Carbomer 980, Carbomer 974p, carbomer 934, and Carbomer 934p.
The chemical formula of carbomer is (C3H4O2)n.

Carbomers are technology-modifying chemicals used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries to increase the viscosity of certain products.
Generally, they are used to make low-viscosity fluids less fluid by increasing their viscosity.

The carbomer structure can generally be seen as polyacrylic acid.
In other words, carbomers are the commercial names for polyacrylic acids.

Carbomers are chemicals actively used by product developers.
These chemicals offer excellent solutions when viscosity and rheology issues arise.
These chemicals can absorb and retain water up to 1000 times their own volume.

Some carbomer derivatives perform better in the presence of surfactants.
Anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants are used for this purpose.

Among the surfactants used are anionic surfactants such as sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).
Carbomer is treated with surfactants such as Cocoamidopropyl Betaine and Lauryl Glucoside.

Carbomer has the ability to form hydroalkaline and foamy gels.
Carbomer's properties are quickly established in spray applications.

Because it is an acrylic-based thickener, Carbomer prevents the product from deteriorating quickly when used.
Carbomer ensures longer-lasting products compared to other thickeners.

Carbomer is used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Carbomer's most common use is for gelling.

Carbomer is also preferred as an emulsifier to ensure good mixing of formulas.
Carbomer is used in the production of cosmetic products such as gels, sunscreens, shampoos, anti-aging skin care products, eye creams, etc.
Commonly used carbomers include carbomer 934, 940, and 980.

Carbomer is a synthetic high-molecular-weight polymer of acrylic acid, usually supplied as a white or off-white powder.
Carbomer is commonly used as a thickening agent, gelling agent, suspending agent, stabilizer, and rheology modifier in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, personal care, and industrial formulations.

Carbomer swells in water and forms clear gels after neutralization with suitable bases such as triethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, or aminomethyl propanol.
Different grades such as Carbomer 940, 980, 934, 974P, and 971P may vary in viscosity, clarity, crosslinking level, and application area.

Uses of Carbomer:
Carbomer is used as a thickening agent in gels, creams, lotions, and liquid formulations.
Carbomer is used as a gelling agent to create clear, smooth, and stable gel structures.

Carbomer helps control viscosity and improves the texture of cosmetic and personal care products.
Carbomer is used as a suspending agent to keep solid particles evenly distributed in liquid systems.

Carbomer acts as a stabilizer in emulsions by improving product consistency and preventing separation.
Carbomer is commonly used in hand sanitizers, hair gels, facial gels, moisturizers, pharmaceutical gels, eye preparations, and topical formulations.
Carbomer is also used as a rheology modifier in industrial products such as detergents, cleaners, paints, and coatings.

Cosmetics and personal care are the sectors where carbomer is most commonly used.
Carbomer is used in gel products such as hair gel, shower gels, and facial cleansing gels.

Carbomer is used as an emulsion stabilizer and thickener in creams and lotions.
Carbomer is used as a water-phase viscosity adjuster in sunscreens and SPF formulas.

Carbomer is the most common gelling agent in ethanol-based hand sanitizer gels.
Carbomer is used in skin care products such as serums, peels, and masks.

Carbomer is used as a suspension agent in toothpaste and mouthwash.
Carbomer is used in eye lubricant drops.

Carbomer prevents precipitation in orally administered suspension medications.

Carbomer is used as a thickener in household and industrial cleaning products such as dishwashing gels, laundry and surface cleaners, and heavy-duty degreasers.
Carbomer is used in gel formulations in automotive maintenance products.

In the agricultural sector, Carbomer is used as an additive in seed coating gels and soil water-retaining polymer mixtures.
Carbomer is used in pharmaceuticals for the production of creams, lotions, and sterilizing gels.

Carbomer is used in disposable diapers.
Carbomer is used in household, industrial, and institutional care products.

Carbomer is used in printing inks.
Carbomer is used in adhesives and coatings.

Carbomer is used by formulators in various industries to create viscosity, form gels, stabilize emulsions, and suspend particles.
Carbomers are frequently used as gels in a wide variety of cosmetic and personal care products made for skin, hair, nails, and makeup, as well as toothpaste.

Carbomers help to disperse or suspend a solid that is insoluble in a liquid.
They are also used to prevent emulsions from separating into their oil and liquid components.
Carbomers are often used to control the consistency and flow of cosmetics and personal care products.

Carbomers can readily absorb and hold water and can expand to a very large extent when suspended in water.
By adding carbomers to products like shampoos, conditioners, anti-aging treatments, eye creams, cleansers, and lotions, formulations can be made to appear richer, smoother, and creamier.

Carbomers are used as thickening agents in adhesives.
Carbomers are used in paints as thickening, dispersing, suspending, and emulsifying agents.

Carbomers are used as emulsifiers in the pharmaceutical industry.
Their properties are used to improve the bioavailability of drugs as well as to control their release.

Carbomer is primarily a thickening agent that makes the products more viscous and maintains their texture, flow, and consistency.
Carbomer is used in numerous products such as lotions, shampoos, lipsticks, nail polishes, etc.

Skin care:
Carbomer is an excellent emulsifier that prevents water and oil from separating in skincare products.
This ingredient also absorbs and retains water to make products like lotions and creams more rich and creamy.

Carbomer does not make the skin tight or dry:

Hair care:
Carbomer controls the stickiness and consistency of the formulation in hair care products and makes them more spreadable.
Carbomer also works well with almost all the other ingredients.

Carbomer for Gel:
The gel matrix made of carbomer is water-soluble, has the characteristics of rapid release, non-greasy, easy to spread, and non-irritating to the skin and mucous membranes.
Carbomer gel can be mixed with aqueous solutions and absorb tissue exudates, which is beneficial to the elimination of secretions.

Compared with petroleum jelly base and cream base, Carbomer has the advantages of easy operation, stable quality, and does not require open flame heating.
Carbomer is especially suitable for the preparation of small quantities of clinically urgent drugs that are easy to evaporate, have poor thermal stability, and have low thermal stability.

At present, carbomer has been widely used in the preparation of the following gel preparations:

Ophthalmic gel:
Common eye drops currently used in clinical applications have poor drug absorption due to the short retention time of the drug in the eye.
Ophthalmic gels made with carbomer as the matrix can not only prolong the residence time of the drug in the cornea and increase the absorption of the drug, but can also withstand high temperatures and high pressures while maintaining the same drug release speed and appearance.

Gel for skin:
Hong Ziguang et al. used 1.5% carbomer 940 to prepare allantoin gel for the treatment of dry skin, psoriasis and other skin diseases.
Clinical results show that the gel has good compatibility with the skin and has good effects.
Carbomer is long-lasting and does not feel greasy or stuffy when applied to the skin.

Dental gel:
The carbomer gel matrix has good film-forming and adhesive properties.
Adding a protein coagulant containing formaldehyde, thymol and other desensitizing drugs to the gel matrix can make the drug stick to the teeth.
The local residence time is extended and the desensitization effect is enhanced.

Oral gel:
Based on clinical needs, Wang Xiaomin et al. combined the respective advantages of ofloxacin and metronidazole to develop a compound gel preparation with suitable consistency, no greasy feeling, and easy to apply.
This preparation is used for periodontitis, gingivitis, and oral mucosal ulcers.
The treatment has quick onset, long-lasting effect and is easy to use.

Carbomer for Bioadhesive Preparations:
Bioadhesive preparations have increasingly obvious advantages in controlling drug release, improving drug bioavailability and localized drug delivery.
Carbomer, as a carboxyl polymer, has strong bioadhesion, among which carbomer 934 has the strongest adhesion.
Bioadhesive preparations based on carbomer 934 have been widely used in clinical practice, such as commonly used nasal bioadhesives, vaginal bioadhesives, rectal bioadhesives, oral bioadhesives, etc.

Bioadhesive preparations for nasal cavity:
Nasal bioadhesive preparations utilize the bioadhesion effect of carbomer at the absorption site of the nasal cavity to extend the action time of the drug and reduce the clearance of cilia.

Bioadhesive preparations for buccal or oral:
For example, when the bioadhesive polymer carbomer 934P, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose K4M (HPMCK4M), polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 and mannitol were used to prepare clotrimazole mucoadhesive oral resorbable tablets, the increase of carbomer concentration could increase the adhesion time and adhesion strength.

Carbomer for Protein and Peptide Drugs:
Choosing appropriate enzyme inhibitors and absorption enhancers is one of the ways to solve the problems of easy degradation and poor absorption of oral peptide drugs.
Carbomers may have potential as oral delivery systems for dermatological drugs.

The research results of some scholars have shown that carbomer can inhibit the activity of certain enzymes by complexing Ca2+ and Zn2+, thereby increasing the permeability of cell membranes and promoting the absorption of drugs.
Moreover, Carbomer's own structure contains 52% to 68% carboxyl groups, which can release protons to form local acidity in the intestine, thereby inhibiting the activity of microbial proteases.

Based on the characteristics of carbomer that can inhibit the proteolytic activity of enzymes and increase the permeability of intestinal mucosal epithelium, Luessen et al. studied the effect of freeze-dried products of carbomer 934P and its sodium salt on the intestinal absorption of the peptide drug buserelin.
Studies have been conducted, and the results show that medicated carbomer 934P and its sodium salt dispersion can significantly improve the intestinal absorption of buserelin, increasing the bioavailability by 19 times and 6 times respectively.

Among them, the freeze-dried sodium salt of carbomer 934P is used as a carrier for peptide drugs.
Carbomer not only has bioadhesion and inhibits protease activity, but also has the characteristics of only diffusing and dissolving after absorbing water without forming a swollen gel layer, thereby increasing the rate of drug release.

Carbomer for Controlled Release Formulations:
Carbomer forms a unique network structure due to covalent cross-linking between chains, and forms a gel after hydration and swelling, so it can be used as a hydrogel framework material in controlled-release preparations.
As a sustained-release material, carbomer uses a small amount, which can increase the choice of prescriptions.

Carbomer is generally 6% to 10% of the prescription amount.
Carbomer has excellent compressibility, has good compatibility with other excipients.

Experiments have shown that the type and dosage of carbomer can affect drug release.
The sustained-release effect of 974P is stronger than that of 934P.

The release rate of tablets containing 10% carbomer 974P is similar to that of tablets containing 30% carbomer 934P.
In addition, factors such as the solubility of the drug and the pH value of the medium also affect the release of the drug.

Theophylline sustained-release tablets were prepared using lactose and different contents of carbomer 974P.
While keeping the weight of the tablets constant, increasing the dosage of carbomer led to a decrease in the release rate of the drug.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Carbomer:
Carbomer is a white, fine, hygroscopic powder and is almost odorless.
Carbomer has a viscous structure.

Carbomer is hygroscopic.
Carbomer is a stable chemical.

Carbomer is insoluble in water and swells to form a gel when neutralized.
Carbomer can swell in mixtures of alcohol, glycol, and water.
Carbomer's gel-forming property in water increases with increasing temperature.

The density of carbomer is 1.270 g/cm3.
Particle size is generally in the range of 40–100 mesh.

Carbomer is a weak anionic polyelectrolyte whose degree of ionization depends on the pH of the solution.
Carbomer can swell up to 1000 times its volume depending on the pH.

They are physiologically inert, non-sensitizing, and have excellent thermal stability.
Depending on the type, Carbomer's viscosity can vary between 500 and 100,000 cP (in 0.5% solution).

Moisture content is generally ≤ 2%.
Color index < 20 APHA, has very low coloration.

pH (unneutralized state) 2.5 – 3.5
Chemical structure: cross-linked polyacrylic acid (PAA)

UV light resistant, moderately sensitive to oxidative agents.
Stable between 25–40 °C, viscosity decreases above 70 °C.

Compatible with most hydrophilic phases.
Incompatible with cationic compounds, may cause precipitation.

Viscosity decreases at high electrolyte levels.
Optimal gel form pH 5 – 7

Precipitation/viscosity loss at pH < 3
Polymer degradation may occur at pH > 10

Physicochemical Properties:
Carbomer is a white, loose, slightly smelly powder with strong hygroscopicity, with an average water content of 8%.
Two commonly used models are carbomer 1342 and 1382, which have good tolerance to electrolytes.

Carbomer is soluble in water, glycerin, and ethanol, and has the characteristics of a colloidal solution.
The commonly used concentration is 0.1% to 3%.

Since its molecular structure contains 52% to 68% acidic groups, Carbomer has a certain acidity.
Carbomer has good gelling, viscosity, thickening, emulsifying, suspending and film-forming properties, and its chemical properties are stable and safe, without irritation or allergic reactions.

Salt electrolytes can reduce the viscosity of carbomer gel, and alkaline earth metal ions and polymers can combine with it to form insoluble salts.
Strong acids can also cause carbomer to lose its viscosity, which must be avoided during formulation.

Origin of Carbomer:
Carbomer is a collective name used for a series of polymers that are made of acrylic acid.
These are lightweight powders that turn into a clear gel or liquid when neutralized.
Further, Carbomer is not a natural ingredient as it is made synthetically.

Production of Carbomer:
Carbomer (carbomer/carbopol) is a synthetic polymer with high swelling capacity obtained by cross-linking acrylic acid and polyalcohols.
Carbomers are large molecules prepared from relatively small chemical compounds called monomers.

The monomers used to make carbomer polymers are acrylic acid and polyalkenyl polyethers.
They have the ability to absorb and retain water and can swell up to 1000 times their original volume when dispersed in water.
In general, this class of components is used in gel-like formulations because it forms a colloidal, mucilage-like consistency when mixed with water.

Stability and Reactivity of Carbomer:

Chemical stability:
Carbomer is stable under normal recommended handling and storage conditions.

Reactivity:
Carbomer is not expected to show hazardous reactivity under normal use.

Conditions to avoid:
Heat, open flames, sparks, dust formation, moisture, and poor ventilation should be avoided.

Incompatible materials:
Strong oxidizing agents, strong acids, strong bases, and highly reactive chemicals should be avoided.

Hazardous decomposition products:
Fire or thermal decomposition may produce carbon oxides, irritating smoke, and organic vapors.

Handling and Storage of Carbomer:

Handling:
Handle in a well-ventilated area.
Avoid breathing dust.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing.

Dust control:
Avoid dust accumulation because fine polymer powder may create airborne dust.

Storage:
Store tightly closed in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place.
Keep away from heat, moisture, ignition sources, and incompatible materials.

First Aid Measures of Carbomer:

Inhalation:
Move the person to fresh air.
Seek medical advice if coughing, irritation, or breathing difficulty continues.

Skin contact:
Wash with soap and plenty of water.
Remove contaminated clothing if necessary.

Eye contact:
Rinse carefully with water for at least 15 minutes.
Seek medical attention if irritation continues.

Ingestion:
Rinse mouth with water.
Do not induce vomiting unless directed by medical personnel.
Seek medical advice if discomfort occurs.

Firefighting Measures of Carbomer:

Suitable extinguishing media:
Use water spray, foam, dry chemical powder, or carbon dioxide.

Special hazards:
Fire may produce irritating fumes and carbon oxides.

Protective equipment:
Firefighters should wear self-contained breathing apparatus and protective clothing.

Accidental Release Measures of Carbomer:

Personal precautions:
Avoid dust inhalation and contact with skin or eyes.
Use gloves, goggles, and dust protection.

Environmental precautions:
Prevent release into drains, soil, and waterways.

Cleaning method:
Sweep or vacuum carefully without creating dust.
Collect spilled material into closed containers for disposal.

Exposure Controls / Personal Protection of Carbomer:

Engineering controls:
Use adequate ventilation or local exhaust ventilation.

Respiratory protection:
Wear a dust mask or suitable respirator if airborne dust may occur.

Hand protection:
Wear protective gloves.

Eye protection:
Wear safety goggles or chemical splash goggles.

Skin protection:
Wear suitable protective clothing.

Hygiene measures:
Wash hands after handling.
Do not eat, drink, or smoke in working areas.

Identifiers of Carbomer:
Chemical Name: Polyacrylic Acid
Chemical Formula: (C3H4O2)x
Molecular Weight: Variable
CAS Number: 9003-01-4
Boiling Point: 116 °C
Melting Point: 106 °C
Flash Point: 61.60 °C
Density: 1.270 g/cm3

Molecular Formula (Carbomer): (C3H4O2)n
Molecular Weight: High Molecular Weight
Chemical Name: Polyacrylic Acid
CAS Number: 9003-01-4

CAS Number: 9007-20-9 / 9003-01-4 / 76050-42-5 / 9062-04-8 / 9007-16-3 / 9007-17-4
Chem/IUPAC Name: 2-Propenoic acid, polymer with 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol 2-propenyl ether
EINECS/ELINCS No: - / - / - / - / - / -
COSING REF No: 74820

Properties of Carbomer:
Appearance: White to off-white powder.
Physical Form: Fine powder.
Odor: Slight characteristic odor or odorless.
Solubility: Swells in water and forms gels after neutralization.
Water Compatibility: Dispersible in water.

Product Name: Carbomer
Chemical Formula: C3H4O2N
Cas No: 9003-01-4
EINESC No: No Relevant Data Available
UN No: Not classified as a hazardous product
Physical Properties: Solid White Powder
Odor: Odorless
Molecular Weight: 72.06 g/mol
Density: 1.261 g/cm3
Solubility: Soluble in water

Boiling Point: 141°C
Melting Point: 116°C
Solubility: Soluble in water and oil