Alkyl Polyglucoside (APG)

About This Product

Alkyl polyglucoside, APG, is a non-ionic surfactant with CAS number 68515-73-1 for the coconut-chain grade and the INCI name Coco-Glucoside. It is supplied as a pale yellow viscous solution, typically 50 to 70 percent active. In formulation work its defining property is behaviour in alkali. Conventional non-ionic surfactants are ethoxylates, and their water solubility depends on hydrogen bonding between the ethylene oxide chain and water. Raise the temperature or the electrolyte concentration and that hydrogen bonding fails, the surfactant comes out of solution at its cloud point, and in strong caustic it salts out entirely. APG's hydrophilic head is a sugar ring held by an acetal linkage, which is not temperature-sensitive in the same way and is stable to alkali, so the surfactant remains dissolved and active in caustic cleaning baths, bottle washers and CIP circuits where an ethoxylate would separate. It is also a strong foam booster when blended with anionics, has very low skin irritation, and is readily biodegradable with no ethylene oxide or 1,4-dioxane residues. It is used in caustic and CIP cleaning, hard-surface and industrial cleaners, agrochemical adjuvants, personal care and in ecolabel-certified formulations. Bio Green Chem supplies APG grades to specification on active matter, chain length distribution, pH, free fatty alcohol, colour and residual glucose.