POLYOX™

SDSs issued in Europe are in compliance with all applicable European legislation requirements, including REACH requirements as interpreted by the European Commission. 

Due to practical challenges of implementing the SDS changes required by REACH before the start of the Registration process, the European Commission supported the CEFIC position with respect to the following key points:

• The only requirements that could reasonably be implemented by June 1, 2007 were mainly format changes. (These include reversing the content of Sections 2 and 3, inserting the e-mail address of the individual responsible for creating the SDS in Section 1, and for substances not classified as dangerous, adding the reason for indicating the substance in Section 3).
• SDSs that do not need to be revised for reasons other than the above format changes can stay in the pre-REACH format and are considered to be still in compliance because their content is correct. For newly created SDSs, and for revised SDSs, the format changes must be implemented.
• All changes required by REACH as described in articles 31 and Annex II of the Regulation should be implemented before Dec 1, 2010, which coincides with the first deadline for registration. Until that date, the SDSs circulating in Europe will be in 2 different formats.

The manufacturer has implemented the above recommendations of the European Commission. On this basis, our SDSs comply with the REACH requirements as currently defined and interpreted by the European Commission. 

High Binding Efficiency -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins have high-binding efficiency for pigments, fillers, metal powders and ceramics. These binders easily burn off at low temperatures with little or no tendency to char.

Form Novel Complexes -- The strong hydrogen bonding affinity of POLYOX Water­-Soluble Resins accounts for the association of these polyethers with various polar compounds, such as phenolic resins, mineral acids, halogens, ureas, lignin sulfonic acids and poly (carboxylic acids). These novel complexes can be discrete chemical entities resulting from very strong intermolecular association and often exhibit properties markedly different from either component.

Crosslinkable -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can be crosslinked to form gels that are highly water-retentive.

Emollient -- When applied to the skin and hair, POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins produce a soft and “silky” feel.

Film Former, Excipient -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can be formed into flexible films both by thermoplastic processing and casting techniques. Such films may be made of POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins alone or blended with a wide variety of other polymers, such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polycaprolactone, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, etc.

Low Toxicity -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins show a very low order of toxicity in animal studies by all routes of exposure. At the maximum practical oral dose to rates of about 2 g/kg of body weight there were no deaths nor signs of toxicity. Because of their high molecular weights, the resins are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and are completely and rapidly eliminated. These resins are neither skin irritants nor sensitizers, nor do they cause eye irritation as the dry powder or as aqueous solutions.

Flocculant Activity -- High molecular weight grades of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins effectively adsorb onto many colloidal materials and perform as efficient flocculating agents. They exhibit a high affinity for a variety of materials, including silica, clays, oxidized coal fines, lignins and paper fines.

Lubricity -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins impart a high degree of lubricity when in contact with water.

Solubility/Thickening of Many Organic Solvents -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are readily soluble in and will thicken a wide variety of organic solvents at various temperatures. Typical organic solvents include most haloge­nated hydrocarbons, various ketones, alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons and esters. POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are not generally soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, glycols, diols and aliphatic ethers.

Thermoplasticity -- As thermoplastics, POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins are readily calendered, extruded, injection molded, or cast. Sheets and films of this material are heat-sealable and can be oriented to develop high strength. Films are inherently flexible, tough and resistant to most oils and greases. These resins are compatible with many natural and synthetic polymers. The combination of thermoplasticity and aqueous solubility and compatibility with “hydrophobic” polymers (e.g., polyethylene, polycaprolactone, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, etc.) make POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins a valuable asset for degradable plastics applications.

Wet Tack -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins exhibit a high degree of wet tack and, thus, are useful as wet adhesives. The dried residue is non-tacky.

Thickening Power (Aqueous) -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are nonionic and completely water-soluble at all tempera­tures up to the boiling point of water. Unlike most other high molecular weight, water-soluble resins, they do not exhibit an inverse solubility-temperature relationship, except near the boiling point.

POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are extremely effective thick­ening agents in both fresh and salt water. Aqueous solutions are pseudoplastic (i.e., shear thinning).

Drag Reduction/Drift Control -- Very low concentrations of the higher molecular weight POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins can reduce the turbulent frictional drag of the water in which they are dissolved by as much as 80 percent.

Viscoelasticity -- The flexibility of ether linkages combined with the extremely high molecular weight of POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins produces solutions with elastic behavior. Such solutions will climb a rotating shaft! This property also tends to reduce both the spattering and misting potential of aqueous solutions.

Available in Many Grades -- POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are supplied in a wide variety of molecular weight grades and formulated compounds in standard and NF (National Formulary) grades.

POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are produced and supplied as white, granular powders, freely soluble in water and possessing a slightly ammoniacal odor. Typical properties are given in table below.

Typical Physical Properties⁽¹⁾ of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins

All POLYOX Water-Soluble Resins are sold containing some level of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) antioxidant.  You may add additional BHT as needed.  The pharmaceutical grades of POLYOX resin contain 100 - 1000 ppm (industrial grades contain 0.1% max) BHT with the exact level depending on the molecular weight of the polymer. Information regarding the presence and level of BHT in the product can be found on the label of the product.

Vitamin E is also used in pharmaceutical applications as an oxidative stabilizer.   The typical use level is 500 - 1000 ppm.   To achieve good mixing of vitamin E into the POLYOX powder, one can dissolve the vitamin E in a small amount of isopropyl alcohol before mixing it with the POLYOX powder.

In solution, the use of alcohols or glycols (isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, and glycerol) at approximately 5 - 10% wt has the benefit of reducing loss of solution viscosity on aging since these solvents behave as solution viscosity stabilizers. 

In industrial applications, a solid stabilizer that can be added to the powder or to solution is 0.1 wt% sodium thiosulfate.  Sodium thiosulfate acts as a chlorine scavenger and is most useful for processes using municipal (treated) water.

The maximum amount of free ethylene oxide (EO) is as listed on the SENTRY grade (pharmaceutical grade) sales specification.  For the SENTRY pharmaceutical grades the maximum amount of free EO is 0.001% or 10 ppm.  We do offer low EO (LEO) grades, primarily for pharmaceutical use in Europe.  For the SENTRY LEO grades the maximum amount of free EO is 0.0001% or 1 ppm.  Over time and storage conditions the EO content will only decrease.

The molecular weight of POLYOX Water-Soluble Resin products ranges from about 100,000 to 8,000,000. The approximate molecular weight for a particular product can be found in the Answer Center – AC ID 1379. Molecular weight is not a sales specification test item and therefore it is not measured on a routine basis. The primary measurement or approximation of molecular weight used by IFF is the viscosity test. Molecular weights obtained by other methods, including light scattering and gel permeation chromatography, may not be directly comparable. We do not have polydispersity data to provide.

POLYOX™ Water Soluble Resins are a class of polymers called polyethers, and as such, can undergo chain cleavage via auto-oxidation. Therefore, these products will degrade to lower molecular weight hence lower solution viscosity. Variables such as time, elevated temperature, and exposure to oxygen can impact the rate at which these polymers degrade. The rate of degradation is also dependent on the grade. Higher molecular weight grades are more sensitive than the lower molecular weight grades.

Auto-oxidation of a polyether in the presence of air is a well understood process. The oxidation process occurs randomly on the homopolymer backbone resulting in chain cleavage. The result of the scission process is two polyether chains of lower molecular weight than the original polymer. The rate of auto-oxidation can be reduced by the addition of an antioxidant. Rate of polyether auto-oxidation is temperature dependent. The rate of polymer degradation can be moderated through antioxidants and storage conditions but is not stopped completely.

IFF supplies POLYOX™ Water Soluble Resins based on analytical testing to ensure that material is within the viscosity specification. In some cases, extra measures are taken to ensure that the product can withstand shipping times and still reach customers within specification. One measure includes conducting retesting of batches of material prior to shipment to ensure viscosity specification compliance. IFF’s standard for retest frequency is as follows:

Product Family (WSR)	Retest Interval
N10, N80	24 months
205, 1105, N12K, N60K, N3000, 301	12 months
Coagulant, 303	6 months

POLYOX™ Water Soluble Resins do not have a shelf-life per se; we do recommend that you retest the material periodically to ensure suitability in your application.
The material may be used beyond the retest date if appropriate testing and examination shows it is still suitable for use.

IFF does not list the last retest date on certificates of analysis for standard grades of POLYOX™ Water Soluble Resins. The result of the certificate analysis does reflect the results from the last testing conducted. It is important not to conclude that material is out of specification or near the end of its shelf-life based on its date of manufacture. As indicated, material is often retested by IFF and as such re-qualified following our testing procedures.

Product description: POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins (WSR) are water­ soluble solids that are normally supplied as a powder in fiber drums or in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs).

POLYOX™ WSRs can be handled in common materials of construction such as steel, aluminum and stainless steel, and they are compatible with most common gasketing materials.

Explosion and fire hazard:  As an organic solid, POLYOX™ WSRs will burn.  In piles they burn with about the same ease as cornstarch.  When the powder is dispersed in air, explosive mixtures can be formed. ASTM Standard E1226 tests show that the deflagration behavior of POLYOX™ Water-Soluble Resins depends markedly on their particle size and their dust hazard class can vary from St-1 to the lower boundary of St-3.  A sub-200 mesh sample (particle diameter about 42 microns) yielded a K_st of 182 bar-m/s, while a sub-325 mesh sample (particle diameter about 29 microns) yielded a K_st of 303 bar-m/s.  This difference in K_st reflects more rapid combustion of smaller particles in the sub-325 mesh powder fraction.  (Typical commercial product contains about 20% sub-325 mesh powder.)

Equipment and operating procedures for handling POLYOX™ WSR powders should be designed to prevent the formation of explosive mixtures and/or control the effects of explosions as described in National Fire Protection Association documents NFPA 69 “Explosion Prevention Systems” and NFPA 68 “Venting of Deflagrations.”  When applying deflagration rate data to process designs such as deflagration vents, the user should consider both the as-received particle size distribution and the potential for classification and accumulation of finer particles in some items of equipment.

Static electricity hazard:  POLYOX™ WSR powders may be ignited by small energy sources such as static electricity.  Static electricity may be generated and accumulate during transfer of the powders.  POLYOX™ WSR powders have a low Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE)— sub-325 mesh powder has been measured at less than 10 mJ.  Dry POLYOX™ WSR powders are electrically nonconductive with a typical volume resistivity in the range of 5 x 10⁹ to 9 x 10¹⁰ ohm-m.

To minimize accumulation of static electricity, all conduc­tive equipment, containers, piping and personnel handling the powder should be grounded as described in NFPA 77 “Static Electricity.”  Pipes and metallic flexible hoses should normally have a resistance to ground of 10 ohms or less from every point, although up to 1 megohm is acceptable. 

Non-metallic items such as plastic vacuum hoses should be conductive and have a resistance to ground from any point of 100 megohm (10⁸ ohm) or less.  If the powder is pneumatically conveyed, nitrogen inerting should be considered.  Additional precautions are required if a flammable vapor is present.

When transferring POLYOX™ WSR powders from conductive containers such as fiber drums and conductive FIBCs in the absence of flammable vapor, the operator and all conductive objects in the vicinity should be properly grounded (see NFPA 77 and equipment manufacturer’s recommendations).  As powders are emptied, conductive containers can accumulate a static charge.  If proper grounding is not in place, this could lead to ignition of the powder cloud.  Electrical equipment should have the appropriate certification (see National Electrical Code).

Static electricity is of the greatest concern when POLYOX™ WSRs are handled in the presence of flammable vapors— these vapors are usually easier to ignite than POLYOX™ WSR powders.  Even if the flammable vapor is at a concentration less than its Lower Flammable Limit (LFL) in air (perhaps as low as 10-20% LFL), a “hybrid” mixture of the vapor and combustible powders may ignite more easily due to the increased total fuel concentration.  Also, small concentrations of vapor may greatly reduce the MIE of the combustible powder.

When POLYOX™ WSRs are added to flammable liquids from fiber drums, there are several methods to minimize the likelihood of ignition.  One method is to inert the receiving vessel (typically to less than 6 vol % oxygen), with special attention during the period of powder addition, and to ground the drum by bonding the metal drum chimes to the vessel during emptying.  It should be ensured that direct metal-to-metal electrical contact is not impeded in any way.  Since flammable vapor may be displaced from the vessel, the operator and any nearby conductive objects should be electrically grounded and all electrical equipment in the vicinity should have the appropriate certification.

In flammable vapor atmospheres, transfers from plastic bags must be avoided (even for non-combustible dusts such as alumina).  Plastic bags, liners and wrappings from palletized POLYOX™ WSR shipments should not be removed or handled in the presence of flammable vapor or in any area containing flammable vapors.

All-plastic FIBCs cannot be grounded.  However, the operator and all conductive equipment should be grounded.  If a flammable vapor atmosphere is present, the use of FIBCs is not recommended without special precautions.  This is because it is very difficult to maintain an inerted receiving vessel when air is entrained with the powder; also, flammable vapor may be expelled through any open port into the operating area.  In no case should direct additions to flammable liquids be attempted using anything but a fully conductive, grounded FIBC.  Preferred alternatives are the use intermediate inerted dump hopper with star or iris valve, and a grounded, fully conductive FIBC with controls that maintain an inert atmosphere in the vessel.  Expert consultation may be needed to optimize the design and operating safeguards for such FIBC transfers.

Hand dumping of POLYOX™ WSR powders in an air atmosphere from drums into hoppers is possible without explosion venting on the hopper or associated dust collector, providing the following conditions are met:

1. The dust collector is built integral with the dump hopper, and volume of the dust collector is less than 8 cubic feet capacity.  The dust collector should preferably have cartridge type filters, i.e., not pulse-air bags.
2. The operator is grounded; and grounding is provided for metal drums or the metal chimes of fiber drums.

Good housekeeping should be used when handling POLYOX™ WSR powders to further reduce the risk of slipping hazards.  If spilled, POLYOX™ WSRs become wet, a potential for a slipping hazard is created on walking/working surfaces.  If POLYOX™ WSR powders are spilled, as much as possible should be swept or vacuumed up before they become wet.  Washing with water, solvents, or most cleaning products probably will not be effective and may increase the slipping hazard.  High pressure water blasting can be used to remove buildup of material.  Scrubbing with chlorine bleach, such as Clorox^®, or with 10% soda ash (sodium carbonate) solution, and then rinsing thoroughly with water may help remove residual films of POLYOX™ WSRs left from cleanups.

Storage:  Water and heat can cause POLYOX™ Water­Soluble Resins to form lumps, so the polyethylene coated fiber drums and FIBCs should be stored in a dry location at a temperature of less than 40°C (104°F).  Samples stored for long periods of time (over 6 months at room temperature) should be evaluated by checking solution viscosity to confirm that they are still within the specification limits. Samples that are out of specification should be discarded.

Recommended conditions:

• Temperature:  POLYOX™ WSR drums should not be stored next to steam lines or other hot surfaces.  Ideal storage temperature should not exceed room temperature. Storage in a refrigerator or cold room will further extend product life.
• Moisture:  Exposure to water can cause clumping. Drums should be stored in dry areas.  POLYOX™ WSR drum lids should be kept sealed to prevent absorption of atmospheric moisture.
• Air Contact:  Because exposure to oxygen causes degradation, drum lids should be sealed to limit air contact.

EPA Pesticide Inert Ingredient Public Tradename Database

The following Tradename Products are listed in the public facing trade name database (https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/pesticides/f?p=inertfinder:mixtures) of the  Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) with IFF as the manufacturer.

UCARFLOC 309CP is currently approved for food-use under 40 CFR 180.960 as an inert  ingredient in pesticide formulations.

POLYOX™ brands (WSR 1105, WSR 205, WSR 301, WSR 303, WSR 308, WSR Coagulant, WSR N-10, WSR N-12K, WSR N-3000, WSR N-60K, WSR N-750, WSR N-80) are currently approved for food-use under 40 CFR 180.960 as an inert  ingredient in pesticide formulations.