In today’s highly scrutinized chemical marketplace, finding alternatives to petroleum-derived ortho-phthalate plasticizers has become a core priority for global product development engineers. Triethyl Citrate (universally recognized in B2B chemical procurement as TEC) stands out as a flagship bio-based plasticizer obtained through the esterification of natural citric acid with ethanol. Chemically registered as CAS No. 77-89-4, TEC is a clear, odorless, and completely non-toxic liquid. Thanks to its clean environmental profile and excellent polar molecular structure, TEC mixes seamlessly with specialized resins and elastomers, offering a compliant and premium path to manufacturing safe medical devices, food wraps, children’s toys, and sustainable personal care products.
Technical Product Specifications
| Property / Parameter | Standard Specification |
|---|---|
| Chemical Name | Triethyl Citrate (TEC) |
| CAS Number | 77-89-4 |
| Molecular Formula | C12H20O7 |
| Appearance | Clear, colorless, transparent oily liquid |
| Assay / Ester Content (%) | ≥ 99.5% |
| Acid Value (mg KOH/g) | ≤ 0.20 |
| Moisture Content (%) | ≤ 0.15% |
| Density (20°C, g/cm³) | 1.135 – 1.140 g/cm³ |
Why Choose Our TEC Plasticizer?
- ✓ 100% Phthalate-Free Bio-Based Safety: Derived from sustainable agricultural carbohydrate feedstocks, TEC is inherently biodegradable, non-toxic, and acts as an uncompromised substitute for banned or restricted ortho-phthalates.
- ✓ Global Regulatory Clearances: Fully authorized by the FDA, European BfR, and cosmetic frameworks for direct food contact, active medical equipment, cosmetic formulation, and sensitive child consumer markets.
- ✓ Excellent Solvating and Softening Properties: Possesses brilliant molecular affinity with polar polymers like Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB), Cellulosics, Polylactic Acid (PLA), and specialized acrylic configurations—imparting high elongation and tensile strength profiles.
Primary Applications
Triethyl Citrate (TEC) provides extensive chemical versatility across safety-critical consumer and medical manufacturing matrices:
Medical Devices & Tubing
Extensively selected for medical-grade flexible PVC tubing, blood bags, respiratory masks, and diagnostic equipment seals where zero-leaching toxicity is required.
Food Contact Packaging
A premier choice for clear plastic food wraps, container closures, flavorless cap liners, and agricultural bioplastic films requiring safe structural integrity.
Cosmetics & Pharmaceuticals
Utilized as an active fixative inside luxury perfumes, hair sprays, nail polishes, and as an essential enteric coating plasticizer for targeted tablet and capsule formulations.
Quality Assurance & Global Compliance
As an elite global chemical provider, we recognize that raw material trace parameters, moisture limits, and batch uniformity directly impact your downstream processing reliability. Our advanced esterification facilities maintain continuous monitoring paradigms to guarantee perfect batch transparency and full international compliance:
- Advanced Laboratory Analytical Quality Inspection: Every single industrial lot of our TEC liquid undergoes comprehensive gas chromatography (GC) matrix screening, heavy metal trace assays, and acid-profile titrations—ensuring perfect product consistency.
- Exhaustive International Regulatory Alignment: We operate with a highly proactive compliance methodology. All export shipments arrive accompanied by detailed Certificates of Analysis (CoA), GHS-compliant Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and valid credentials satisfying EU REACH, US TSCA, and relevant pharmacopeia protocols.
- Clean Fluid Logistics: To seamlessly align with your workshop infrastructure and automated liquid-dispensing pumps, we provide clean, secure packaging configurations, including standard 230kg tight-head steel drums, 1100L heavy-duty IBC totes, and high-capacity bulk flexitanks.
⚠ Storage & Handling Guidelines
Maintaining proper warehouse environmental parameters is crucial to preserve the functional purity, low odor, and chemical stability of Triethyl Citrate (TEC). Because bio-based ester configurations can absorb atmospheric moisture over extended periods, strict climate and sealing protocols must be enforced.
- • Warehouse Climate Control: Store all chemical containers inside dry, thoroughly ventilated, and cool indoor facilities. Keep stock coordinates completely isolated from direct sunlight, open heating vents, or specialized hot processing components.
- • Moisture Prevention & Sealing: Keep all drum closures and transfer connections tightly sealed when not dispensing fluid. Air exposure must be systematically limited to prevent moisture uptake, which can trigger slow ester hydrolysis and elevate the acid value over time.
- • Shelf Life Strategy: Preserved under stable, un-opened temperature-controlled warehouse conditions, our industrial TEC plasticizer retains a certified shelf life of 24 months from the manufacturing date. Implementing a continuous First-In, First-Out (FIFO) pipeline is recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is TEC considered a safer alternative to conventional plasticizers? +
Can TEC be used in biodegradable plastics like PLA? +
Does TEC exhibit good resistance to migration or leaching? +
Partner with a Reliable Chemical Supplier
We provide premium-grade Triethyl Citrate (TEC) carefully processed to meet international technical benchmarks. Available in uniform, high-purity liquid lots and customizable commercial packaging configurations to ensure absolute batch precision inside your industrial mixing environment.
