| HS Code | 128109 |
| Productname | Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES |
| Chemicalnature | Weak cationic softening agent |
| Appearance | White to off-white flakes |
| Form | Flake |
| Ionictype | Weak cationic |
| Ph | 5.0-7.0 (1% aqueous solution) |
| Solubility | Soluble or dispersible in hot water |
| Activecontent | ≥90% |
| Meltingpoint | 50-60 °C |
| Recommendeddosage | 1-5% (owf, typical) |
| Application | Textile softening finishing |
| Packaging | 25 kg woven bag or paper bag |
| Storage | Cool, dry, ventilated place, sealed |
| Shelflife | 12-24 months |
As an accredited Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES is packed in 25 kg net-weight woven bags with inner plastic liners for protection. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES packed in 25 kg bags on pallets, loaded and secured in a 20′ FCL for export. |
| Shipping | Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES is generally shipped as non-dangerous general cargo in sealed 25 kg woven bags or fiber drums. Keep packages dry, cool, ventilated, and protected from moisture, heat, and sunlight; avoid contamination and physical damage. Follow local transport and SDS requirements. |
| Storage | Store Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. Keep containers tightly closed and labeled. Prevent contact with strong oxidizers and alkalis. Use clean, dry equipment and avoid dust generation. Maintain segregation from incompatible materials and follow local regulations and SDS recommendations. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life: 12 months when stored in a cool, dry, ventilated area in original sealed packaging. |
In cold-fill household liquid fabric softener manufacturing, the weak cationic soft flake ES is introduced into demineralized water heated to 60–65 °C after residual chlorine in process water has been checked, because free chlorine accelerates ester hydrolysis and shortens emulsion shelf life. The typical addition level is 3.0–8.0 wt% of the finished liquid, corresponding to approximately 2.5–6.8 wt% cationic active matter when the flake assay falls between 85% and 90% as determined by ISO 2871-2:2019 two-phase titration. At addition levels below 3.0 wt%, softness retention on cotton terry tends to degrade because the quaternary ester adsorption is insufficient to form a coherent softening film; above 8.0 wt%, the formulation may undergo phase inversion or viscosity drift beyond 700 mPa·s at 25 °C when measured with a Brookfield LV viscometer, spindle 3, 12 rpm, according to ISO 2555:2018. Compliance for this application is anchored to Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 for detergent product information and ultimate aerobic biodegradability, while the cationic active should satisfy OECD 301B criteria of ≥60% degradation within 28 days for EU market placement. The manufacturing process requires a controlled hot dispersion sequence: flakes are added under low-shear agitation at 250–400 rpm to avoid lump formation, then a rotor-stator high-shear mixer or an IKA Dispax Reactor is operated at 800–1200 rpm for 15–20 minutes until no visible gel particles remain. The dispersion is subsequently pH-adjusted to 3.5–4.5 with a 50% citric acid solution, because weakly acidic conditions preserve ester linkages while improving long-term clarity; cooling to 30–35 °C must occur before perfume and preservative dosing to limit volatile loss. Terminal product types include 1.5 L and 3 L conventional softeners, 7× and 14× concentrated liquid softeners packaged in HDPE or PET bottles, and water-soluble PVOH unit-dose pouches, provided finished water activity remains below 0.65. An operational boundary exists with anionic co-actives: free anionic surfactants in the formulation above 0.1 wt% active can form insoluble complexes and reduce softening efficacy; therefore anionic dye transfer inhibitors, anionic optical brighteners, and anionic rheology modifiers must be excluded or separately encapsulated.
| Parameter | Standard or criterion | Application limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ready biodegradability | OECD 301B | ≥60% in 28 days |
| Cationic active matter | ISO 2871-2:2019 | 85–90% flake assay |
| Brookfield viscosity | ISO 2555:2018, LV spindle 3, 12 rpm | 300–700 mPa·s at 25 °C |
| Finished product pH | ISO 4316:1977 | 3.5–4.5 |
| Preservative efficacy | ISO 11930:2019 | Pass at 7 days and 28 days |
Rinse-off hair conditioner and mask manufacture relies on the weak cationic soft flake ES as a low-charge-density emollient quaternary that reduces static flyaway and improves wet combing without the heavy buildup associated with higher-charge cationic polymers. The addition level is typically 0.5–2.5 wt% in standard cream conditioners and may reach 5.0 wt% in low-water or anhydrous hair mask systems, usually in combination with 3.5–6.0 wt% cetearyl alcohol or cetyl alcohol as the structuring fatty alcohol. The manufacturing process follows a hot emulsification sequence: the water phase is heated to 75–80 °C, the fatty alcohol and any non-ionic emulsifier are heated separately to 75 °C, and the flake is added to the oil phase before phase combination to prevent localized gel lumps. The two phases are then combined in a vacuum homogenizer at 1500–2500 rpm for 10–15 minutes, and the emulsion must be cooled slowly under anchor stirring below 40 °C before heat-sensitive preservatives, panthenol, and fragrance are added. Terminal products include tube-packaged daily rinse-off cream conditioners, jar-packaged intensive hair masks, and solid conditioner bars, where the flake contributes to bar structure but requires adjustment of melting profile; solid bar forms may require 15–25 wt% flake content together with cetyl alcohol or cocoa butter to achieve acceptable hardness and dry-touch. Compliance is governed by EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, with the allowed quaternary ammonium compound inclusion subject to the specific CAS entry in Annex III for the exact INCI designation; microbiological stability is assessed according to ISO 11930:2019 challenge testing, and aerobic plate counts are checked against ISO 21149:2017. An operational limitation is that the flake should not be cold-processed below 55 °C, because incomplete melting produces visible specks in the finished conditioner; additionally, formulations containing more than 0.5 wt% carbomer require neutralization after the emulsion has cooled, because the cationic charge can collapse an anionic carbomer network if neutralization is attempted during the hot phase.
Textile finishing with weak cationic soft flake ES on cotton, viscose, modal, or lyocell is executed either by pad–dry–cure or exhaust application. In pad application, the bath is prepared at 15–40 g/L flake concentration with 65–75% pickup on a padder, followed by drying at 105–110 °C and curing at 130–150 °C for 45–90 seconds. The pH of the padding liquor is maintained at 4.5–5.5 with acetic acid or a non-volatile acid donor; above 5.5, ester hydrolysis can progress during working-bath circulation, and above 160 °C, visible yellowing may occur on white goods due to thermal degradation of the quaternary ammonium ester. In exhaust processing, the dosage is 2.0–5.0% on weight of fiber, the bath is set at 40–60 °C, and the treatment time is 20–30 minutes at a liquor ratio of 1:8 to 1:12. Terminal product types include terry towels, knitted cotton underwear, woven bed linens, and regenerated cellulose garments requiring a soft hand and reduced static. Compliance is anchored to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for finished textile residues, ZDHC MRSL Version 3.1 for restricted auxiliary chemicals, and REACH Annex XVII restrictions on alkylphenol ethoxylates and restricted quaternary ammonium compounds; suppliers must provide a Type 1 or Type 2 declaration under ISO 14001-aligned environmental management if mills export to EU brands. The material is not compatible in the same bath with anionic optical brighteners, and mills using fluorescent whitening agents should apply the brightener in a separate pad step or select a non-ionic brightener after a sedimentation compatibility test. A further boundary is residual alkalinity in the substrate: if cotton has been mercerized or bleached and not neutralized, the acid buffer must be increased, and the pad bath pH should be re-checked after 30 minutes of circulation to prevent pH drift above the safe processing window.
Aqueous adsorption onto bleached softwood or bamboo kraft fibers forms the basis for wet-end tissue and hygiene paper softening. The weak cationic soft flake ES is added after refining and before the headbox at 0.2–1.0 wt% based on oven-dry fiber, with the narrow operating band typically 0.4–0.7 wt% when the mill runs a closed white-water loop. At addition levels below 0.2 wt%, tactile improvement is insufficient for facial tissue; above 1.2 wt%, unretained cationic material accumulates in the white-water system and can generate foam, pitch deposition on forming fabrics, and reduced wet strength. The papermaking process requires stock pH 4.8–6.5, a headbox consistency of 0.1–0.5%, and a machine speed compatible with the retention program; a cationic polyacrylamide retention aid at 0.02–0.05 wt% dry fiber is often added after the softener to bind the flakes to the fiber surface. On-machine softness develops after creping and through winding; converting operations then produce facial tissue, toilet tissue, napkins, and kitchen towels. Compliance for food-contact grades is governed by FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and 21 CFR 176.180, and for EU market grades by EU Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 plus BfR Recommendation XXXVI for paper and board intended for food contact, with cold-water and hot-water extraction testing according to EN 645 and EN 647. The operational limitation in this sector is that the flake cannot be combined directly with anionic optical brightening agents or anionic wet-strength resins in the same dosing line because the resultant complex can plug the stock pump; mills commonly dose the flake into thick stock before the fan pump and add anionic additives downstream with adequate mixing.
| Regulatory anchor | Scope | Application requirement |
|---|---|---|
| FDA 21 CFR 176.170 | Paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods | Component migration limits as specified |
| FDA 21 CFR 176.180 | Paper and paperboard in contact with dry food | Component migration limits as specified |
| EU Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 | Food contact materials | No migration that endangers human health or changes food composition |
| BfR Recommendation XXXVI | Paper and board for food contact | Positive list of approved production chemicals |
| Oeko-Tex Standard 100 | Finished textile and fiber | Residue limits by product class |
| ZDHC MRSL Version 3.1 | Textile and leather chemical inputs | No restricted quaternary ammonium salts or APEO |
Leather post-tanning uses the weak cationic soft flake ES as a cationic softening agent to alter surface hand, improve fiber lubrication, and reduce excessive anionic fatliquor migration toward the grain side. The dosage is 1.0–4.0 wt% based on shaved wet-blue or wet-white weight, and the material is applied in a drum float of 150–200% water at 55–60 °C. Because most fatliquors are anionic, simultaneous addition of the flake with anionic lecithin, fish oil, or sulfated synthetic oils can produce rapid precipitation and grain specking; therefore the operation is run sequentially, with the anionic fatliquor added first and allowed to exhaust for 30–45 minutes, followed by the cationic flake and a further 30–40 minutes of drumming before fixation with formic acid to pH 3.6–4.0. Terminal leather types include garment leather, shoe upper leather, and upholstery leather, including chrome-free articles where aldehyde- or titanium-based tanning agents are used. Compliance is tied to ZDHC MRSL Version 3.1 for leather chemicals, REACH Annex XVII for restricted substances in leather articles, and ISO 4045:2018 for pH and pH differential testing on finished leather; the softener must be free of alkylphenol ethoxylates and restricted aryl amines, and suppliers should provide a REACH Safety Data Sheet with composition disclosure if brand chemical management restrictions require it. The operational boundary is temperature: drum temperatures above 65 °C accelerate hydrolysis of the ester linkage and reduce the softening effect, while temperatures below 45 °C produce uneven uptake; additionally, leathers with high chrome content and high positive surface charge may show lower cationic flake absorption, so a pre-trial on the same wet-blue lot is recommended.
Weak cationic soft flake ES is incorporated into water-based spin finish emulsions for polyester and viscose staple fibers, where it functions as a low-fiber-to-metal friction modifier and anti-static softener without over-lubricating the web. The addition rate in the neat finish emulsion is 0.3–1.2 wt% based on fiber weight, typically applied by lick roll or spray at 0.8–1.5% oil pick-up after drawing and before crimping. The finish emulsion is prepared by pre-dispersing the flake in demineralized water at 55–60 °C with 2–5% of a non-ionic emulsifier, then diluting to final use concentration at pH 5.0–6.0; the emulsion must remain stable at 25 °C for at least 72 hours without creaming, as evaluated by the oil separation method of ASTM D3707. Terminal fiber products include polyester staple fiber for nonwoven wipes and hygiene products, fiberfill for pillows and jackets, and needle-punched filtration media. Compliance is anchored to REACH for substance registration, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for fiber and yarn certification, and ZDHC MRSL for textile chemical inputs, with a specific prohibition on nonylphenol ethoxylates under REACH Annex XVII. An operational limitation is that the flake should not be mixed with anionic phosphate-based antistatic agents because the resulting neutralization reaction can increase emulsion viscosity and cause spinneret finish plate-out; if anionic antistats are required for high-speed carding, they should be applied in a separate downstream step or the emulsifier system should be rebalanced by a compatibility jar test using the exact deionized water source at the mill.
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Product designation Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES identifies a pH-responsive cationic softening agent supplied as an off-white to pale-yellow waxy flake. The ES model denotes an emulsion-stable flake grade with reduced dusting and a controlled drop point for continuous dosing. The product is based on a fatty acid amidoamine partially neutralized with a low-molecular-weight organic acid, so the weak cationic charge arises from a protonation equilibrium rather than a permanent quaternary ammonium centre. This chemical distinction determines its exhaustion behaviour in aqueous finishing operations, its interaction with anionic residuals, and its lower thermal yellowing contribution on cellulosic textiles. Representative specification ranges are shown in the table below; the certificate of analysis for each lot provides contractual limits.
| Parameter | Reference method | Representative value |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual inspection | Off-white to pale-yellow flakes |
| Active matter | ISO 2871-2:2010 | 96.0–99.0 % |
| pH of 5% dispersion at 25°C | ISO 4316:1977 | 5.0–6.5 |
| Moisture content | ISO 760:1978 | 0.5–1.5 % |
| Amine value | ISO 25761:2014 | 6.0–10.0 mg KOH/g |
| Drop point | ISO 2176:1995 | 52–58 °C |
| Bulk density | ISO 60:1977 | 0.40–0.55 g/cm³ |
The ES flake is distinguishable from low-molecular-weight esterquat flakes by lower cationic charge density and from nonionic fatty acid amide softeners by measurable substantivity to cellulosic substrates. The weak cationic charge is generated by protonation at acidic pH; at neutral to alkaline pH the molecule behaves more like a nonionic dispersant. This pH window is the primary processing control variable. In continuous textile finishing, the product is typically converted to a 10% stock dispersion before dosing. Direct flake addition to cold water is not recommended because wetting is slow below 45°C and undispersed particles can deposit on fabric or paper machine rolls. Pre-dispersion vessels should be cleaned with warm acetic acid solution because dried residues redissolve only slowly.
At 10%–12% solids, the flake is wetted by adding it slowly to soft water at 60–65°C under a rotor-stator mixer operating at 3,000 min⁻¹. A high-shear dispersion of this type yields a laser-diffraction median particle size D50 below 10 µm after 15 min when measured per ISO 13320:2020. Above 12% solids, the dispersion may transition from a low-viscosity milky liquid to a structured gel; the gel point depends on water hardness and residual electrolyte. In process water with calcium hardness above 150 ppm as CaCO₃, viscosity increases more rapidly because the carboxylate form of the amidoamine binds divalent ions. For this reason, predilution to 8% is preferred where soft water is unavailable. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; the gel point should therefore be checked batchwise on the intended line.
Exhaustion trials on jet and overflow dyeing machines use 1.0–2.5 % on weight of fabric at a liquor ratio of 1:10–1:15. The flake is pre-solubilized and then added slowly to the running bath after dyeing and before the final acid rinse. Bath pH is maintained at 5.5–6.0; below pH 4.0, protonation of the amine reduces substantivity and residual active matter in the spent liquor increases. Exhaustion under these conditions is typically 70–85 %, determined by titrating residual cationic active matter in the bath with ISO 2871-2:2010. This contrasts with permanently quaternized DHTDMAC flakes, which commonly exceed 95 % exhaustion under identical conditions. Mill trials using bending length per ISO 9073-7:1995 report reductions in the range of 18–25% relative to untreated cotton at 2.0% owf.
Pad-dry-cure finishing of cotton/polyester blended knits applies 15–30 g/L of a 10% pre-dispersion through a two-roll padding mangle at a wet pickup of 70–80%. Nip pressure is set at 2.0–2.5 bar. Drying at 120°C for 2 min and curing at 150°C for 90–120 s fixes the softener via acid–base interaction with the fibre surface. Thermal exposure above 160°C for longer than 3 min initiates amide oxidation and produces a measurable shift in CIE whiteness index according to ISO 105-J02:1997. This operational ceiling is more restrictive than that of nonionic amide softeners, which tolerate 170°C but provide a different hand.
Continuous loss-in-weight dosing of Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES through a single-screw side feeder on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder requires flake temperature below 35°C to avoid screw blockage. In one production configuration, a 25 mm side feeder at 60 rpm delivered 2.0–4.0 kg/h into a 30 mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 44:1. Melt viscosity of the flake at 60°C is in the range of 250–400 mPa·s, measured by a rotational rheometer at a shear rate of 10 s⁻¹. This viscosity is lower than that of many refined tallow-based quaternary flake products, which may exceed 600 mPa·s at the same temperature. The lower melt viscosity permits shorter residence time in hot-melt blending, but it also requires precise jacket temperature control at 55–65°C to avoid phase separation from co-softening silicones.
In home-care fabric softener formulations, Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES is melted at 55–60°C and emulsified with nonionic ethoxylates to produce a stable low-viscosity dispersion. The weak cationic character limits electrostatic cling reduction relative to esterquat formulations, but it also lowers the tendency to destabilize anionic surfactant residues in rewash cycles. A typical emulsion at 5% active softener content shows viscosity of 60–100 mPa·s at 25°C when measured with a Brookfield viscometer at 60 rpm. Phase separation after 30 days at 40°C should remain below 2% by volume; storage stability testing follows ISO 13317-3:2001 or the manufacturer’s internal protocol. Table 2 summarizes comparative performance against a conventional quaternary ammonium flake softener.
| Characteristic | Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES | Quaternary ammonium flake softener |
|---|---|---|
| Charge type | pH-responsive weak cationic | Permanent quaternary |
| Exhaustion at pH 5.5, 25°C | 70–85 % | 95–98 % |
| Compatibility with 0.8 g/L SDBS | Moderate; visible coacervation after 20 min | Poor; immediate precipitation |
| Thermal yellowing after 150°C/90 s; CIE WI change | −1.5 to −2.5 units | −3.5 to −5.0 units |
| Hand on cotton | Soft and dry | Soft, slightly greasy |
Coacervation behaviour was assessed by adding sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate to a 10 g/L dispersion of Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES at pH 5.5 and 25°C. The onset of visible phase separation occurred at 0.8 g/L SDBS after 20 min; at 1.5 g/L SDBS, turbidity measured with a Hach 2100Q portable turbidimeter exceeded 200 NTU. Fatty alcohol ether sulfate surfactants reduced the threshold to 0.4–0.6 g/L. By comparison, a permanently quaternized flake showed immediate precipitation at SDBS concentrations as low as 0.1 g/L. Because residual anionic levelling agents from upstream dyeing can exceed these thresholds, process sequences must either include a drain-and-rinse step or dose the softener only after anionic residuals drop below 0.1 g/L. No international standard exactly prescribes this compatibility test; the measurement method is operationally defined on the production floor.
Wet-end addition in tissue manufacture is performed at 0.3–0.8 kg per tonne dry fibre. The flake is pre-dispersed to 5% and dosed to the thin stock before the fan pump. Retention is pH-dependent and reaches a maximum near pH 6.0–6.5, where the weak cationic charge is sufficient to interact with fines but not so high as to precipitate anionic trash. Sheet softness increases at the expense of a small tensile loss; a 5–10% reduction in dry tensile index may be observed at the maximum dose, measured by ISO 1924-2:2008. Process water with anionic conductivity above 2,000 µS/cm reduces retention and may require higher doses or split addition. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; mill trials remain necessary.
In polyolefin processing, Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES serves as an internal polar additive at 0.5–1.5 wt% in nonwoven masterbatch. It is fed via side stuffer into a twin-screw extruder at melt temperatures of 180–200°C. At these temperatures the amidoamine may partially volatilize if not pre-dispersed in a carrier resin; vacuum venting is required. The weak cationic centre does not form permanent ionic clusters in the melt, reducing die lip build-up compared with quaternary ammonium antistatic flakes. Melt flow index shift is measured by ISO 1133-1:2022 at 230°C/2.16 kg; a typical shift is 2–4 g/10 min at 1.0 wt% loading. Processing above 220°C accelerates amide decomposition and should be avoided. Published data for this specific configuration is limited.
Storage in 25 kg polyethylene-lined paper sacks or 500 kg fibreboard bulk containers is recommended at warehouse temperatures below 40°C and relative humidity below 60%. Under these conditions the flake remains free-flowing for 12 months from the date of manufacture. At higher humidity, surface moisture uptake can raise the moisture content above 1.5%, increasing the risk of microbial growth and forming lumps that require re-melting. Opened sacks should be reclosed immediately. Pre-drying at 50°C for 2 h is required for moisture-sensitive applications such as polyolefin masterbatch or when the flake is co-fed with moisture-sensitive additives. Colour after melting is evaluated against a Gardner scale according to ISO 4630:2015; typical values are 3–5 Gardner units, whereas strongly quaternized flake products may reach 7–9 Gardner units after 30 min at 80°C. If the product is overheated above 80°C for prolonged periods, amide hydrolysis may occur, releasing free fatty acid and raising the acid value.
Regulatory classification of Weak Cationic Soft Flake ES is typically non-hazardous for transport; however, the safety data sheet supplied by the legal importer or manufacturer is controlling. Dust from flake breakage can form an explosive atmosphere in confined conveying lines if oxygen and an ignition source are present; grounding and inerting follow IEC 60079-10-2:2015 for zone classification. Industrial hygiene monitoring for organic dust follows ISO 7708:1995 particle size conventions. Clearance for food-contact paper use is evaluated under FDA 21 CFR 176.170 and BfR Recommendation XXXVI where applicable; the responsible manufacturer must provide written confirmation for the specific base chemistry. The product should not be combined with nitrosating agents or strong oxidizers without site-level process risk assessment.
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