Polyquaternium-104 is a copolymer, the polymeric quaternary ammonium salt formed by the reaction of hydroxyethylmethacrylate, acrylic acid, methacryloylpropyl dimethicone, and acrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride.
The name defines the structure of the molecule
- "Poly" indicates a polymer structure, meaning many repeating units.
- "Quaternium" refers to the quaternary nature of nitrogen. These compounds have a nitrogen atom bonded to four different atoms, making them cationic or positively charged.
- "104" is a specific number that differentiates this particular variant of Polyquaternium from others. The number is a chronological reference of the registration date of this ingredient.
Description of the raw materials used in its production.
- Monomers with cationic functional groups.
- Compounds that can be quaternized, such as tertiary amines.
- Alkylating agents.
Step-by-step summary of its industrial chemical synthesis process.
- Monomers are prepared and purified.
- Polymerization of the monomers is initiated in the presence of an initiator.
- During or after polymerization, any tertiary amine groups present in the polymer can be quaternized using an alkylating agent.
- The resulting polymer is purified to remove impurities or unreacted monomers.
- The final product is dried and formed into the desired shape.
It occurs as a colourless to light yellow liquid, soluble in water, insoluble in ester, hydrocarbons and ketone.
What it is used for and where
Cosmetics
Hair conditioning agent. A large number of ingredients with specific purposes can co-exist in a hair shampoo: cleansers, conditioners, thickeners, mattifying agents, sequestering agents, fragrances, preservatives, special additives. However, the indispensable ingredients are the cleansers and conditioners as they are necessary and sufficient for hair cleansing and manageability. The others act as commercial and non-essential auxiliaries such as: appearance, fragrance, colouring, etc. Hair conditioning agents have the task of increasing shine, manageability and volume, and reducing static electricity, especially after treatments such as colouring, ironing, waving, drying and brushing. They are, in practice, dispersing agents that may contain cationic surfactants, thickeners, emollients, polymers. The typology of hair conditioners includes: intensive conditioners, instant conditioners, thickening conditioners, drying conditioners.
Commercial applications
Polyquaternium-104 is commonly used in hair care products such as shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in treatments. It serves to enhance combability, reduce static electricity, and form a thin film on the hair, making it smooth and shiny.
