Incompatibility of Pro Polymer and Nano Silver in Alcohol Gel
Question
I tried making an Alcohol gel using Pro Polymer mixed with Nano Silver.
I used the following ingredients:
1. Ethyl Alcohol 70 g.
2. water 27.5 g.
3. Nano Silver 2 g.
4. Pro Polymer 0.5 g.
I mixed water + Pro Polymer until it became a gel, then added alcohol, resulting in a very nice gel texture. However, when I added Nano Silver, the gel turned into a cloudy white liquid with a sticky white precipitate.
How can I fix this issue?
Normally, I can mix Nano Silver with gel (Carbopol 940 + TEA) without precipitation.
Answer
Resolving Incompatibility Between Pro Polymer and Nano Silver in Alcohol Gel
It appears you are experiencing an incompatibility issue when combining Pro Polymer and Nano Silver in your alcohol gel formulation. The observation that the gel becomes liquid and forms a white precipitate upon adding Nano Silver, while Nano Silver works correctly with a Carbopol 940 + TEA gel, points to a specific interaction problem between Pro Polymer and the ionic Nano Silver solution.
Based on the product information:
- Pro Polymer (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer): This polymer thickens by forming a gel structure. While it has some electrolyte resistance, high levels of electrolytes can soften the gel.
- Silver (2000ppm, Ionic, Colorless Solution, pH 4-6): This ionic silver solution is explicitly sensitive to electrolytes and positively charged ingredients, which can affect its stability.
The ionic nature of the Nano Silver solution (or its stabilizers) likely acts as an electrolyte or introduces charged particles that disrupt the gel structure formed by Pro Polymer, leading to the loss of viscosity and precipitation you observed.
Recommended Solution
The most effective way to resolve this issue is to use a thickening system that is compatible with the ionic Nano Silver solution. Since you have confirmed that Carbopol 940 + TEA works well with Nano Silver, switching to this combination for your alcohol gel is the recommended approach. This will allow you to achieve a stable gel without the precipitation problem.
While adjusting pH or reducing Nano Silver concentration might have minor effects, the fundamental incompatibility between Pro Polymer and this specific ionic silver solution makes switching to a compatible thickener the most reliable solution.
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