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Cetrimonium Bromide BP EP USP pharma grade shows up in many chemical supply lists under the HS Code 34021200. The chemical formula, C19H42BrN, points to a quaternary ammonium compound with a long hydrocarbon chain. Its molecular weight comes out to about 364.46 g/mol. As a raw material, Cetrimonium Bromide delivers solid performance as an antiseptic and surfactant, something you see regularly in pharmaceuticals and hair care products. Most often, this material arrives at the loading dock in flakes, a white or nearly white crystalline solid at room temperature, although you might spot it supplied as powder, pearls, or even a concentrated aqueous solution. In solid form, the density sits close to 0.968 g/cm³, fairly typical for quaternary ammonium compounds of its type.
Getting down to the molecular structure tells you a lot about what this material can do. The cationic surfactant structure gives a strong affinity for disrupting microbial membranes and helping oils mix with water. There's a hydrophobic tail made up of a 16-carbon alkyl chain, fused onto a positively charged nitrogen center, which comes from the trimethylammonium group. That long chain and charged head are the keys behind its solubility and antimicrobial activity. In water, cetrimonium bromide dissolves pretty well, forming clear solutions at a range of concentrations—the substance tends to remain stable under regular storage, though it reacts badly to strong oxidizers and some acids.
The stuff isn't all that heavy; bulk density in the solid form drops somewhere between 0.35 and 0.45 kg/L, which means a small bag goes a long way in most formulations. As a raw material, it melts between 238°C and 242°C, well above temperatures you'd see in pharmaceutical processing or hair care manufacture. Now, if you look at laboratory use, you’ll find it handy because you can weigh it out in flakes or powder. In field work, using the ready-made liquid concentrate saves time and improves accuracy. Quality pharma-grade material always guarantees high assay, generally over 98% purity, with set limits on moisture and related substances, which does matter if you’re working under strict regulatory or safety rules.
Cetrimonium Bromide isn’t a mystery in the industry; it’s been around for decades, acting as a preservative in dermatological creams, a conditioning agent in hair products, and a disinfectant in medical solutions. The same antimicrobial activity that makes it effective in the lab poses hazards if not managed well—skin and eye irritation is a real risk, and severe cases might even involve allergic reactions. The material earns a GHS classification as hazardous. Workers must handle it with proper PPE: gloves, goggles, and adequate ventilation are never optional. If product dust gets airborne or spilled, fast cleanup and containment are crucial. As a chemical raw material, its environmental impact also deserves attention, since quaternary ammonium compounds resist easy breakdown in water and soil. This persistence can affect local ecosystems, especially aquatic life.
On the shop floor, suppliers push for tight quality controls, batch traceability, and solid documentation. Pharmacopoeia standards (BP, EP, USP) offer a checklist for those specifications: purity, solubility, appearance, and assay. Workers and managers use these grades to match exact needs—what passes as acceptable for cosmetic manufacturing doesn’t always make the cut for injectable pharma solutions. Storage comes into play: the product holds up best in cool, dry places, kept sealed and away from incompatible materials like acids or strong reducing agents. In my own time around chemical plants, cross-contamination from open bags or dusty transfer lines caused more trouble than any spec sheet mistake. Labeling every container and storing by compatibility keeps the operation safe and prevents confusion—checking the manufacturer's datasheet means everything, since no two sources of cetrimonium bromide are identical.
The industry could go farther in reducing risks. Even now, the move towards automation for powder or flake transfers cuts down on direct worker contact, lowering the chance of skin exposure or dust inhalation. Spill response training, along with standardized containers, helps avoid accidental releases. For the big-picture environmental impact, wastewater treatment that targets quaternary ammonium compounds means less environmental persistence. Switching to reusable or recyclable packaging drops the waste load. Research pushes ahead for biodegradable surfactant alternatives, though replacing cetrimonium bromide completely hasn't worked out for high-performance needs yet. For now, site managers need to focus on robust SOPs for safe storage, careful handling, and controlled disposal, which actually prevents regulatory headaches and health claims long before they ever show up.
Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
