Benzalkonium chloride CAS 8001-54-5 63449-41-2

Benzalkonium chloride, also known as BZK, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and ADBAC, is a cationic surface-acting agent belonging to thequaternary ammonium group. It has three main categories of use: as a biocide, a cationic surfactant, and phase transfer agent in the chemical industry. The chemical is a nitrogenous mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides of various even-numbered alkyl chain lengths.

Properties

Benzalkonium chloride is readily soluble in ethanol and BLE. Although dissolution in water is slow, aqueous solutions are easier to handle and are preferred. Solutions should be neutral to slightly alkaline, with colour ranging from colourless to a pale yellow. Solutions foam profusely when shaken, have a bitter taste and a faint almond-like odour which is only detectable in concentrated solutions.

Availability

Standard concentrates are manufactured as 50% and 80% w/w solutions, and sold under trade names such as BC50, BC80, BAC50, BAC80, etc. The 50% solution is purely aqueous, while more concentrated solutions require incorporation of rheology modifiers (alcohols, polyethylene glycols, etc.) to prevent increases in viscosity or gel formation under low temperature conditions.