Triethyl Citrate

Catalog Number

HG77930

CAS

77-93-0

Structure

Synonyms

1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 1,2,3-triethyl ester;FEMA No. 3083

Molecular Weight

276.28

Molecular Formula

C12H20O7

Appearance

Liquid

Application

Use as plasticizer.; Use as dispersingagent, emulsion stabilizer.; Use as lubricant.

Active Content

95%

Case Study

Evaluation of Triethyl Citrate as a Plasticizer for Polyvinyl Alcohol Films

Zuber, SAN Ahmad, et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 17 (2019): 560-567.

Challenge: Developing effective bio-based plasticizers for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) requires understanding their compatibility and plasticization efficiency across PVA variants. Triethyl citrate (TEC) was evaluated against triacetin (TRI) for its ability to modify thermal and mechanical properties in two PVA types with similar molecular weights but different hydrolysis degrees (88% vs. 99%).
Solution: TEC and TRI were incorporated into PVA films via solvent blending and solution casting. PVA (5% solution in water) was stirred for 2h at 80°C. Plasticizer (10% fixed concentration) was added and stirred for 1h at 80°C. Solutions were cast and vacuum-dried at 60°C. Films were designated as "X PVA Hydrolysis % / Y Plasticizer %" (e.g., 90PVA88/10TEC).
Key Findings:
· At 10% concentration, TEC caused insignificant reduction in glass transition temperature (T_g) and only a slight reduction in melt temperature (T_m) for both PVA88 and PVA99. This contrasted sharply with TRI, which significantly lowered T_g and T_m, especially in PVA88.
· Phase Separation with TEC: Morphological studies revealed phase separation in TEC-plasticized PVA films, indicating poor miscibility between TEC and PVA matrices.
· TEC demonstrated lower plasticization effectiveness compared to TRI in both PVA types, with no significant advantage observed in higher-hydrolysis PVA99.

Improving the Processability and Performance of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by Plasticization with Triethyl Citrate

Umemura, Rodrigo T., et al. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 138.10 (2021): 49990.

Challenge: Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a bio-based polymer which is expected to serve as a replacement for synthetic plastics, but has limited use due to its brittleness, narrow process window, and thermal degradation at elevated temperatures during melt processing.
Solution: Triethyl citrate (TEC) was evaluated as a bio-based plasticizer to improve flexibility, toughness and processability of PHB. Mixtures with different TEC mass fractions (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) were prepared. PHB-TEC blends were processed by compounding in a twin-screw microcompounder (175°C, 250 rpm, 1 min). Injection molding of the molten blends was performed (barrel: 175°C, mold: 60°C, pressure: 4.0/4.5 bar).
Key Findings:
· TEC acted as an efficient plasticizer, progressively modifying PHB properties with increasing concentration. It demonstrated significant enhancement in PHB toughness (impact resistance) and flexibility (reduced modulus, increased β-relaxation).
· TEC addition achieved a practical widening of the PHB processing window, enabling safer melt processing.
· TEC impacted the crystallization kinetics of PHB, which changed the crystal structure and spherulite morphology. Nucleation rate was reduced, while an increase of the rate of crystal growth was observed. The crystal structure evolved over time as TEC was expelled from the crystal growth boundary, facilitating interlamellar secondary crystallization.

• Catalog Number: HG77930
• CAS: 77-93-0
• Synonyms: 1,2,3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 1,2,3-triethyl ester;FEMA No. 3083
• Molecular Weight: 276.28
• Molecular Formula: C12H20O7
• Appearance: Liquid
• Application: Use as plasticizer.; Use as dispersingagent, emulsion stabilizer.; Use as lubricant.
• Active Content: 95%