Polyquaternium-7 is an

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

in the

polyquaternium Polyquaternium is the International Nomenclature for Cosmetic Ingredients designation for several polycationic polymers that are used in the personal care industry. Polyquaternium is a neologism used to emphasize the presence of quaternary a ...

class of chemicals and used in the personal care industry. It is the

copolymer In polymer chemistry, a copolymer is a polymer derived from more than one species of monomer. The polymerization of monomers into copolymers is called copolymerization. Copolymers obtained from the copolymerization of two monomer species are som ...

acrylamide Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH2=CHC(O)NH2. It is a white odorless solid, soluble in water and several organic solvents. From the chemistry perspective, acrylamide is a vinyl-substituted primary ...

and the

quaternary ammonium salt In organic chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively-charged polyatomic ions of the structure , where R is an alkyl group, an aryl group or organyl group. Unlike the ammonium ion () and the primary, secondary, ...

diallyldimethylammonium chloride. Its molecular formula is: (C₈H₁₆ClN)_n(C₃H₅NO)_m.

Functions

Polyquaternium-7 is used for its

antistatic An antistatic agent is a compound used for treatment of materials or their surfaces in order to reduce or eliminate buildup of static electricity. Static charge may be generated by the triboelectric effect or by a non-contact process using a high ...

and film forming properties. Also in cosmetic formulation.

Usage

Polyquaternium 7 is the designation established with the original association, Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Fragrance Association (CTFA), now known as the Personal Care Products Council. There are an abundance of product names containing the same or a similar active ingredient for applications outside the cosmetics and personal care industry. Polyquaternium-7 is applied in waste treatment for laundry, emulsion breaking, sludge dewatering and drainage and retention aid. It is a cationic

polyelectrolyte Polyelectrolytes are polymers whose repeating units bear an electrolyte group. Polycations and polyanions are polyelectrolytes. These groups dissociate in aqueous solutions (water), making the polymers charged. Polyelectrolyte properties are t ...

. Polyquaternium-7 is used as modifier, for example in shampoo, hair conditioner, hair spray, mousse, soap, gel, styling agent, shaving product, deodorant and antiperspirant. The DADMAC monomer is highly hydrophilic. Absorption of moisture from the air lends "conditioning" properties to the products that contain the copolymer such as shampoos, hair and skin conditioners and other personal care products including some bar soaps.

Safety

According to its

safety data sheet A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a wide ...

, it is not persistent, bioaccumulative, or toxic. Not a hazardous substance or mixture according to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 or EC-directives 67/548/EEC or 1999/45/EC.

Scientific studies

The influence of the synthetic cationic polymer polyquaternium-7 on the rheology and microstructure of creams was investigated. Efficacy, mechanism and test methods of conditioning polymers in some shampoo formulations was investigated.

References

{{reflist Cosmetics chemicals Organic polymers Quaternary ammonium compounds