Tributyl Citrate, C18H32O7, high boiling substance, is used as a solvent and plasticizer for polymers especially for PVC and its copolymers which are subsequently applied to food wrapping film. It is a plasticizer permitted in the field of food additive, food contact material, medical, and pharmaceutical. It is used as a plasticiser and humectant for cigarette filters. It is widely used in cosmetics , lacquers and as a fragrance carrier. It is a component of adhesives. Tributyl Citrate is effective to keep stable color maintance when processed with resins due to the property of heat-stable.
Citric acid esters have been available more than 40 years used in various applications. Initially, they found utility as plasticiser in polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cellulose derivates. In the meantime, their usefulness has grown into multiple applications with a growing demand as the trends for more environmentally friendly materials continues.
Citrates offer an excellent alternative for those products under scrutiny. They demonstrate equal plasticiser performance to replace phthalates and adipates in many applications such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical coatings, food contact films and in plastic articles. Due to their high boiling point, plasticisers are hardly volatile, thus the losses from the polymers are insignificant. Their solvent power ensures compatibility with the resin.
