Carbopol — A Unique Thickening Polymer

Carbopol (carbomer) is a cross-linked polyacrylic acid polymer widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic gels as a rheology modifier and suspending agent. In its dry form, Carbopol is a light, fluffy powder that readily forms tenacious "fish-eye" agglomerates when added to water — lumps with a hydrated outer shell encapsulating dry powder — making complete dispersion extremely difficult with conventional mixers.

High Shear Dispersion & Neutralisation

PVA Systems addresses this by inducting Carbopol powder directly into the high shear zone via a vacuum powder inlet. The rotor–stator instantly wets and de-agglomerates each particle before it can form lumps. Once the polymer is fully hydrated at acidic pH (producing a thin, milky dispersion), a neutralising agent (typically triethanolamine or sodium hydroxide) is added to raise the pH to 5.5–7.0, at which point the polymer "uncoils" and the viscosity increases sharply to form a crystal-clear gel. The entire process — powder dispersion, hydration, and neutralisation — takes 20–30 minutes under vacuum, producing a bubble-free, transparent gel with viscosities up to 50 000 cP.