Description: Tweens® are a series of nonionic surfactants derived from sorbitan esters. They are soluble or dispersible in water but differ widely in organic and oil solubilities. Used as oil-in-water emulsifiers in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning compounds, etc. (Not sold by MP for human use).

Polysorbate 20

Tween® 40

Tween® 60

Tween® 80

Tween® 85

CAS #

9005-64-5

9005-66-7

9005-67-8

9005-65-6

9005-70-3

Synonym

Polyoxyethylene- sorbitan monolaurate;

Polysorbate 20

Polyoxyethylene- sorbitan monopalmitate;

Polysorbate 40

Polyoxyethylene- sorbitan monostearate;

Polysorbate 60

Polyoxyethylene- sorbitan monooleate;

Polysorbate 80

Polyoxyethylene- sorbitan trioleate;

Polysorbate 85

Content

~55% lauric acid (remainder primarily myristic, palmitic and stearic acid)

~90% palmitic acid

~55% stearic acid (remainder primarily palmitic acid)

~75% oleic acid

~70% oleic acid (remainder primarily elaidic, linolenic and palmitic acids)

Specific Gravity

~1.1 g/ml

~1.08 g/ml

~1.1 g/ml

~1.08 g/ml

~1.0 g/ml

Viscosity @ 25°C

400 cps

600 cps

--

400 cps

300 cps

Acid No.

0-2.0

0-2.0

0-2.0

0-2.0

0-2.0

Saponification No.

40-50

43-49

45-55

45-55

83-93

Hydroxyl No.

96-108

89-105

81-96

65-80

39-52

Water

2.5-3.0%

2.5-3.0%

2.5-3.0%

2.5-3.0%

4.8-5.2%

Critical Micelle Concen. (CMC)

0.06 mM

(60 mg/L or

6 × 10-3 mole/L)

--

--

0.012 mM

(13-15 mg/L)

--

Molecular Weight

1228

--

1311.7

1310

--

Physical Description: Yellow, oily liquid

Typical Usage:

Polysorbate 20 is typically used as an emulsifying agent for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions, particularly in pharmaceutical applications.17 Polysorbate 20 has been used in pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins).1,10,12 Several resources may be helpful in determining usage concentrations.8,9,14 Polysorbate 20 has been used as a blocking agent on nitrocellulose at a typical concentration of 0.05%.

Tween® 40 can be used as a non-ionic detergent in cell lysis, nuclei isolation and cell fractionation.2,13,15

Tween® 80 has been widely used in biochemical applications including: solubilizing proteins, isolating nuclei from cells in culture4,7,15, selective protein extraction4,15, growing of tubercule bacilli6, and emulsifying and dispersing substances in medicinal and food products. It has little or no activity as an anti-bacterial agent.3 It has been shown to have an adverse effect on the antibacterial effect of methyl paraben and related compounds.16

Tween 20 and Tween 80 are used in the formulation of biotherapeutic products for both preventing surface adsorption and as stabilizers against protein aggregation.

Just look at the Tween family at this link:

http://www.labome.com/method/Detergents-Triton-X-100-Tween-20-and-More.html

CAN WE REPLACE TWEEN 80 WITH  TWEEN 20 OR VIS VERSA IN MOLECULAR EXPERIMENT (EXTRACTING SPORES AND SPREADING THEM ON A AGAR PLATE)!! FOR EXAMPLE CAN I USE TWEEN 20 AS A (DILUTION) OF TWEEN 80. SINCE WE USE BOTH AS DETERGENTS!! 

Tween 20 has lauric acid and Tween 80 has oleic acid, the use depeds on the proces you want to do, anyway both are surfactants.

can i use tween 20 instead of tween 80 in formation of funagl spore suspension?

Hello. To use in enzymatic hydrolysis which surfactant is better? I have read papers which use Tween 20 and Tween 80, but I do not know what is the difference in their application in enzymatic hydrolysis.

One major difference in their structure that is Tween 20 contains lauric acid (C10) whereas Tween 80 contains oleic acid (C18 with one double bond after C9).

Hi, Dr Wanegasikara

study this link:

https://www.horizonadmixtures.com/The-difference-between-Tween-20-and-Tween-80-id589408.html

Is the difference of oleic acid or lauric acid important for preparing TBS-T ?

Can we add Tween20 or Tween80 in TBS-T ?

Tween-80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate) is oleate and Tween-20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate) is laurate. Tween 80 has a longer aliphatic tail and therefore more lipophilic. Tween 20 is the more hydrophilic.

When we are talking about surfactants and oil/microemulsion adjuvants, T80 better for w/o indirect, T20 for o/w direct emulsions.

Tween-80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate) is oleate and Tween-20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate) is laurate. Tween 80 has a longer aliphatic tail and therefore more lipophilic. Tween 20 is the more hydrophilic.

CAN WE REPLACE TWEEN 80 WITH TWEEN 20 TO DISSOLVE CANNABINOIDS?