Description
A clear, almost colorless oily liquid produced by esterification of citric acid with ethanol. Used as a plasticizer for pharmaceutical film coatings, a solvent and carrier for flavors and fragrances, and a foam stabilizer in egg-white-based food applications.
Mild, almost odorless. Soluble in water at limited concentration, fully miscible with ethanol, ethyl acetate, and most polar organic solvents. Non-volatile under normal handling conditions.
We supply food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade Triethyl Citrate from manufacturers in China holding ISO, Halal, Kosher and other certifications relevant to the product and production.
Common market grades include food-grade for foam stabilization and flavor carrier use, pharmaceutical USP/NF/EP grade as a plasticizer in enteric and controlled-release film coatings, and technical grade for industrial polymer applications.
Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering assay, water content, acidity, residual ethanol, and microbiology.
Introduction
Triethyl Citrate is the triester of citric acid and ethanol. Both starting materials derive from agricultural fermentation, which gives the compound a generally favorable regulatory and labeling position.
Production is by direct esterification of citric acid with ethanol under acid catalysis, followed by neutralization, dehydration, and distillation. The result is a clear oily liquid of pharmaceutical and food-grade purity.
Regulated as E1505 in the EU, classified as Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA for use as a foam stabilizer in dried egg white, listed in USP, NF, EP, and JP pharmacopoeias as a film-coating plasticizer, and approved by JECFA with an Acceptable Daily Intake of 0 to 20 mg per kg body weight.
In pharmaceutical use Triethyl Citrate is one of the most common plasticizers for enteric polymer coatings, where it modulates film flexibility and prevents cracking during tablet handling and storage. In food use the foam-stabilizer application underwrites the egg-white powder industry, where the compound preserves the whipping properties of spray-dried whites.
Where it is used
- Pharmaceutical enteric and controlled-release film coatings; the dominant plasticizer for hypromellose-phthalate-hpmcp" class="underline" style="color: var(--sage-deep); text-decoration-color: var(--sage-deep);">hypromellose phthalate and similar polymers
- Foam stabilizer for dried egg white and meringue powder; the principal food application
- Flavor and fragrance carrier solvent in confectionery and beverage flavor systems
- Cosmetic and personal-care fragrance fixative
- Plastic film and packaging plasticizer; a phthalate-free alternative for food-contact materials
- Soluble dietary fiber and gum coating in encapsulated nutritional ingredients
- Tobacco humectant and binder in some cigarette specifications
Technical data
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, almost colorless oily liquid |
| Assay | ≥ 99.0% |
| Refractive index (20 °C) | 1.439 to 1.441 |
| Specific gravity (20 °C) | 1.135 to 1.139 |
| Water (Karl Fischer) | ≤ 0.25% |
| Acidity (as citric acid) | ≤ 0.02% |
| Residual ethanol | ≤ 0.1% |
| Heavy metals (as Pb) | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
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