Home, Institutional and Personal Care Solutions

ACUSOL™ Dispersant Polymers for

Household Products and Industrial & Institutional Cleaners
Why choose ACUSOL™ dispersant polymers
Demands are ever increasing for detergent formulations
that are more effective in terms of performance and cost.
Formulators therefore require dependable products and
information, which will enable them to develop such
formulations rapidly.
Our unique range of ACUSOL™ dispersants are high-performing
water-soluble polymers, designed to improve performance
properties of detergent formulations for a full spectrum of
household and industrial and institutional applications.
Formulations made with ACUSOL™ dispersant polymers:
• Improve cleaning/detergency
• Reduce soil redeposition (superior whiteness retention)
• Minimize calcium salt encrustation on fabric
• Prevent scaling on equipment
• Minimize spotting and filming on glassware
• Allow for fast drying of surfaces
• Overcome shortcomings of phosphate-free formulations
• Reduce formulation costs
ACUSOL™ polymers are designed to meet the challenge of
varying and troublesome cleaning or washing conditions
such as water hardness, high alkalinity, varying temperatures,
and machine types.
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We provide both liquid and dry grades to better address your
processing needs. In addition, you can further choose between
the acid and neutralized version of a specific grade. Acrylic acid,
maleic anhydride and other vinyl monomers are polymerized to
yield a wide variety of high performing water-soluble ACUSOL™
dispersant polymers.
Our ACUSOL™ granulated polymers allow for optimization of
both tablet and powder manufacturing processes, thanks to
their ideal particle size, higher bulk densities and homogeneity.
The information in this product selection guide will enable you
to choose the polymers you need based on applications, product
description and desired properties.
All products outlined in this brochure are commercially
available. For further information on these or our other
polymers that are not listed in this brochure, please contact
your Dow Chemical Company sales representative or local
distributor, or visit our website at www.dow.com.
Recommended Product Applications for ACUSOL™ Dispersants

Application Recommended Products

Laundry

Liquid Laundry ACUSOL 402, 445, 445N, 460N, 845

Powder Laundry ACUSOL 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 460N, 460ND

Automatic Dishwashing

Powders ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 460N, 460ND, 573, 587, 588, 588G

Liquids/Gels ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 460N, 480, 573, 588

Tablets/Unit Dose ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 460N, 460ND, 573, 587, 588, 588G

Industrial & Institutional

Laundry ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 448, 460N, 460ND, 505N

Warewash ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 448, 460N, 460ND, 573, 587, 588, 588G

CIP, Bottle Washing, Metal Cleaning ACUSOL 402, 425N, 441, 445, 445N, 445ND, 445G, 445NG, 460N, 460ND, 505N, 573, 587, 588, 588G

Hard Surface Cleaners ACUSOL 445, 445N, 460N

Product Descriptions – ACUSOL™ Dispersant Homopolymers

Product Molecular Weight % Solids pH (as supplied) Properties

Very good dispersant for inorganic and organic

soils in automatic dishwashing and laundry
ACUSOL 402 2,000 48.0 3.2 –4.0
applications (CaCO3 anti-scalant). Prevents
clay soil redeposition on fabrics.

Very good/excellent dispersant and encrusta-

tion inhibitor for inorganic scale (most notably
ACUSOL 441 3,500 51.0 3.0–3.5
for CaCO3) in laundry and I&I formulations.
Enhanced stability of hypochlorite or peroxygen
based bleaches (chelation of transition metals)

Very good dispersant for inorganic and organic

soils in automatic dishwashing applications.
ACUSOL 445 4,500 48.0 3.2–4.0
Prevents clay soil redeposition on fabrics.
ACUSOL 445N 45.0 7
Enhanced stability of hypochlorite or peroxygen
based bleaches (chelation of transition metals)

ACUSOL 445ND 92–94 NA Very good dispersant for inorganic and organic
ACUSOL 445G 4,500 92–94 NA soils in automatic dishwashing applications.
ACUSOL 445NG 92–94 NA Prevents clay soil redeposition on fabrics.

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 Product Descriptions – ACUSOL™ Dispersant Copolymers

Product Molecular Weight % Solids pH (as supplied) Properties

Excellent dispersant and encrustation inhibi-

tor for inorganic scale (particularly suited for
CaCO3) in laundry and automatic dishwashing
ACUSOL 425N 1,900 50.0 7
formulations. Prevents clay soil redeposition on
fabrics. Enhanced stability of hypochlorite or
peroxygen based bleaches (chelation of
transition metals)

Very good dispersant for inorganic and

ACUSOL 448 3,200 50.0 3.2–4.0 organic soils in warewash, I&I and laundry
applications

Excellent dispersant for hydrophobic soils (lime

soap) and proteins. Enhances the sheeting
ACUSOL 460N
25.0 10.5 action of water droplets in automatic dishwash-
ACUSOL 460ND 10,000
92–94 NA ing, hard surface and transportation cleaners,
thereby controlling spotting and streaking. Very
good compatibility in high surfactant matrices.

Very good/excellent dispersant for inorganic

and organic soils in automatic dishwashing
ACUSOL 480 3,500 50.0 3.5–4.0
applications. Prevents clay soil redeposition
on fabrics.

Chlorine stable copolymer designed for CIP

applications. Excellent dispersant for soils in
ACUSOL 505N 40,000 35.0 7 carpet cleaning/steam extraction applications.
Improved I&I laundry cleaning on select soils/
stains

Excellent for dispersancy, crystal growth

modification and encrustation inhibition for
ACUSOL 573 6,000 42.0 4.0–7.0 prevention of inorganic scale (CaCO3, silicates
and phosphonates) in laundry and automatic
dishwashing formulations.

ACUSOL 587 11,000 Excellent dispersant and encrustation inhibitor

37.0 3.5–5.0
ACUSOL 587G for the prevention of silicate and phosphonate
92–94 NA
scales in automatic dishwashing formulations.

11,000 Excellent dispersant and encrustation inhibitor

ACUSOL 588 37.0 3.5–5.0
for the prevention of silicate and phosphonate
ACUSOL 588G 92–94 NA
scales in automatic dishwashing formulations.

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 ACUSOL™ HOMOPOLYMERS

Properties Specific Action ACUSOL 402 ACUSOL 441 ACUSOL 445/445G/

445N/445NG

Calcium
Good Very Good Good
carbonate

Silicate Salts Average Average Average

Crystal growth
inhibition
Calcium polyphos-
Average Average Average
phate/phosphonate

Sulfate Salts Very Good Very Good Very Good

Calcium
Good Very Good Good
carbonate

Calcium polyphos-
Average Average Average
phate/phosphonate
Dispersion of insoluble
salts and particles Organic Soils Good Good Good

Lime soap
proteinaceous Not recommended Not recommended Not recommended
food soils

Zeolite Good Good Good

Hypochlorite/peroxygen
(bleach stability Excellent Excellent Excellent
of the polymer)

Processing aid
for spray dried powders Very Good Very Good Excellent
and agglomerates

Chelation of
Bleach stabilizers Very Good Excellent Very Good
transition metal ions

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 ACUSOL™ COPOLYMERS

Specific ACUSOL ACUSOL ACUSOL 460N/ ACUSOL ACUSOL ACUSOL ACUSOL

Properties 425N
Action 448 ACUSOL 460ND 480 505N 573 587/588

Not
Calcium Excellent Not
Good Very Good Good Very Good recom-
carbonate recommended
mended

Crystal Silicate Salts Average Average Average Average Average Excellent Excellent
growth
inhibition
Calcium
Not
polyphosphate/ Average Average Average Average Excellent Excellent
recommended
phosphonate

Sulfate Salts Excellent Very Good Average Very Good Good Good Average

Calcium Average/
Excellent Good Average Very Good Excellent Average
carbonate Good

Calcium
polyphosphate/ Average Average Average Average Average Excellent Excellent
Dispersion phosphonate
of insoluble
salts Organic Soils Good Good Excellent Good Good Very Good Very Good
and particles

Lime soap
Not Not recom- Not Not
proteinaceous Excellent Average Average
recommended mended recommended recommended
food soils

Zeolite Good Good Very Good Good Very Good Average Average

Hypochlorite/
peroxygen
(bleach Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good
stability of the
polymer)

Processing
aid for spray
Not
dried Very Good Very Good Very Good Good Good Average
recommended
powders,
agglomerates

Chelation of
Bleach Not
transition metal Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Good
stabilizers recommended
ions

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