PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate
[CAS 68201-46-7]

Identification

• Classification: Organic raw materials >> Carboxylic compounds and derivatives >> Carboxylic esters and their derivatives
• Name: PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate
• CAS Registry Number: 68201-46-7
• EC Number: 614-376-4

Safety Data

Hazard Classification

Hazard	Class	Category Code	Hazard Statement
Skin irritation	Skin Irrit.	2	H315
Eye irritation	Eye Irrit.	2	H319

chemBlink Chemical Story

PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, CAS 68201-46-7, is a nonionic surfactant and emollient. Its chemical story is best understood by looking at how its structure creates function rather than by treating the name as a simple catalog label. The molecule or material combines coconut-derived fatty-acid groups, glycerol-derived ester functionality and an average of about seven ethylene-oxide units, a combination that explains its relevance to cleansing, emulsification and personal-care formulation.

The fatty region associates with oils while the ethoxylated chain interacts with water, so the material accumulates at interfaces. In cleansing systems it can modify micelles and contribute a more emollient sensory profile. Ingredient references describe it as an emulsifier, emollient and surfactant used in cleansers, moisturizers and hair-conditioning products.

PEG-7 describes an average degree of ethoxylation, and coconut fatty acids themselves form a distribution. Commercial material is therefore intrinsically a controlled mixture; reproducible bulk interfacial behavior matters more than a single exact molecular formula.

A broader lesson follows from this example. Chemical identity is only the starting point for performance. In polymers and surfactants, composition, molecular distribution and formulation can dominate behavior; in synthetic intermediates, the value may lie in transformations that occur only in later steps; in biologically active compounds, mechanism must be separated from clinical evidence. For PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, the most reliable interpretation is therefore the one supported by its documented chemistry and literature rather than an assumed application.

The compound also illustrates why specialty chemicals often look more complicated than their job description suggests. Functional groups are selected to solve different parts of a practical problem: one region may provide reactivity, another solubility or interfacial affinity, and another stability or a controllable breaking point. Once those roles are separated, the long chemical name becomes a map of molecular design.

References:
U.S. FDA GSRS, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, UNII VNX7251543; SpecialChem, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate; PCC Group, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate.

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