I remember learning about the food and plastic industries from my time spent consulting for manufacturers in Central Europe. Chemicals like acetyl tributyl citrate, better known as CITROFOL AI, always fascinated me—partly because their story stretches back decades and their impact touches daily life. CITROFOL AI started gaining ground in the 1960s, as researchers and policymakers began to see large-scale drawbacks in phthalate plasticizers. Industry responded fast, and by the late 20th century, CITROFOL AI was on the desk of many engineers searching for safer alternatives in softening polymers, in medical gear, even in items young children chew on. The regulatory spotlight shone brighter on non-phthalate options; as laws shifted, so did the industry, and CITROFOL AI took on a bigger role globally. I’ve watched smaller companies struggle to retool factories, while multinational groups capitalized quickly on the reputation for safety and compatibility CITROFOL AI earned along the way.
CITROFOL AI steps in as a versatile plasticizer, often replacing traditional phthalates in food packaging, toys, and personal care items. Brands market it as a non-toxic, bio-based alternative derived from citric acid, making it stand out for both technical reasons and public perception. It’s never just about molecules; trust plays a massive role. The shift toward cleaner, safer materials put CITROFOL AI in the hands of regulatory experts, product designers, and factory operators. It gets used in more than just plastics: folks in adhesives, inks, and even cosmetics appreciate its performance without the legacy concerns of older additives.
During production tours, I held samples: CITROFOL AI looks like a clear, oily liquid. It smells faintly sweet and feels slippery, so no surprise companies love using it for flexible applications. Its boiling point swings high, above 300°C, with a freezing point that dips low enough for straightforward handling in cold storage environments. Chemically, it resists breaking down in light and air under usual conditions. It mixes well with most polymer resins because of its chemical compatibility and solubility. This chemical structure, a citric acid ester, allows it to link up easily inside PVC-based thermoplastics, delivering the malleability that customers expect. That resistance to migration and low volatility shows up in laboratory tests, which line up with what folks in the field notice: parts made with CITROFOL AI last longer and release fewer chemical traces over time.
If you check shipment labels or technical datasheets, you’ll spot CITROFOL AI details: usually, a purity above 99% by GC, water below 0.1%, and an acid value that stays low. Certificates summarize a refractive index near 1.441 at 20°C and a specific gravity just over 1.04. The legal frameworks force transparency here, especially with consumer-facing uses, so companies print country-of-origin, batch numbers, and recommended storage temperatures on containers. RoHS, REACH, and FDA compliance statements appear in all modern documentation, a nod to tough legal environments in the US and EU. Clear labeling also means that downstream users don’t have to squint at cryptic codes—any operator in a toxicology lab or maintenance staffer on a factory floor can pin down exactly what’s inside a barrel.
Manufacturing CITROFOL AI takes some craft. Skilled workers and chemical engineers combine citric acid with n-butanol and acetic anhydride. The reaction kicks off under heated, acidic conditions, usually within stainless steel reactors fitted with good agitation and condenser systems to manage water produced. The esterification process needs precise temperature and pH control to keep byproducts in check. Finished batches often undergo vacuum stripping and filtration to strip out volatiles and any residual acid. Each step has to deliver high yield without leaving behind unreacted ingredients. Years of process optimization, both on paper and hands-on in crowded plants, brought waste down and purity up. The challenge: scale up without risking batch failures or quality slips that could lead to recalls.
Reactivity may not excite everyone, but students and scientists find CITROFOL AI’s chemical traits allow flexibility. Under extreme hydrolysis, it breaks down into citric acid and butanol—otherwise, it holds steady during day-to-day processing. Some research groups push the boundaries, tinkering with molecular modifications that can anchor functional groups onto the citrate backbone. These tweaks can improve compatibility with highly specialized resins or open doors to new uses, like biodegradable materials. Standard crosslinking or polymerization techniques leave CITROFOL AI largely unscathed, so it’s often a favorite for multi-step composite manufacturing. It’s a rare balance: just reactive enough for modifications, but stable under mainstream industrial use.
Search any global chemical registry or customs manifest and you’ll spot a long list of synonyms and trade names: acetyl tributyl citrate, ATBC, 1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-acetyl-, tributyl ester—plus a parade of brand names depending on which chemical supplier fills the order. This matters when ordering for a factory or a research project; confusion creates mis-shipments and sometimes regulatory headaches. Labeling accuracy became more urgent after global supply chains grew tangled over the past decade. Companies now cross-list CAS numbers and product codes, so buyers—whether in the US, Asia, or Europe—won’t be misled by local naming quirks or translations.
As someone who’s toured chemical plants in China and Missouri, I see that safety means more than regulatory boxes checked. Proper ventilation, secure containment systems, reliable spill response protocols—none are optional. CITROFOL AI earned a better safety reputation than its phthalate cousins. Workers handling it still need basic protection—nitrile gloves, splash goggles, lab coats—since skin contact or accidental ingestion won’t go unnoticed, but the risk ranks lower. Modern plants use closed systems and automated loading to cut down on exposure. In transport and storage, drums go in cool, dry, well-ventilated spaces, away from acids and oxidizers. Safety data sheets offer clear, plain-language guidance, which helps keep incidents rare. Scrutiny remains highest for industries making baby toys, medical devices, or food-contact items.
Industries put CITROFOL AI to work in places where flexibility and safety matter most. I’ve watched its popularity soar in children’s toys, food packaging films, blood bags, and cosmetics. The food contact side always raises questions in public debates, and having chemicals that meet both technical specs and tough regulatory hurdles makes life easier for packaging engineers. Manufacturers replace old plasticizers outright to clear compliance for export markets or to address consumer pressure about “cleaner” formulations. Other sectors, such as adhesives and inks, draw on CITROFOL AI for its ability to deliver flexibility and flow while meeting odor and purity targets. It doesn’t stop at plastics: lately, carpet backing, sealants, and wire insulation have joined the list of product areas, simply because the additive brings a blend of performance and peace of mind.
Laboratories across the globe push for better and safer additives. The pressure comes from legal requirements and from a consumer culture now wary of “chemical-sounding” ingredients. I’ve met material scientists in Germany working late hours to test new derivatives with even lower migration rates. Universities in South Korea and the US go head-to-head to create customized molecules built off the CITROFOL AI backbone, aiming for new blends that match bio-based performance with strong mechanical properties. Innovation keeps moving: digital chemistry tools now speed up the discovery of related compounds for specialized fields like biodegradable plastics or personal care. Published papers track advances in analytical methods—new ways to spot minute traces in milk cartons or surgical tubing. It’s a never-ending cycle: as new uses appear, labs keep tuning the chemical recipe.
Discussions on safety always circle back to toxicology. CITROFOL AI’s main selling point comes from its comparatively benign profile in standard animal tests. Most published results show no evidence of carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reproductive toxicity at real-world exposure levels. This is no marketing fluff; agencies like EFSA and the FDA list specific migration limits and reviewed massive data sets before giving the nod for food-contact and medical use. One thing I’ve learned is industry keeps running long-term studies, because nothing stands still: society wants assurance that today’s “green” chemicals won’t become tomorrow’s blacklisted ones. So far, data looks good—no hormone disruption, no build-up in tissues, and breakdown products that don’t stick around in ecosystems. Ongoing work digs deeper into subtle, chronic effects, and toxicologists remain vigilant, collaborating with regulators and advocacy groups alike.
With plastics bans sweeping marketplaces from California to the EU, demand for non-phthalate additives like CITROFOL AI just keeps rising. Governments plan to tighten limits, and private industry bets big on cleaner profiles. Bioplastics and compostable packaging create new opportunities; CITROFOL AI fits easily into trends pushing for renewables, since its starting materials already tie into agricultural supply chains. Some experts expect to see hybrid molecules—something drawing from the same chemical lineage, but targeting niche, high-end performance for electronics or biomedical fields. The market moves fast, but the need for transparent sourcing, proven safety, and simple handling remains. If past cycles taught me anything, supply chains must adapt and researchers must keep lines open—what’s safe and popular today could become the baseline for global standards tomorrow.
Folks tend to focus on flashy chemicals. Strange how basic ingredients like CITROFOL AI don’t get proper attention. I’ve noticed this chemical showing up a lot in the plastics world. CITROFOL AI shows up in products you might be touching right now—shower curtains, toys, food packaging, and cables. Companies looking to ditch more controversial plasticizers go straight for something like CITROFOL AI because it’s based on citric acid. That signals a chemistry that’s less scary to buyers. People don’t want surprises leaching from plastic wrap onto their sandwiches, and CITROFOL AI helps keep regulators satisfied.
Folks have grown uneasy about certain chemicals sneaking into food or personal care items. Phthalates, used for decades to make plastics flexible, now spark headlines about health risks. I saw schools remove plastic toys over phthalate scares. That’s where CITROFOL AI enters the scene—manufacturers use it to help plastics bend and flex, but without the looming health concerns. CITROFOL AI can touch food, sit in baby chew toys, or stick around in cosmetic bottles without triggering restrictions you see on phthalates. European agencies and American watchdogs both approve of it for close consumer use because studies haven’t shown dangerous effects at typical exposure levels.
People don’t want harmful waste building up from consumer products. CITROFOL AI actually breaks down pretty easily in the environment, so companies that care about green marketing grab it for that reason too. It’s not perfect—no chemical is totally without footprint—but worries about CITROFOL AI popping up in drinking water or soil haven’t caught much traction. I spoke with a plastics engineer who said his customers ask all the time about “safer, greener options.” He rattled off CITROFOL AI because it lets them shift their product labels toward sustainability without shredding performance or jacking up costs.
CITROFOL AI keeps plastic soft, smooth, and less likely to crack. I've pried open enough plastic packaging in my life to appreciate flexible materials. Food wraps need to bend without breaking. Children’s products, especially teething rings or squeezable bottles, must stay gentle and not turn brittle. CITROFOL AI does the job without making the items feel greasy or sticky. Practical, since nobody wants weird textures on their mouthguards or packaging.
Factories don’t take chances on hard-to-get chemicals. I checked a few supply chains and CITROFOL AI is made in several places, mostly in Europe, guaranteeing companies can get what they need even if logistics get messy. Cost plays a big role too. In tough markets, companies stay away from experimental chemicals that bump up product prices. Because of the way it performs—and how it handles regulatory concerns—CITROFOL AI fits into many existing product lines with only minor tweaks.
Plastics aren’t going away. Demand sprinted up as people want food sealed fresh, electronics that last, and gear that puts safety at the center. I always urge reading product labels and pushing companies to spell out what ingredients they use. CITROFOL AI isn’t a magic fix for all plastic problems, but it does more good than harm compared to past plasticizers. Maybe the next phase involves pressure from buyers for even more natural options. Until then, CITROFOL AI sits as a practical answer in the dance between safety, function, and price.
Anyone who’s dealt with plastics knows about the mix of weird stuff that ends up inside. From old-school phthalates to newer names most can’t spell, these additives get a lot of attention. People care because a lot run the risk of drifting out of the plastic and into food or the air around us. Nobody wants to find out years later that their favorite kitchen tool or kids’ toys have been leaking health problems all along.
CITROFOL AI brings some fresh thinking to the table. It’s made from citric acid — yes, the stuff found in fruit. Compared to big-name plasticizers made from petroleum, that fruit DNA makes a big difference. Scientists have watched the way phthalates mess with hormones and have found all sorts of links to allergies, asthma, and possible risks for kids. So, when a plasticizer comes along with roots in food-safe ingredients, ears perk up.
The European Food Safety Authority and U.S. FDA include triethyl citrate (the chemical in CITROFOL AI) on lists that mean it can go into food-contact materials. That doesn’t happen by accident; regulators have poured over heaps of research, animal studies, and real-life exposure reports. I’ve seen first-hand how companies jump through hoops to meet those regulations — random testing, layers of paperwork, and endless updates every time the science moves an inch.
Citric acid esters have a pretty impressive track record. Triethyl citrate scores high on lists of “accepted daily intake” values. That’s a solid sign that the experts trust regular human exposure, even for babies and pregnant women. Researchers find it doesn’t hang around much in the body. You eat it, it breaks down via normal metabolism, and the pieces leave through your breath or urine.
Nobody hands out a 100% safety guarantee on any chemical, but this one leans on decades of less drama than most. Since it’s not showing up in blood tests or being blamed for hormone chaos, that should mean some peace of mind for parents. Plus, allergic reactions or toxic effects are extremely rare, and usually linked to massive overdoses far beyond what regular use would bring.
It’s not just about safety on paper. Taste and smell matter for plastics in packaging. Some traditional plasticizers change the flavor or absorb scents over time. With CITROFOL AI, that risk runs much lower, which means less tainting for candy wrappers or disposable forks. I’ve watched factories move to citric-based plasticizers partly because their customers complain less. That feedback loop can fix safety issues faster than any inspector.
On the downside, no single ingredient solves every plastic need. For some high-heat or industrial uses, other options might work better. And just because an ingredient starts out natural, it can still cause trouble if used in the wrong blend. Safety data covers most typical applications, but oddball uses need fresh checks — that goes for any chemical.
CITROFOL AI helps solve an old problem: how to make soft, flexible plastics while steering clear of risky stuff. It gives regulators and parents less reason to worry, and it’s turning up everywhere from medical tubing to clear bottles. As research piles up and consumer pressure stays high, ingredients with food roots like CITROFOL AI get a second look. The next step? Keep science honest, keep testing real-world products, and make sure companies share what they learn.
CITROFOL AI turns up in more places than most people realize. Every day, its presence quietly shapes the way products feel, last, and even how safe they are. Walk through a toy aisle, linger in a car showroom, pick up a box of packaged food, and odds are you’re brushing up against this ingredient. Its star quality comes from the push for safer, less toxic alternatives to older plasticizers. Awareness has grown around health risks linked to certain additives; now more companies look for answers that keep families, workers, and consumers out of harm’s way.
In my own kitchen, I notice how cling film now boasts BPA-free labels. CITROFOL AI often stands behind those claims. Producers in the packaging world have leaned hard into this ingredient to help wrap food without the stiff, greasy smell of traditional plasticizers. Bags, bottles, films, and coatings for food now rely on substances that play nice with food. Regulations in Europe and beyond nudge this shift along. The focus these days isn’t just on what keeps strawberries fresh; it’s also about what won’t leach into your salad greens.
Parents fret over what their kids put in their mouths, and for good reason. After string after string of recalls tied to heavy metals or toxic chemicals, the industry put safety at the top. CITROFOL AI checks a lot of boxes here, especially for items meant to be sucked, chewed, or dragged through the sandbox. Its reputation for being less likely to migrate from plastic into tiny hands (or mouths) means brands prefer it in teething rings, dolls, and bath toys. Stores now market such products as “phthalate-free,” which, in plain terms, often means CITROFOL AI gets the nod instead.
The medical supply shelf seems sterile, but inside that clinical calm, every tube and pouch faces tight scrutiny. IV bags, blood tubing, and soft flexible containers rely on ingredients that don’t risk leaching dangerous chemicals into patients. CITROFOL AI arrived in this industry after evidence piled up against old plasticizers causing possible hormone disruption and side effects. Personal care sticks—deodorants, lotions, certain sprays—also look to soften their packaging impacts with less worrisome ingredients. For me, this feels reassuring on both a personal and professional level.
Peeling back car doors, dashboards, and wire insulation, plastics can feel like an afterthought. The truth is, the industry now faces a balancing act: finding materials tough enough to last for years under heat and sunlight but free from old chemical hazards. CITROFOL AI flows into inner linings, trim, and even seed trays for agriculture equipment. People want greener cars and less chemical exposure, so designers and engineers hunt for alternatives that work just as well, with fewer consequences for health and environment. The story’s similar in flooring, wall coverings, and specialty coatings, where comfort and durability matter alongside peace of mind.
Living through a few product recalls and seeing evolving laws up close, I’ve realized the race for safer materials plays out in slow, steady steps. Regulations keep changing, but demand from everyday people—people who want to trust the products in their homes—is even stronger. There’s still room to grow: more transparency from companies, stronger testing standards, and a drive to move beyond all risky chemicals, not just the most infamous ones. CITROFOL AI shows what can happen when industry listens and adapts. If that spirit keeps up, plastics can keep up with public expectations.
CITROFOL AI, known in the lab as triethyl citrate, stands out in everyday chemical lineups. Sticky with science, it’s built from citric acid while swapping in three ethyl groups instead of hydrogen at the acid’s carboxyl ends. The result is a molecule heavy enough for industrial jobs but light and clear as water, with a faint fruity scent. People use it mostly as a plasticizer; it helps soften rigid plastics like PVC to add flexibility without losing stability. Unlike harsh, oily chemicals, CITROFOL AI feels gentler, sitting on the lower end of toxicity charts and getting the nod for certain food and pharma uses.
Chemistry always boils down to how molecules get along with others. Here, CITROFOL AI likes to keep things easy. It dissolves comfortably in alcohol, mixes partly with water, and spreads smoothly through many synthetic resins. That makes it popular with people trying to collapse tough materials into softer forms. Try stirring it into tough polymers, and the material bends easier and resists cracking in the cold. I’ve seen manufacturers use this trait for cables or vinyl floors, where flexibility can mean whether something snaps or holds up over time.
Its relationship with water deserves a closer look: though it isn’t truly water-loving, a small amount will dissolve. That trait shapes its place in coatings or sensitive food wraps. Take nail polish: it won’t fog up the formula and can handle some moisture without turning sticky or messy.
Heat beats down on most soft plastics, causing them to let out fumes or warp. CITROFOL AI holds up surprisingly well under heat. Its boiling point hovers around 150°C, and it only really breaks down if burned or hit with strong acids or bases. This stability makes it possible to process plastics at higher temperatures without worrying about early breakdown or releasing harsh odors. I’ve watched operators pick CITROFOL AI because they want fewer complaints about plastic smell or discoloration.
With air and light, triethyl citrate resists becoming rancid or yellow, unlike many plant-based softeners. Since this trait keeps products fresher and clearer, it makes sense for items exposed to sunlight or sitting on store shelves for months. Factories have used it in children’s toys or medical tubing for that very reason.
Other plasticizers, especially those derived from petroleum, can collect in the environment or raise alarms in health reports. CITROFOL AI doesn't linger; bacteria break it down into simple components like citric acid and ethanol – both common in nature. With food contact applications, regulators look carefully at migration rates. CITROFOL AI’s low migration rate makes it less likely to leach than alternatives. Parents and clinicians find comfort knowing the substance doesn’t build up over time.
Plastic and polymer producers want solutions that do several jobs at once: softness, resistance to yellowing, food-safety, and a light touch on the environment. CITROFOL AI checks most of those boxes. Builders put it to work not just in toys and tubing, but in pharmaceutical coatings, cable insulation, and flexible packaging. While not immune to price swings or technical limitations, its broad compatibility and mild profile keep it relevant. It’s a clear example of chemistry shaping everyday materials, proving that not all plasticizers have to be dirty or dangerous. Real improvements can come from the simple chemistry of natural acids, tweaked just right to meet modern needs.
People often worry about what’s inside their food, and for good reason. Ingredients lists get careful attention, but not everyone thinks about the packaging. Yet, chemicals can slip from plastic wrappers and containers into our snacks and drinks. This brings CITROFOL AI—also known as tributyl citrate—into focus.
CITROFOL AI isn’t some futuristic ingredient nobody uses. It acts as a plasticizer, a chemical that keeps plastics flexible instead of brittle. Producers looking for alternatives to phthalates use compounds like CITROFOL AI. Phthalates carry a bad reputation thanks to their links to hormone disruption. That history makes folks extra cautious about any newer chemical working in the same types of products.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both keep watch over chemicals touching our food. Both agencies looked at CITROFOL AI, reviewing ways it could leach out of plastics and end up in food. EFSA, for example, set a migration limit—meaning only so much can leak out into fatty foods before it becomes a problem. In short, regulators don’t see major risks if manufacturers stick to the established limits.
Still, nothing about food safety stays still. Packaging gets tossed into microwaves or sits for months on a store shelf. Researchers have pushed CITROFOL AI through lab tests, simulating long stretches of storage or heat, to measure what sneaks into foods. Migration rates usually stay low, far under strict legal limits. Most studies show small children—the most vulnerable group—face very little exposure under these conditions. Yet, tests in a lab never quite match the messiness of kitchens and real grocery stores. That means scientists and regulators keep asking questions and checking the data.
Plastics work because of blends. One manufacturer might use recycled content, another goes completely new. Heat, fat content, even the type of food matter. For example, fatty foods tend to absorb plasticizers more quickly than dry crackers. This means rules focus not just on the chemical itself, but also on specific uses—like making sure cheese wrappers or salad bar lids stick to the safest choices.
Many food companies prefer non-phthalate alternatives and are willing to pay for ingredients that cause fewer worries. CITROFOL AI shows up as one of the go-to phthalate substitutes, especially in parts of the world with strict rules. But switching out one chemical for another only matters if people watch for the same risks. A “safer than” tag doesn’t mean “completely safe.”
Here’s the challenge: The science points toward CITROFOL AI being low risk within strict limits. Still, there’s pressure on both governments and industry to come up with packaging that avoids these doubts altogether. Sustainable, non-plastic options keep gaining ground. Some grocery chains take the extra step to label which containers are free of chemical plasticizers. That kind of transparency helps people trust what wraps their food.
Those of us watching these debates know real life rarely works as simply as a checklist. Safety keeps evolving, and trust builds on honesty. Regulators, food companies, and shoppers all have reason to keep CITROFOL AI in mind—not just as a technical detail, but as another piece in the promise that food should do no harm long before it makes it to the table.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | Triisobutyl benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylate |
| Other names |
Triethyl Citrate TEC |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɪtrəˌfɒl eɪ aɪ/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | Citrofol AI" CAS Number is "776297-69-9 |
| Beilstein Reference | 1910926 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:135278 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL266881 |
| ChemSpider | 21112 |
| DrugBank | DB02009 |
| ECHA InfoCard | ECHA InfoCard: 03-2119693257-31-0000 |
| EC Number | 'EC Number: 201-067-0' |
| Gmelin Reference | 8538 |
| KEGG | C16013 |
| MeSH | Acetates |
| PubChem CID | 8778 |
| RTECS number | XN8335000 |
| UNII | 529R1W672P |
| UN number | UN3082 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C20H34O4 |
| Molar mass | 402.50 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless, oily liquid |
| Odor | Faint odor |
| Density | 1.045 g/cm3 |
| Solubility in water | insoluble |
| log P | 1.64 |
| Vapor pressure | < 0.01 hPa (20°C) |
| Basicity (pKb) | 12.3 |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.445 |
| Viscosity | 38 mPa·s (20°C) |
| Dipole moment | 4.74 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 489.9 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹ |
| Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) | -7620 kJ/kg |
| Pharmacology | |
| ATC code | JECFA 1337 |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | May cause respiratory irritation. |
| GHS labelling | GHS labelling: Not a hazardous substance or mixture according to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008. |
| Pictograms | GHS07 |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 1-1-0 |
| Flash point | > 200 °C |
| Autoignition temperature | 297°C |
| Lethal dose or concentration | LD50/oral/rat: > 8200 mg/kg |
| LD50 (median dose) | > 15900 mg/kg bw |
| PEL (Permissible) | PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) for CITROFOL AI: Not established |
| REL (Recommended) | 0.1 – 5% |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
Citric acid Triethyl citrate Acetyl tributyl citrate CITROFOL AII CITROFOL BII |
