Sodium cocoyl isethionate is quoted almost universally as 85%. Buyers reasonably read that as purity — 85% of the drum is SCI, 15% is something unspecified and probably unwanted. That is not what the number means, and the misreading leads to offers being compared on the wrong basis.
There is a second decision buried in this ingredient that the product name does not settle: physical form. It changes how the material behaves in your process, and supplier documentation frequently does not distinguish between forms at all.
What the 85% actually describes
The supplier declaration for this material lists its composition as sodium cocoyl isethionate, free fatty acid, and sodium isethionate. The 85% is the active surfactant content. The balance is not contamination — it is the fatty acid and the isethionate salt that remain from the manufacturing route.
That distinction matters commercially in three ways:
- The balance is functional, not inert. Free fatty acid behaves differently in a formulation from a filler or an anticaking agent. If your formulation is sensitive to fatty acid content, you need that number, not just the 85%.
- Two “85%” materials can differ. The active figure can match while the split between free fatty acid and sodium isethionate differs. Ask for the full composition breakdown, not only the active.
- Do not price 85% against a higher figure as though it were dilution. Higher-active grades exist and are a different product with a different balance; they are not simply “less filler”.
When you request a certificate of analysis, ask that it state the active content and the declared free fatty acid content. A COA showing only “85%” has told you the least useful part.
Noodles, granules, powder — the form is a purchasing decision
The same 85% material is supplied in several physical forms. Common trade descriptions include noodles, granules, and powder. Chemically they are the same specification. In a plant they are not interchangeable — the same point that separates solid and liquid UV filters.
- Dust. Powder grades generate airborne dust during charging and transfer. Granule and noodle forms are chosen largely to reduce it. This is a handling and housekeeping consideration for your process, and worth raising with your production team before you order a form on price alone.
- Dissolution and processing. Particle size affects how the material disperses and how long it takes to bring into a batch. A form that suits a heated syndet bar process may not suit a cold-process liquid.
- Flow and dosing. Granules and noodles handle differently through hoppers and screw feeders than a fine powder does.
The documentation trap: forms that share a specification sheet
Here is the practical problem. A supplier may list a granule product and a powder product as separate line items while publishing identical specification data for both — same appearance wording, same active content, same packaging, same everything. We have observed exactly this pattern in this category.
Neither entry is dishonest; the specification genuinely is the same. But it means the documentation cannot tell you which form you are getting. The product name is doing work the specification sheet is not backing up.
State the physical form explicitly in your purchase order, and ask the supplier to confirm it on the certificate of analysis or the specification sheet for that batch. If the paperwork for the granule and the powder are word-for-word identical, that is a question to ask before the container ships, not after.
Identifiers
| Field | Declared value |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 61789-32-0 |
| EINECS number | 263-052-5 |
| Molecular weight | 343 |
| Active content | 85% |
| Declared composition | Sodium cocoyl isethionate, free fatty acid, sodium isethionate |
| Grade | Cosmetic grade (supplier-declared) |
| Shelf life | 2 years |
Quote the CAS number in your RFQ. Naming conventions vary — SCI, sodium cocoyl isethionate, and the INCI name all appear in trade documents — and the CAS removes the ambiguity in one field.
Packaging changes the commitment
This material is declared as available in 25 kg net fibre drums or 500 kg net super sacks. That is a twentyfold difference in unit size, and it determines your minimum practical commitment as much as any stated MOQ does.
Super sacks lower cost per kilo but require the handling equipment to move and discharge them, and they commit you to consuming 500 kg within the shelf life. If your throughput does not support that, ask for drum pricing explicitly rather than accepting a super-sack quotation and discovering the handling problem at goods-in.
Commercial terms worth asking for up front
Some suppliers declare capacity and lead time openly, and it is worth capturing in the RFQ because it lets you plan rather than chase. For this material the supplier states a monthly supply capacity of 100 tonnes, a lead time of 7–10 days, and shipment from Shanghai.
Treat all three as declared rather than guaranteed, and confirm them against your own order size and season. Capacity figures are usually quoted at plant level, not reserved for you.
What to include in your RFQ
- CAS number 61789-32-0, alongside whichever name your specification uses.
- Active content required, and a request for the declared free fatty acid content as a separate figure.
- Physical form — noodles, granules, or powder — stated explicitly, and confirmation that the batch documentation will identify it.
- Packaging — drum or super sack, and the size you can actually handle.
- Annual and per-order volume, so packaging and pricing are quoted against something real.
- Destination market and application, which drive the documentation set.
- Documentation — certificate of analysis stating active content and composition, specification sheet, and safety data sheet.
Regulatory note
Surfactants for cosmetic and toiletry use are subject to permitted-use and labelling rules that vary by destination market. Permitted status, use levels, and the name under which the ingredient must be declared are the buyer’s responsibility to confirm for the market being supplied. A supplier specification states what the material is; it does not establish that it is permitted in your product for your market.
Sourcing sodium cocoyl isethionate through SpecNexa
The granule grade is listed with supplier-declared active content, identifiers, packaging, and shelf life. If you need a different physical form or a different active level, state it in your request and it can usually be quoted.
All specification information is supplier-declared and provided for sourcing discovery. Buyers should confirm the final agreed specification, including active content, composition breakdown, physical form, and batch documentation, directly with the contracting supplier.