Dicapryl Phthalate, often referred to as DCP, belongs to the class of phthalate esters shaped around the phthalic acid core and capped with two caprylic acid chains. The molecular formula C26H42O4 packs sixteen carbon atoms and lines its carbon backbone with eight-carbon-long caprylic groups. DCP appears mostly as a clear, colorless oily liquid at room temperature, though under certain circumstances and storage levels, it can show up as a waxy, nearly crystalline solid, almost hinting at flake or powder if chilled or handled in a less-than-warm warehouse. The material blends smoothly across many formulations, due to its solubility in common plasticizing environments and resistance to water.
You will usually pick up DCP as a transparent, odorless liquid, but under specific circumstances, such as lower temperatures, it may be drawn long as a semi-solid or pearl form. The density hovers around 0.95 to 0.97 g/cm3 at ambient temperature, and it does not dissolve in water but gives in easily to most organic solvents, including alcohols and ethers. Boiling temperature comes in above 380°C, and it stores easily for months, provided containers are closed tight and environments stay dry. You find the viscosity on the lower end for phthalates, so it pours and disperses without much fuss, whether dosing by the liter or the ton in production. Chemical stability, another asset, fits demands for raw materials in flexible PVC and synthetic rubber, though you might spot it in non-PVC solutions too. Reactivity with strong acids, alkalis, or oxidizers means storage should stay separated from caustic agents, but ordinary atmospheric air or sunlight won’t prompt breakdown in warehouse settings.
Molecular structure brings two octyl groups onto the phthalate base, creating a molecule with some bulk but lots of spread. The CAS Number for DCP stands at 2432-87-3, and the common HS Code falls within 2917.39, placing it squarely among other esters of phthalic acid for customs and trade. Typical purities sit above 99%, and impurity loads, such as residual alcohols or hydrolyzed phthalic acid, measure below 0.1%, according to industry norms. Color values, such as APHA, rarely rise above 50, supporting transparent appearance in plastics or adhesives. Water content might stay beneath 0.05%; nobody wants excess moisture in a hydrophobic plasticizer. DCP most often ships in drums, IBC tanks, or bulk liquid containers, making volume handling and meter-by-meter transfer workable for most manufacturing floors.
Different companies offer Dicapryl Phthalate in various physical forms, depending on climate, handling, and market sector. In hot regions, nearly every batch remains a clear, manageable liquid, sporting densities below water and little odor. In cooler climates, or basements without steady heating, one finds solid flakes or even crystalline material, if the product hasn’t been moved for a while. Any shift toward powder, pearls, or flakes usually runs along the lines of temperature fluctuations rather than formulation; warming the material brings it back to liquid without issue. Regardless of the form encountered, whether flowing as a solution in a plasticizer-blend tank or stored as a chilled, glassy solid, the underlying chemical behavior stays constant, offering reliable performance for blending, coating, extrusion, and lamination.
Dicapryl Phthalate is not made for direct consumer contact. Chemical producers handle DCP as an industrial raw material, always keeping an eye on both utility and risk. The vapor pressure of DCP runs low, so breathing in fumes during normal handling rarely brings concern, though direct contact with skin or eyes should be avoided, as with most phthalates. Chronic exposure at high levels can impose reproductive and developmental risks, placing responsibility on factories to install engineering controls and adopt skin and eye protection. Safety Data Sheets report that DCP, while less volatile than short-chain phthalates and less hazardous by inhalation, poses some environmental risks, especially to aquatic habitats. Producers and processors must pay attention to waste disposal, treatment system efficiency, and accidental spill protocols. Packaging carries standard labeling, with GHS hazard pictograms and signal words alerting technical teams to fire, ingestion, or chronic exposure risks. Fire point lands around 220°C, requiring that storage rooms avoid open flames, sparks, and direct sunlight over long periods. When spent or left over, disposal usually involves high-temperature incineration by licensed contractors, keeping raw effluent away from drain, field, or water supply.
Factories, especially those producing synthetic leathers, flexible tubes, cables, or rubbery films, value DCP for its ability to increase softness, flexibility, and long-term performance. It makes plastics less brittle, shifts glass transition temperatures, and knocks down viscosity in a range of adhesives or caulks. Its low migration and resistance to water extraction help maintain product performance after years in use, whether facing the tropics’ humidity or winter’s freeze-thaw cycles. DCP doesn’t show much reactivity toward metals or most fillers, so you find it even in edge-cases where corrosion would tank competing plasticizers. Still, as the public and industry seek safer alternatives to hazardous phthalates, demand for DCP faces new scrutiny. Scientists test substitutes, and legal limits evolve, prompting suppliers to consider greener feedstocks, tighter controls on side reactions, and improved recovery systems to limit waste and off-gassing. Practical solutions might involve secondary containment in bulk storage, filters to capture any off-site run-off, and investment in research for bio-based or low-toxicity alternatives.
Dicapryl Phthalate serves as an old workhorse among industrial plasticizers, offering reliability, process ease, and predictable chemistry wherever polymers need softening, stabilizing, or dispersing. Anyone working in plastics, rubber, coatings, or adhesives finds value in its balance of liquidity, stability, and low-migration risk. At the same time, clear-eyed attention to hazard management, environmental safeguards, and technological alternatives ensures production stays safe, compliant, and prepared for a future of evolving chemical regulation and consumer demand.
