Ammonium thiolactate

Ammonium thiolactate (CAS 13419-67-5) is the ammonium salt of thiolactic acid, used across personal care, textile, and pharmaceutical manufacturing as a reducing and buffering agent. Its thiol-reactive chemistry makes it effective for breaking and reforming disulfide bonds in protein-based substrates, supporting both structural modification and stabilization processes.

In hair care, it functions as the active reducing agent in permanent wave and chemical straightening formulations, softening keratin bonds to allow controlled reshaping. Leather processing operations use it to assist in depilation and fiber relaxation during hide preparation, reducing reliance on more aggressive sulfide-based chemistries.

Textile processors apply it in wool treatment to improve fiber receptivity before dyeing or finishing steps. This ensures consistent results across various industrial applications. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulators also incorporate it as a pH buffer and mild antioxidant stabilizer in formulations sensitive to oxidative degradation during storage.

Ammonium thiolactate is typically supplied as an aqueous solution, with concentration ranges varying by application grade to meet specific manufacturing requirements. Both cosmetic-grade and technical-grade material are available. Buyers should confirm active content and pH specification with suppliers, as these parameters affect performance.