Potassium caprylate

Potassium caprylate (CAS 764-71-6), also known commercially as potassium octanoate, is the potassium salt of caprylic acid used across personal care, food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural formulations.

It functions primarily as an emulsifier, surfactant, and antimicrobial agent, enabling formulators to stabilize oil-in-water systems while simultaneously controlling microbial growth in various applications.

In personal care formulations, it acts as a soap-forming emulsifier in liquid cleansers, shampoos, and skin creams, contributing to lather quality and emulsion stability for high-end cosmetic products.

Food manufacturers use it as a preservative and emulsifying salt in processed products where caprylic acid-based antimicrobial activity is required without acidifying the system during production.

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it serves as a stabilizer and antimicrobial excipient in injectable formulations and protein-based biologics where tight microbial control is critical for safety.

Agricultural formulators incorporate it into crop protection products as a wetting and dispersing agent to improve active ingredient coverage on plant surfaces and enhance overall efficacy.

Potassium caprylate is typically supplied as a liquid solution or white to off-white powder. Food-grade and technical-grade specifications are the most commonly available for industrial use.

Pharmaceutical-grade material is produced to USP or Ph. Eur. standards for excipient applications. Bulk quantities are standard for industrial buyers, with concentration and purity confirmed against COA.