Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CAS 57-09-0), commonly abbreviated as CTAB, CTABR, or CETAB and also known by the synonym cetrimonium bromide, is a quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant. It carries no assigned E-code. The positively charged nitrogen head group drives its surface-active and antimicrobial behaviour across multiple industrial sectors.

In hair care formulations, CTAB adsorbs onto negatively charged, damaged hair fibre, reducing static and improving combability through electrostatic interaction. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, it functions as an antimicrobial preservative and emulsifying agent in topical creams, disrupting microbial cell membranes at low concentrations. It is also used as a phase-transfer catalyst and DNA extraction reagent in bioprocessing workflows.

CTAB is supplied as a white powder meeting Ph.Eur. and USP monograph specifications, with cosmetic-grade material available for personal care applications under REACH compliance. Standard packaging includes 25 kg fibre drums. Procurement teams should confirm purity grade and certificate of analysis requirements prior to ordering.