Fengfan OX-501 is a fatty alcohol polyether sulfonic acid potassium salt, supplied as a light yellow to yellowish brown liquid with an assay of 75% or more and a pH between 5.0 and 9.0. Chemically it is polyethyleneglycoloctyl(3-sulfopropyl)diether, potassium salt (CAS 154906-10-2) — an anionic surfactant built to act as the carrier in acid zinc plating baths.
In an acid zinc plating process, the carrier is one of the chemicals that decides how well the rest of the additive package behaves. Its job is to keep the brightener components dispersed and available at the cathode; without one, they drift out of solution, plate unevenly, or concentrate wherever the solution moves fastest. OX-501 holds the brightener system in suspension so zinc deposits come out bright and even, not dull or patchy.
The same carrier runs on racks and in barrels whatever the plating material, tolerates the chloride load of an acid galvanizing bath, and resists hydrolysis across a long service life. Run it with a non-ionic surfactant and the effect improves further.
| Product grade | OX-501 (15-90) |
| Chemical name | Polyethyleneglycoloctyl(3-sulfopropyl)diether, potassium salt |
| Chemical type | Fatty alcohol polyether sulfonic acid, potassium salt |
| Ionic character | Anionic |
| CAS No. | 154906-10-2 |
| Appearance | Light yellow to yellowish brown liquid |
| Assay | ≥75% |
| pH | 5.0–9.0 |
| Salt resistance | Good |
| Hydrolysis resistance | Good |
| Companion surfactant | Non-ionic surfactants |
| Dispersion in the bath | Good emulsification and dispersion across acid zinc bath concentrations |
| Packaging | 25 kg, 200 kg and 1000 kg plastic drums |
Two brightener components are notoriously awkward to keep distributed: OCBA (o-chlorobenzaldehyde) and BAR (benzylidene acetone). This carrier emulsifies and disperses both, and it does so consistently across different acid zinc bath concentrations — a fresh make-up and a partly spent bath respond the same way at the same addition level. In the process of electroplating, that predictability is worth more than a marginal gain in brightness, because it removes a variable the operator cannot see until parts start failing.
Compatibility is the other half. The product, an anionic surfactant, sits comfortably with the other additives used in a zinc bath, and a non-ionic surfactant can be run alongside it to sharpen the effect. In practice that means fewer surprises after a top-up: no separate oily layer floating on the surface, no brightener-rich streak down one side of the tank, and no need to rebalance the whole system because one component has dropped out of solution.
| Bath type | Acid zinc plating |
| Use as main brightener | With an emulsifier, or on its own |
| Main brightener dosage | 100–200 g/L |
| Use as softener | Combined with other anionic surfactants and non-ionic carriers |
| Softener dosage | 200–250 g/L |
| Dosage basis | Grams per litre of bath |
| Operating temperature | 20–35 °C |
| Bath pH | 5.5–6.5 |
| Plating methods | Rack plating and barrel plating |
Most anionic surfactants used in zinc plating eventually break down in a hot chloride bath. An acid zinc line is hard on organic additives: chloride content is high, the working pH sits around 5.5–6.5, and electrolysis runs continuously. This carrier is built for that environment. Salt resistance keeps it effective in concentrated chloride baths, and hydrolysis resistance stops it splitting into fragments that cloud the solution, consume brightener or leave scum on the tank walls.
The practical result is a bath that holds its performance longer between treatments. When a carrier breaks down, the usual response is more frequent carbon treatment, more frequent bath replacement and more chemical consumed to restore the same brightness. A carrier that stays intact reduces all three — less waste, less downtime, and a more predictable cost per plated part. In a plating process that runs around the clock, that difference shows up as fewer unplanned stoppages.
It also eases the load on the rest of the acid zinc plating chemicals in the bath. A surface active agent that stays intact means the brightener and softener are consumed at their intended rate rather than being lost to a system that is breaking down underneath them.
OX-501 operates efficiently within a pH range of 5.5–6.5 and at temperatures of 20–35 °C, so it adapts well to a variety of zinc plating systems. That flexibility suits chemical nickel plating plants, bulk plating chemical suppliers and chemical raw materials manufacturing setups that need compatibility across different process requirements.
OX-501 is designed to align with environmentally-conscious production, helping surfactants manufacturers and electroless nickel plating suppliers reduce bath instability and chemical waste without compromising performance.
Bright and Uniform Zinc Coatings
The product delivers the exceptional visual quality and surface finish demanded by wholesale high quality China electroless nickel plating factories and electroless nickel plating services.
Enhanced Additive Dispersion
Optimized for dispersing and emulsifying functional agents, it is ideal for surfactants manufacturers, plating chemical suppliers and chemical intermediates manufacturer operations.
Strong Hydrolysis and Salt Resistance
Long-term chemical stability supports operations in chemical raw materials manufacturing and chemical nickel plating plants.
Choosing the right match is where most sourcing decisions stall. As a trading supplier, we keep one point of contact from first enquiry to after-sales: tell us what you are making and the conditions you work under, and we shortlist the closest matches from our supplier network, compare specifications and arrange samples before you commit to a bulk order. If something does not behave as expected, we work with the supplying partner on the cause and a practical fix, and stay with the case until it is settled. Email, WeChat or WhatsApp enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.
It keeps the brightener system dispersed and available at the cathode, so zinc deposits come out bright and even instead of dull or patchy. Its salt and hydrolysis resistance mean it keeps doing that job as the bath ages rather than fading out after a few shifts.
As the main brightener, 100–200 g/L, either with an emulsifier or on its own. As a softener, 200–250 g/L, combined with other anionic and non-ionic carriers, at 20–35 °C and a bath pH of 5.5–6.5. Treat these as the starting range and set the final figure on your own bath, because brightener packages differ in how much carrier they already contain.
Yes. It emulsifies and disperses OCBA and BAR, works alongside the other additives in a zinc bath, and performs better when a non-ionic surfactant is present. That flexibility is why it is used both as a single brightener carrier and as one of several anionic surfactants in a fuller formulation.
Both. In barrel lines the low foam keeps solution moving through a dense load; on racks it holds brightness across the top of the current density range. Rack density and barrel loading are the things to watch when you first switch over, not the carrier itself.
Both are acid zinc carriers, but they are built around different constraints. OX-401 is the low-foam carrier for high-salinity and barrel work where foam is the limiting factor; this one is chosen where brightness under demanding current is the priority. If your line struggles with both, ask the technical team which one to build around.
The grade ranges from light yellow to yellowish brown and that spread is normal. Colour is not the acceptance criterion — the assay (75% or more) and the pH (5.0–9.0) are, and the drum should be judged on how the bath performs.
