What is Glycolic Acid
The Pure Tech Difference
PureTech Scientific delivers best-in-class Glycolic Acid solutions for its customers through its continuous manufacturing process. Through both technical grade and high-purity mediums, as well as form factor variations (liquids at varying concentrations and solids), we provide tailored solutions to healthcare and consumer end markets, focused specifically on high performance disinfection products, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, electronics, and industrial cleaning.
PureTech Scientific is the only North American manufacturer of Glycolic Acid, based in Belle, WV, PureTech Scientific has 85 years of operating experience.
Glycolic Acid History and Origins
History
- 1848: First Synthesis by Treating Wine with Nitrous Acid
- 1940: First Dupont / Chemours Manufacture (Ethylene Glycol Intermediate)
- 1950: Dupont / Chemours Commercial Sales of a Technical Grade 70% Solution
- 1990’S: >$2MM Investment to Improve Capacity, Reliability and Environmental Performance
- 1992: EPA renewed registration for use as a disinfection
- 2000: First registrations for use as a pesticide
- 2021: Further registrations for Glyclean® D
- 2023: PureTech Scientific established by Iron Path Capital
- 2024: Further investments in purification
Occurs Naturally
- Sugar Cane & Beets
- Unripe Grapes
- Mammalian Metabolism (tricarboxylic acid cycle, aka. Krebs Cycle)
Glycolic is widely used
Glycolic Acid is as highly versatile chemistry that can be used in applications from personal care, to disinfection, to industrial applications. PureTech Scientific provides engineered and purified grades to each of these distinct end markets.
Industrial
- Boiler Cleaning
- Metal Cleaning
- Concrete Removers
- Dairy Cleaning
- Leather Tanning
- Polymers
- Water Treatment
Personal Care
- Skin Resurfacing
- Skin Toning
- Hair Care
- High Temp Hair Styling
Disinfection
- Hard Surface
- Hospital Grade
- Broad Spectrum
- Wipes
- Toilet Bowl
Efficacy and Kill Claims
Glyclean® D combines broad kill claims with effective one-step cleaning into one globally approved active. PureTech Scientific has done the background research and science to ensure the long term regulatory of Glyclean® D.
Glyclean® D has been proven effective against a range of both gram-positive and negative bacteria, virus, and fungus. PureTech Scientific has formulations available for sub-registration that have hospital grade disinfection claims with kill times as little as 30 seconds. PureTech Scientific is committed to be responsive to consumer needs and in the process of both expanding our kill claims, and reducing our kill times.
North American Products
Summary of Glyclean D70 Efficacy Studies
European Products
Summary of hard surface cleaner and disinfectant efficacy studies
Modes of Action
Disinfectant actives used in household, industrial, and institutional cleaning kill organisms in different ways. When comparing different disinfectant actives (biocides) each active has inherent advantages and disadvantages. We will look at the most widely used disinfectant actives and compare each actives modes of action and inherent advantages and disadvantages. Glyclean® D is based on Glycolic Acid, this means it can be grouped generally with other organic acid chemistries.
Comparisons of common Household disinfectant types to each other:
Glyclean® D has three distinct mechanisms of action which provide efficacy while reducing the likelihood of microbial resistance developing.
Glyclean® D Compared to Other Disinfectant Actives
Glyclean® D is a clear choice for the next generation of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products. Glyclean® D combines sustainability, safety, cleaning performance and disinfectant efficacy into one easy to use and quick to market active. PureTech Scientific using our 85 years of science and production history is proud to offer this innovation in Glycolic Acid science. The time is now to future proof your disinfection products with Glyclean® D.
Glyclean® D vs. Quats
As the environmental and safety issues around quaternary ammonium-based disinfectants are becoming more apparent there is an industry need for an alternative active chemistry. Glycolic acid can be part of that solution.
Glyclean® D has distinct safety advantages when compared to Quats. Glyclean® D has an approx. 100-fold toxicity improvement over the most common Quats (ADBAC, DDAC)
Glyclean® D can also be easily identified and quantified with direct analysis techniques, which quats cannot. This simplification of identification allows for different product labeling around hazard class and hazard statement codes. For further information please contact us for study details.
100-fold toxicity improvement over the most common Quats
Acute Toxicity Studies DeLeo et al. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 2020, 206, 111116
Glyclean® D glycolic acid data from European Chemicals Agency
Comparative Studies
Antimicrobial Efficacy
Glyclean® D has been proven to more effective than other common acid-based disinfectant actives against common pathogens (Comparative Acid Efficacy Study AEMR 102 98. This improved efficacy allows for lower total acid concentration allowing for easier formulation and superior cleaning efficacy.
NOTES:
- Anti-microbial activity determined by the use dilution method at the DuPont Glasgo Laboratory
- A claim of disinfectancy requires a minimum of 99.9% kill
One-Step Cleaning
Glyclean® D in formulation (including formulations available for sub-registration) are effective as one-step clean and disinfect products. Two key parameters for one step clean and disinfect products are soil removal, and residue evaluations.
Soil Removal Study
PureTech Scientific completed a study (under the Chemours Company) to verify that the available formulations are comparable to other commonly sold RTU and dilutable products in soil removal using soils found in the ASTM D4488 methods.
Summary of results
- Formula 409® Performed best in the Ready To Use Group
- Pine-Sol® performed best in the Dilutable Group
- Glyclean® Broad Spectrum Disinfectant & Cleaner and Windex® performed the best in the Ready to Use Group
*Glyclean® formulations are available to sub-register and license
Residue Study
PureTech Scientific also completed a study (under the Chemours Company) to verify that the available formulations are comparable to other commonly sold RTU and dilutable products for residue left after cleaning following HSPA DCC-09A methodologies.
Summary of results
- Glyclean® Hard Surface Cleaner & Disinfectant is comparable to
- Glyclean® Broad Spectrum Disinfectant & Cleaner and Windex®
- Glyclean® Pine performed Best in the Dilutable Group
*Glyclean® formulations are available to sub-register and license