Database/Film Forming/Polybutylene Terephthalate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polybutylene Terephthalate natural?

No. Terephthalic acid, the majority of the repeat-unit mass, is a petrochemical benzene derivative; 1,4-butanediol is conventionally petrochemical too.

INCI namePolybutylene Terephthalate
CAS26062-94-2
FormulaC14H20O6 · 284.30 Da
FunctionFilm Forming · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade from dimethyl terephthalate/terephthalic acid (from petrochemical p-xylene)…

How we scored it

Repeat unit = terephthaloyl 132 Da (petrochemical, benzene-derived) + butylene 88 Da (conventionally petrochemical). 0/220 = 0.0
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Made from dimethyl terephthalate/terephthalic acid (from petrochemical p-xylene) and 1,4-butanediol (conventionally petrochemical, though a minor bio-based BDO route exists). The dominant aromatic fraction keeps this petroleum-based overall.

In plain English

A durable plastic film-former, in the same polymer family as some textile fibres. Made from a petroleum-derived aromatic acid and a glycol; a plant-based version of the glycol exists but isn't yet standard.

CosIng definition: 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, polymer with 1,4-butanediol

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Structure

2D structure of Polybutylene Terephthalate

butane-1,4-diol;dimethyl benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate

PubChem CID 93143 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Polybutylene Terephthalate. PubChem CID 93143. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POLYBUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POLYBUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYBUTYLENE%20TEREPHTHALATE