Kopcolate-A (Ammonium Thioglycolate 50%)
Kopcolate-A is widely used in the hair industry. It acts as a permanent waving and hair straightening formulation for hair treatment. Kopcolate-A may also be used in permanent hair colors, levels up to 0.25%, as stabilizers against oxidization.

Product Information:
Brand Name : Kopcolate-A
Chemical Name : Ammonium thioglycolate
Molecular Formula: C2H7NO2S
CAS No: 5421-46-5
EC No: 226-540-9
Formula: HSCH2COONH4

Application:
Hair Perming
Hair Curling
Hair Waving
Hair Straightening

Chemistry
A basic solution of Kopcolate-A, also known as perm salt, is applied to the hair. The excess ammonia present in the solution helps the hair swell so that the reagents can work their way through each strand of hair, and also deprotonates the thioglycolate molecule, enabling it to break open disulfide bridges. At this point, the hair is wrapped around a curling rod and sprinkled with an oxidizing solution containing hydrogen peroxide. The disulfide bonds are reformed, and the hair comes off the rod with a curl.

Benefits of Kopcolate-A
Ammonium thioglycolate is milder than other chemicals, resulting in less damage to the hair shaft. The thiol group on the chemical, -SH, makes it a reducing agent. The chemical will give an electron to another compound that breaks, or reduces, a chemical bond. Conditioning products are typically needed before hydroxide products are used, while they are not needed for thioglycolate products.
There are several advantages to using this chemical instead of guanidine hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. The pH of ammonium thioglycolate is lower, with a pH level at about 9 to 9.5, whereas sodium hydroxide can have a pH as high as 14. The less alkaline chemical will not damage the scalp or hair.
This chemical is much less damaging to the scalp and hair than others and is also much less smelly.

Regulatory Status
Approved in Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, and Korea.