PEG 400

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Polyethylene glycol
Polyethylene glycol
IUPAC name
Polyethylene glycol
  • none
C2nH4n+2On+1, n = 8.2 to 9.1
Molar mass 380-420 g/mol
Density 1.128 g/cm3
Melting point 4 to 8 °C (39 to 46 °F; 277 to 281 K)
Viscosity 90.0 cSt at 25 °C, 7.3 cSt at 99 °C
Flash point 238 °C (460 °F; 511 K)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
30 mL/kg, orally in rats
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Infobox references

PEG 400 (polyethylene glycol 400) is a low-molecular-weight grade of polyethylene glycol. It is a clear, colorless, viscous liquid. Due in part to its low toxicity, PEG 400 is widely used in a variety of pharmaceutical formulations.

Chemical properties[edit]

PEG 400 is strongly hydrophilic. The partition coefficient of PEG 400 between hexane and water is 0.000015 (log), indicating that when PEG 400 is mixed with water and hexane, there are only 15 parts of hexane per 1 million parts of PEG 400 in the water layer.[1]

PEG 400 is soluble in water, acetone, alcohols, benzene, glycerin, glycols, and aromatic hydrocarbons, and is slightly soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbons.


  1. ^ T. Y. Ma; D. Hollander; P. Krugliak; K. Katz (1990). "PEG 400, a hydrophilic molecular probe for measuring intestinal permeability". Gastroenterology. 98 (1): 39–46. PMID 2293598. 
  • The Merck Index, 11th Edition
  • Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients