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NP-40 is a commercially available detergent with CAS 9016-45-9. The full name of NP-40 is Tergitol-type NP-40, which is nonyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol.
Care should be taken to avoid confusing NP-40 with Nonidet P-40 (octyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol). Its HLB value is 17.8 compared to 13.4 for IGEPAL CA-630.
This powerful detergent is often used to break open all membranes within a cell including the nuclear membrane. To break only the cytoplasmic membrane, one should use IGEPAL CA-630 (AKA Nonidet P-40).
References
NP-40 Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA