Blends with Maximized Crystallinity

Two methods, annealing and film-casting by slow solvent evaporation, have been used effectively to develop maximum crystallinity in PVDF blends. The 

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Alitame [L- -aspartyl-/V-(2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-thioethanyl)-D-alaninamide] is an amino acid-based sweetener developed by Pfizer from L-aspartic acid, D-alanine, and an amine 2,2,4,4-tetraethylthioethanyl amine (Fig. 1). Its formula is CI4H2504N3S with a molecular weight of 331.06. It is produced under the brand name Aclame . It is a crystalline, odorless, nonhygro-scopic powder that is soluble in water (130 g/L at pH 5.6) and alcohol and significantly more stable than aspartame (Table 1). Alitame is 2000 times as sweet as sucrose and has a clean, sweet taste, with no unpleasant aftertaste. It blends with other sweeteners, such as acesulfame-K, saccharin, and cyclamate, to maximize the quality of sweetness (3,7-9). 

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