Dispersion Stabilizers Based on Inulin

Although the above sugar surfactants found many applications, particularly in cosmetics and personal care products, they are seldom very effective in stabilization of disperse systems against flocculation and/or coalescence. This is due to the reversible nature of adsorption of these molecules at the solid/liquid or liquid/liquid interfaces. For that reason we have developed a polymeric surface-active molecule based on inulin (which is extracted from chicory roots). Inulin is a polydisperse polysaccharide consisting mainly, if not exclusively, of j8(2 1) fructosyl fructose units with normally, but not necessar- 

Surfactants from Renewable Resources Edited by Mikael Kjellin and Ingegard Johansson 2010 John Wiley Sons, Ltd 

In this chapter we will start with a section on the raw materials used to produce HMI, the possible production methods of this product and its safety. The second section will give a short description of the solution properties of long-chain inulin and HMI. This is followed by a section on the interfacial properties of HMI at the air/liquid, liquid/liquid and solid/liquid interfaces. Particular attention will be given in describing the effectiveness of HMI as a stabilizer for various disperse systems, e.g. emulsions, nanoemulsions and latexes. The application of HMI in the formulation of emulsions, latex dispersions and nano-emulsions will be described in subsequent sections. 

Generally speaking, three types of inulin products can be distinguished and are commercially available as white powders. First of all is the native inulin with a mean DP of 

Inulin is widely applied in food products. It can be used for either its nutritional advantages or its technological properties, though it is often applied to offer a double benefit an improved organoleptic quality and a better-balanced nutritional composition. 

---