Sorbic acid chemical properties

Antioxidants are one of the main families of additives where much work has been carried out during the past few years. They preserve chemical and physical-mechanical properties of polymers both during processing and under in-use conditions. In particular, natural antioxidants, mostly hindered phenols, are chosen to replace synthetic ones mainly in biopolymer and biocomposites formulations to render them completely compatible with different biologically active environments (e.g., natural environments and human body). Side effects of some synthetic antioxidants, such as butyl hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA), have been documented, and this has stimulated the substitution of synthetic antioxidants by natural ones. Among them, tocopherol, ferulic acid, sorbic acid, ascorbic acid, ° and vegetable oil with essential fatty acids are those most commonly found in biopolymer formulations. 

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