Sorbitol physical properties

To acquire information on the physical properties of various grades of sorbitol, a variety of materials were characterized. The characteristics of these, as supplied by the vendor, are summarized in Table 1. Grades with various particle size distributions were chosen for comparison. 

The physical properties of acetals and ketals of sorbitol are listed in Table XVI. 

The Physical Properties of Some Acetals and Ketals of d- and h-Sorbitol... 

Sorbitol occurs as an odorless, white or almost colorless, crystalline, hygroscopic powder. Eour crystalline polymorphs and one amorphous form of sorbitol have been identified that have slightly different physical properties, e.g., melting point. Sorbitol is available in a wide range of grades and polymorphic forms such as granules, flakes, or peUets that tend to cake less than the powdered form and have more desirable compression characteristics. Sorbitol has a pleasant, coohng, sweet taste and has approximately 50-60% of the sweetness of sucrose. 

Comments sorbitol solution is an aqueous solution of hydrogenated, partly hydrolyzed starch. Eor physical properties, see Table IV. 

Table IV Physical properties of sorbitol in water solutions.

This group includes industrially produced substances. Esters of sorbitol or saccharose with one or two molecules of fatty acids are used as emulsifiers of fats. Sucrose esters with 5-8 molecules of fatty acids are used as fat substitutes (called Olestra), with the advantage that they have physical properties similar to fat and give the same sensory impression, but they are unusable in the human body and therefore do not supply the body with energy. These substances are described in more detail in the section dealing with food additives (see Section 11.5.2.1.5). 

Thomazlne M, Carvalho RA, Sobral PJA [2005]. Physical properties of gelatin films plasticized by blends of glycerol and sorbitol. J Food Sc/, 70[3], 172-176. 

A number of other studies have also shown that altering the physical, physicochemical, and mechanical properties of the material [7,26,27,40] can improve various sorbitol characteristics. Improvements in tableting characteristics, compressibility, and texture have been obtained by modifying the morphology and solid properties of the sorbitol powders. 

In this study, we investigated effects of binary mixtures (1 1) of glycerol, xylitol, and sorbitol on physical and mechanical properties of potato starch-based edible films stored at various relative humidities. 

Watase M, Itagaki H (1998) Thermal and rheological properties of physical gels formed from benzylidene-D-sorbitol derivatives. Bull Chem Soc Jpn 71(6) 1457-1466 Yamasaki S, Tsutsumi H (1994) Microscopic studies of 1,3 2,4-di-O-benzylidene-D-sorbitol in ethylene glycol. Bull Chem Soc Jpn 67 906-911... 

---