Sorbitan Esters

Sorbitan esters are nonionic lipophilic surfactants that are commonly used as
water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifiers and stabilizers. Sorbitan fatty acid esters are
produced by esterification of dehydrated sorbitol (sorbitan) with a variety of
fatty acids. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that can be obtained by the reduction
of glucose or derived from corn, potatoes, etc. The fatty acids commonly used
to synthesize sorbitan esters include lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid,
and oleic acid.

As sorbitan ester have numerous functions, our range of surfactants is used in
a variety of settings, for example, as an emulsifier in food, a stabilizer in a
cosmetic cream formulation, or a cosolvent and antirust agent for petroleum and
oil. These surfactants are sourced from vegetables and vegan friendly. They are
safe and nontoxic as food additives when used according to regulations.

Our range of sorbitan esters has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) between
1.6 - 8.6, which make them dissolvable in polar organic solvents and oils. When
used in combination with varying proportions of ethoxylated sorbitan esters
(polysorbate) that have an HLB range between 10.0 – 16.7, it creates more
versatile surfactants; which can produce W/O or oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions
with varying levels of consistencies, expanding the possible applications of
these surfactants.

Types of Sorbitan Ester

Sorbitan Monolaurate

CAS No.: 1338-39-2

Synthesized from lauric acid

Has an HLB value of 8.6,soluble in isopropanol,mineral oil,liquid paraffin etc.

Insoluble in water.

Sorbitan Monopalmitate

CAS No.: 26266-57-9

Synthesized from palmitic acid

Has an HLB value of 6.7, soluble in ethanol, ethyl acetate toluene etc. Can
disperse in hot water.

Sorbitan Monostearate

CAS No.: 1338-41-6

Synthesized from stearic acid

Has an HLB value of 4.7, soluble in ethanol, toluene. Can be dispersed in warm
water.

Sorbitan Tristearate

CAS No.: 26658-19-5

Synthesized from stearic acid

Has an HLB value of 2.1, can be dispersed in petroleum ether, mineral oil,
vegetable oil. Difficult to dissolve in toluene, ether and ethyl acetate.

Sorbitan Monooleate

CAS No.:  1338-43-8

Synthesized from oleic acid

Has an HLB value of 4.3, soluble in ethanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether,
etc. Can disperse in hot water.

Sorbitan Sesquioleate

CAS No.:  8007-43-0

Synthesized from oleic acid

Has an HLB value of 3.7, soluble in ethanol, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether
etc. Insoluble in water.

Sorbitan Trioleate

CAS No.:  26266-58-0

Synthesized from oleic acid

Has an HLB value of 1.8, soluble in mineral oil and vegetable oil. Hardly
soluble in ethyl acetate and petroleum ether.

Advantages of Huana's Sorbitan Ester

Multi-purpose surfactants
Not only serve as emulsifiers, but also as stabilizers, wetting agents,
dispersants, lubricants, thickeners etc.
Multi-market applications
Our sorbitan ester products can be used in food, feed, pharmaceutical,
industrial and cosmetic.
Wide range of products
We have 7 kinds of sorbitan esters, that differ by the fatty acids used to
esterify sorbitans. Each surfactant has a different hlb value, suitable for use
in different product formulations.
Vegetarian & vegan friendly
All of our sorbitan esters are made of ingredients sourced and derived from
plants.
Customizable
Products and packaging can be customized according to clients' needs

FAQs of Our Sorbitan Ester

What is the difference between non-ionic and ionic surfactants?
Compare to ionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants are less sensitive to
acidity or alkalinity.

What is a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsifier?
In water-in-oil emulsion, the hydrophilic parts of emulsifiers surround the
water droplets and expose their lipophilic portions to the oil phase. This
allows water droplets to suspend in oil environment.
What is sorbitan ester made of?
Sorbitan ester is composed of sorbitol-derived hexitol anhydrides aka sorbitans
and various fatty acids (lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic
acid, etc.). Polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester is attached to sorbitans
through esterification reactions.

Is sorbitol the same as sorbitan?
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (crystalline hexahydric alcohol) that can be
sourced from plants, such as corns and potatoes. When sorbitol undergoes a
dehydration process, where one water molecule is removed, it creates an
anhydride called sorbitan.

What is HLB value?
HLB value is the abbreviation for hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, it is the
ratio between the hydrophilic portions and lipophilic portion of a surfactant.
It is represented by a number between 1 and 20. An HLB value less than 6
indicates that the surfactant favors W/O emulsion; an HLB value greater than 8
favors O/W emulsion. HLB values in between 7 and 9 indicate that the
surfactants are good wetting agents.

Is sorbitan ester safe?
Sorbitan esters are widely used in cosmetics, food, medicines. They are
generally considered as non-toxic and non-irritant. They are considered to be
safe cosmetic ingredients.2 According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
sorbitan esters composed of lauric acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and stearic
acid are safe to consume as food additives.1 The group ADI value of these
sorbitan esters is 0-25mg/kg body weight/ day.1 Acute and long-term studies
have shown that sorbitan esters are non-toxic via ingestion.2 During digestion,
sorbitan esters are hydrolyzed into sorbitan and fatty acid; the fatty acid
moiety is absorbed and metabolized, whereas the sorbitan moiety is excreted
through urine, feces or respiration.

Guangdong Huana Chemistry Co., Ltd. is a professional global chemical
engineering company based in China. We provide span sorbitan, a non ionic
detergent and so on. Want to know more? Please contact us.

Minimum Order: 1 gallons

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