Polysorbate

Polysorbate are ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters. You are nonionic surfactants and are used as wetting agents or as an oil -in- water emulsifiers such as in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foods, cleaning agents and detergents. The most famous trademark is Tween ®.

The different types of polysorbate differ in the fatty acid, the average number of polyoxyethylene units in the molecule and the degree of esterification. Furthermore, some polysorbates was awarded a food additive number. The two-digit number of the identity of every polysorbate follows a certain pattern: the first number represents the esterified acid: 2 = lauric acid, palmitic acid = 4, 6 = stearic acid, oleic acid = 8, 12 = isostearic acid. The second digit indicates the type of esterification: 0 for a mono-ester 20 with polyoxyethylene, 1 for a mono-ester with 4 or 5 and the number of polyoxyethylene units is 5 to 20 polyoxyethylene units with a triester.

  • Polysorbate 20 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan monolaurate ), E 432
  • Polysorbate 21 ( polyoxyethylene (4 ) sorbitan monolaurate )
  • Polysorbate 40 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan ), E 434
  • Polysorbate 60 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan monostearate ), E 435
  • Polysorbate 61 ( polyoxyethylene (4 ) sorbitan monostearate )
  • Polysorbate 65 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan tristearate - ), E 436
  • Polysorbate 80 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan monooleate ), E 433
  • Polysorbate 81 ( polyoxyethylene (5) sorbitan monooleate )
  • Polysorbate 85 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan trioleate ), Span 85
  • Polysorbate 120 ( polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan - )
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