Polysorbates

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Polysorbates are ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters in the form of oily liquids. These nonionic surfactants are used as wetting agents or as emulsifiers of the O / W type, for example in cosmetics , pharmaceuticals , foods , cleaning agents and detergents . Well-known trademarks are Tween , Scattics , Alkest and Canarcel .

Some polysorbates are approved as food additives and have an E number. They are widely used as emulsifiers for blending essential oils with water-based cosmetic products.

The different types of polysorbate differ in the fatty acid , the average number of polyoxyethylene units in the molecule and the degree of esterification . The two-digit number of the name of each polysorbate follows a certain scheme: The first number stands for the mainly esterified acid: 2 = lauric acid, 4 = palmitic acid, 6 = stearic acid, 8 = oleic acid, 12 = isostearic acid. The second digit indicates the type of esterification: 0 for a monoester with 20 polyoxyethylene units, 1 for a monoester with 4 or 5 polyoxyethylene units and the number 5 stands for a triester with 20 polyoxyethylene units.

The World Health Organization (WHO) for the inclusion of ethoxylated sorbitan a Tolerable Daily Intake (Engl. Acceptable Daily Intake ADI) (ETD) from 0 to 25 mg per kilogram of body weight suggested.

  • Polysorbate 20 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monaurate ), E 432
  • Polysorbate 21 (polyoxyethylene (4) sorbitan monolaurate)
  • Polysorbate 40 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan mono palmitate ), 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 mono oleate ), E 433
  • Polysorbate 81 (polyoxyethylene (5) sorbitan monooleate)
  • Polysorbate 85 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan trioleate),
  • Polysorbate 120 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monoisostearate)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry on sorbitans. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on June 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ Hubert Schiweck, Albert Bär, Roland Vogel, Eugen Schwarz, Markwart Kunz, Cécile Dusautois, Alexandre Clement, Caterine Lefranc, Bernd Lüssem, Matthias Moser, Siegfried Peters "Sugar Alcohols" Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2012, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim . doi : 10.1002 / 14356007.a25_413.pub3
  3. ↑ Additives online: database for food additives .
  4. ↑ Joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives: Toxicological evaluation of some food additives including anticaking agents, antimicrobials, antioxidants, emulsifiers and thickening agents . In: WHO Food Additives Series No. 5 . World Health Organization . 1974.