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Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is also called Yellow adhesive, xanthan gum, xanthomonas polysaccharide. It is a kind of monospore polysaccharide generated by fermentation of Pseudomonas flava. Since its special macromolecule construction and colloidal properties, it's with several functions. It can be used as emulsifier, stabilizer, gel thickener, impregnating compound, membrane shaping agent and others. It is widely applied in various fields of national economy. Xanthan gum is praised as "the monosodium glutamate of industry"; it is the microbial polysaccharide with largest production scale and extremely wide application.
Basic information
English name: Xanthan gum Other name: Yellow adhesive, xanthan gum, xanthomonas polysaccharide
Chemical formula: C35H49O29 CAS number: 11138-66-2 EINECS number: 234-394-2
Appearance: white or light yellow powder
Features and performance
Xanthan gum is the most superior biological glue integrated with thickening, suspension, emulsification and stabilization. The quantity of pyroracemic acid group in side molecular chain end of xanthan gum has effects for its performance. Xanthan gum has general performance of long-chain macromolecule, while it is with more functional groups than general macromolecule so that it will shows unique performance under specified conditions. It has multiple conformations in aqueous solution and shows different features in different conditions.
1.Suspension property and emulsifying property
Xanthan gum is with good suspension effect for insoluble solid and oil drop.
2.Good water solubility
Xanthan gum can be dissolve rapidly in water. It is with very good water solubility. It especially also can be dissolve in cold water, so that it can omits complicated processing procedures and makes the application convenient.
3.Thickening property
Xanthan gum solution is with properties of low concentration and high viscosity (viscosity of its 1% aqueous solution is equal to 100 times of gelatin). It's a kind of efficient thickening agent.
4.Pseudoplasticity
Xanthan gum aqueous solution is with high viscosity under static state or low shearing action; its viscosity will be sharp dropped under high shearing action while the molecular structure won't be changed. When the shearing action is eliminated, the original viscosity will be recovered immediately. The relationship between shearing action and viscosity are totally malleable. The pseudoplasticity of xanthan gum is very outstanding. This kind of pseudoplasticity is very effective for stabilizing suspension liquid and emulsion.
5.Stability for temperature
The viscosity of xanthan gum doesn't be changed with the temperature changes. General polysaccharide appears viscosity variation because of heating while the viscosity of xanthan gum aqueous solution appears scarcely any changes in 10-80ºC. Even though the low concentration aqueous solution is in wide temperature scope, it still shows stable high viscosity.
6.The stability for acid-base
Xanthan gum solution is very stable for acid-base. Its viscosity won't be affected in the PH scope 5-10; when the PH is less than 4 or more than 11, its viscosity has slight change.
7.The stability for salt
Xanthan gum solution can mix with many salt solutions (kali salt, sodium salt, calcium salt, magnesium salt and others) and its viscosity won't be affected. Under the hyper-salt concentration, it still keeps its solubility and is free of precipitation and flocculation in saturated salt solutions, and its viscosity is hardly affected.
8.The stability for enzymatic hydrolysis
The stable double helix structure of xanthan gum is with extremely strong anti-oxidation and anti-oxidation performance. Many enzymes, such as protease, amylase, cellulose and hemicellulase, they can't degrade the xanthan gum.
