What Is Sorbitan Monooleate Span 80 Used For?

Date:2024-05-13

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Span 80, also recognized as sorbitan monooleate, is a highly versatile emulsifier renowned for its myriad applications across industries. From stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions in food to enhancing texture in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, its multifunctional properties make it an invaluable ingredient in countless formulations.
In this blog, we're diving deep into the versatile world of Span 80. By reading this blog, you will gain insights into what Span 80 is, its characteristics, applications, and the differences between Span 80 and Tween 80.

What is Span 80 (= Sorbitan Monooleate )?

Span 80, also known as sorbitan monooleate, is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier. It belongs to the family of sorbitan esters. This ingredient is produced by esterifying sorbitan with oleic acid, a fatty acid in many vegetable oils. Span 80 emulsifier presents as a light yellow, viscous oily liquid. Its solubility characteristics include insolubility in water and solubility in organic solvents. Span 80 is an emulsifier, stabilizer, and dispersant used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.

What Are The Characteristics Of Span 80?

Excellent Emulsifying Properties: Span 80 is an effective emulsifier, particularly for oil-in-water emulsions. It helps to stabilize these emulsions by reducing the interfacial tension between oil and water phases, preventing phase separation, and improving product consistency.

Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB): Span 80 emulsifier has a relatively low HLB value, typically around 4.3. This makes it suitable for stabilizing water-in-oil emulsions and forming stable oil-in-water emulsions when combined with appropriate surfactants with higher HLB values.

High Solubility: Sorbitan Monooleate Span 80 is soluble in many organic solvents and oils, making it compatible with diverse formulations.

Good Stability: Span 80 emulsifier contributes to the stability of formulations by preventing coalescence and creaming, thereby extending the shelf life of products.

Mild and Non-irritating: Span 80 is considered a gentle and non-irritating surfactant that is well-tolerated by the skin and mucous membranes. It is used in some skincare products, such as lotions and creams, as an emulsifier and solubilizer.

Overall, the characteristics of Span 80 make it a versatile ingredient with applications in emulsions, creams, lotions, and various other formulations where emulsification, dispersion, and stability are essential.

What Is Span 80 Used For?

Food Industry: Span 80 is used as an emulsifier in food products to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. It helps to prevent separation and improve texture in products such as salad dressings, margarine, baked goods, and confectionery items like chocolates and candies.

Pharmaceuticals: Sorbitan Monooleate(Span80) in pharmaceutical formulations serves as an emulsifier and solubilizer. It is commonly found in topical creams, lotions, and ointments to disperse active ingredients evenly and enhance their absorption into the skin.

Cosmetics: Span 80 is used in cosmetics and personal care products as an emulsifier and stabilizer. It helps to create stable emulsions in creams, lotions, and makeup products, ensuring uniform distribution of ingredients and improving product texture.

Personal Care Products: In addition to cosmetics, Sorbitan Monooleate Span 80 is used in various personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products to improve emulsion stability and enhance product performance.

Textiles: Span 80 is employed as an emulsifier in textile lubricants and finishing agents to facilitate the application of dyes, pigments, and other chemicals onto fabrics.

Paints and Coatings: Sorbitan Monooleate is utilized in paint formulations as a dispersing agent to improve the dispersion of pigments and other additives, resulting in smoother and more uniform coatings.

Adhesives: Span 80 e494 is added to adhesive formulations to enhance wetting properties and improve the adhesion of the adhesive to various substrates.

Overall, Span80 Sorbitan Monooleate serves as a versatile ingredient across industries, contributing to the stability, texture, and performance of various products.

Is Span 80 And Tween 80 The Same?

While Span 80 and Tween 80 sound similar and both belong to the family of surfactants, they are not the same chemical compound.

Span 80 (Sorbitan Monooleate): Span 80 is derived from the reaction of sorbitol with oleic acid, resulting in a single fatty acid esterified to the sorbitan backbone. It is a Lipophilic surfactant. It is an oil-soluble, lipophilic surfactant commonly used as an emulsifier in oil-in-water emulsions.

Tween 80 (Polysorbate 80): Tween 80, also known as Polysorbate 80, is derived from the reaction of sorbitol with ethylene oxide, resulting in a polyethoxylated sorbitan ester. It is a water-soluble, hydrophilic surfactant. Polysorbate 80 for sale is used as a solubilizer, emulsifier, and stabilizer in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

While both Span 80 and Tween 80 have emulsifying properties, they differ in their chemical structures, solubility characteristics, and applications. Span 80 is primarily used in oil-based formulations, whereas Tween 80 is water-soluble and commonly used in water-based or aqueous formulations.

What Is The Difference Between Span 20 And Span 80?

Span 20 and Span 80 are both members of the sorbitan ester family, but they differ in their chemical structure and properties:

Chemical Structure:
Span 20 (Sorbitan Monostearate): Derived from the reaction of sorbitol with stearic acid, resulting in a single fatty acid (stearic acid) esterified to the sorbitan backbone.
Span 80 (Sorbitan Monooleate): Derived from the reaction of sorbitol with oleic acid, resulting in a single fatty acid (oleic acid) esterified to the sorbitan backbone.

Fatty Acid Chain Length:
Span 20: Contains a shorter fatty acid chain (stearic acid), which makes it more hydrophilic compared to Span 80.
Span 80: Contains a longer unsaturated fatty acid chain (oleic acid), which makes it more lipophilic compared to Span 20.

Solubility:
Sorbitan Monolaurate(Span 20) is soluble in oils and organic solvents, and dispersible in water to form a semi-emulsified liquid.
Sorbitan Monooleate (Span 80) is insoluble in water, soluble in hot oil and organic solvents, acting as a high-grade lipophilic emulsifier.

Applications:
Span20 e493: Used in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, petroleum, and coatings industry
and coatings.
Span80 e494: Used in food, oil drilling, cosmetics, paints, textiles and leather, antifogging agents.

About Food Emulsifier Supplier

CHEMSINO Enterprise is the foremost supplier, manufacturer, and exporter of food emulsifiers in China. We're excited to offer you premium-grade Span 80 and other emulsifiers at competitive prices. Contact us today to request a quote and claim your free samples! Discover the potential of Span 80 with us and take your business to the next level.

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