Vitamin C Intermediate | Sorbitol Solution 70% Industrial Grade, CAS 50-70-4, 275kg Drum, COA and SDS Available, Price per Ton

Product Overview

Sorbitol Solution 70% is a clear, colorless, syrupy liquid produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of glucose. For Vitamin C manufacturers, it is not a generic sweetener—it is the direct metabolic precursor in the Reichstein process and modern fermentation routes. D-Sorbitol is oxidized by Gluconobacter strains to L-sorbose, the committed step toward L-ascorbic acid synthesis. This is the specification industrial buyers actually need: consistent concentration, controlled reducing sugars, and bulk availability.
Sorbitol Solution 70% Industrial Grade is a clear, colourless, odourless syrup supplied at 70% dry substance. It is produced by catalytic hydrogenation of glucose derived from refined corn starch, followed by ion exchange purification and vacuum concentration.
This is the intermediate grade, not the sweetener grade. What separates it is what has been taken out: reducing sugars are held at 0.15% or below, heavy metals at 1 ppm or below, and conductivity is controlled, because the next reaction step — whether fermentation or esterification — is usually more sensitive to trace impurities than to the sorbitol content itself.
The product is fully miscible with water at any ratio, is non-hazardous under normal handling, and is supplied ready to pump or weigh directly into a batch.

Technical Specification

Specification written against the BP, USP, EP and FCC monographs.

Typical physical data: density approx. 1.30 g/cm³ at 20 °C; pH 5.0–7.0 as a 50% solution; shelf life 2 years in the unopened drum.

Typical Certificate of Analysis

Each drum carries a batch number and ships with its own Certificate of Analysis. The batch record reports, at minimum:

A Safety Data Sheet is issued on request. Lot-specific values replace the typical figures above — the acceptance limits do not move.

Applications

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) synthesis. Sorbitol is the starting point of the classical route: it is fermented to L-sorbose and then converted to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, which is lactonised to ascorbic acid. Because the fermentation step is run by living cultures, low reducing sugars and low heavy metals in the feed matter more here than a point of extra assay.
Sorbitan esters (Span) and polysorbates (Tween). Sorbitol is dehydrated to sorbitan and then esterified with fatty acids. For reactions that require anhydrous sorbitol, the water is removed before esterification — the 70% solution is the feed, not the reaction medium.
Polyurethane, alkyd and polyester systems. Used as a polyol component and as a moisture conditioner in resin and coating formulations.
Paper coating and adhesives. Acts as a humectant and plasticiser, keeping the coating film flexible and reducing brittleness during drying and storage.
General industrial humectant and plasticiser. Where a non-crystallising, low-impurity polyol is needed and food-grade certification is not a requirement.

Quality Control

• Incoming glucose syrup is tested before hydrogenation; the hydrogenation catalyst is monitored per batch.
• Purification runs through ion exchange and filtration before vacuum concentration to 70% dry substance.
• Every batch is sampled at the drumming line and tested against the specification above before release.
• Production is covered by ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 quality management, with HACCP controls; Halal and Kosher certification is in place.
• Traceability runs from drum batch number back to production record, so a query on a delivered drum can be answered from the batch file.

Packaging & Shipping

Drums are new and food-contact-grade HDPE even for industrial use, so the same packaging can be reused on a food line without a material query.

Storage & Handling

• Store sealed in a cool, dry, ventilated place, away from direct sunlight.
• Keep away from strongly odorous materials — the syrup picks up odours readily.
• Shelf life is 2 years in the unopened drum.
• The product thickens in the cold. If a drum has been stored below room temperature, let it stand and warm before pumping; viscosity recovers without change to the product.
• Non-hazardous under normal handling. Spills are slippery — flush with water and prevent entry into drains.