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Sodium Tripolyphosphate in Industry and Food Additives
Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), an inorganic compound, is a white crystalline powder, easily soluble in water, aqueous solution is alkaline, is an amorphous water-soluble linear polyphosphate. Sodium tripolyphosphate has chelating, suspending, dispersing, gelling, emulsifying, pH buffering, etc. It can be used as the main auxiliaries of synthetic detergents, industrial water softeners, tanning pretanning agent, dyeing auxiliaries, catalysts for organic synthesis, food additives and so on. So, what are the common uses of industrial sodium tripolyphosphate and edible sodium tripolyphosphate?
Common Uses of Sodium Tripolyphosphate:
1, Mainly used as a synthetic detergent additives, for soap synergist and prevent bar soap grease precipitation and frosting. It has strong emulsifying effect on lubricating oil and fat, and can be used to adjust the PH value of buffer soap.
Sodium tripolyphosphate is an indispensable and excellent auxiliary in detergents, and its main effects can be summarised as follows:
①Chelating effect on metal ions
Daily washing water generally contains hard metal ions (mainly Ca2+, Mg2+). In the washing process, they will form insoluble metal salts with the active substances in soap or detergent, which not only increases the consumption of detergent, but also makes the washed fabrics with unpleasant dark grey. Sodium tripolyphosphate has excellent performance in chelating hardening metal ions, thus eliminating the adverse effects of these metal ions.
②Improvement of gelling, emulsification and dispersion
Dirt often contains human secretions (mainly proteins and fatty substances), but also from the outside world of the sand, dust and so on. Sodium tripolyphosphate on the protein has a swelling, solubilising effect and play a gelling effect; on fatty substances can play a role in promoting emulsification; on the solid particles are dispersed and suspended.
③Buffering effect
Sodium tripolyphosphate has a large alkaline buffer, so that the pH value of the washing solution to maintain at 9.4 or so, which is conducive to the removal of acidic dirt.
④Preventing the role of agglomeration
Powdered synthetic detergent has hygroscopicity, such as stored in a place with high humidity, the phenomenon of caking will occur. The caking detergent is extremely inconvenient to use. Sodium tripolyphosphate, on the other hand, has a drying property when it forms a hexahydrate after absorbing water. When there is a large amount of sodium tripolyphosphate in the detergent formula, it can prevent the caking phenomenon caused by moisture absorption and maintain the dry granularity of synthetic detergents.
2, Water purification, softening agent: Sodium tripolyphosphate chelates metal ions with metal ions Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, etc. in the solution to generate soluble chelates, thus reducing the hardness, and thus is widely used in water purification and softening.
3, Peel softener: Make vegetables, fruits, peel quickly soften, shorten the cooking time and improve the extraction rate of pectin.
4, Anti-discolouring agent, preservative: It can promote the decomposition of vitamin C and pigment fading, discolouration, and can prevent meat, poultry and fish from corruption to extend the storage period of food.
5, Bleaching protection agent, deodorant: Improve the bleaching effect, and can remove metal ions in the odour.
6, Antiseptic and antibacterial agent: Inhibit the growth of microorganisms, and thus play a role in antiseptic and antibacterial.
7, Emulsifier, pigment minced meat dispersant, preventing delamination agent, thickener: To make the insoluble substances in water dispersed or stabilised suspension to prevent adhesion and cohesion of the suspension.
8, Strong buffer, preservative: Control and maintain a stable range of PH changes, can make the food taste more delicious. Control acidity, acidification rate.
9, Water retention agent, softening and tenderising agent: It has an enhancing effect on protein and gliadin, so it can increase the hydration and water retention of meat products, improve the permeability of water, promote the softening of food and improve the quality of food, and maintain the excellent flavour of food.
10, Anti-coagulant: It can prevent milk from coagulating when it is heated in dairy products and prevent the separation of milk protein and fat water.
11, Paint, kaolin, magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate and other industries as a dispersant when formulated suspension.
12, Dyeing auxiliaries.
13, Drilling mud dispersant.
14, Used as anti-oil staining agent in papermaking industry.
15, Ceramic production as a degumming agent.
16, Pre-tanning agent for tanning.
17, Industrial boiler water softener.