Xanthan Gum
Product Description
Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive.
Product:
Xanthan Gum
CAS:
11138-66-2
Synonym:
Bacterial Polysaccharide, Corn Sugar Gum, Polysaccharide Xanthane, Xanthan, Xanthomonas campestris
Structure:
Typical Characteristics
Appearance
White or light yellow powder
Density
1.61 g/cm³
Melting point
64.43 °C
Molecular Weight
933.748
Purity
99%
Uses, Applications & Markets
Key applications
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Xanthan Gum used in many
industry applications
Xanthan gum, a polysaccharide produced by fermentation, has numerous industrial applications due to its unique rheological properties. Here's a list of some of its industrial uses:
- Food Industry: Xanthan gum is widely used as a thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying agent in various food products, including sauces, dressings, bakery goods, dairy products, and beverages.
- Pharmaceuticals: It serves as a suspending agent and viscosity enhancer in pharmaceutical formulations, such as oral suspensions, topical creams, and ophthalmic solutions.
- Cosmetics and Personal Care Products: Xanthan gum is added to cosmetics and personal care products, including lotions, creams, shampoos, and toothpaste, for its thickening, binding, and emulsifying properties.
- Oil and Gas Industry: It is utilized as a rheology modifier and fluid loss control agent in drilling fluids and hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") fluids to improve viscosity, stability, and fluid retention.
- Industrial Applications: Xanthan gum finds applications in various industrial processes, such as textile printing, paper manufacturing, and mining, as a thickener, binder, and stabilizer.
- Water Treatment: It is used in water treatment processes as a flocculant and clarifying agent to improve sedimentation, filtration, and separation of suspended solids.
- Paints and Coatings: Xanthan gum is added to paints, coatings, and adhesives as a thickener and rheology modifier to control viscosity, prevent sagging, and improve application properties.
- Agriculture: It serves as a binder and suspension agent in agricultural formulations, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and seed coatings, to improve adhesion and dispersion.
- Petroleum Industry: Xanthan gum is utilized in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes as a mobility control agent to improve the displacement efficiency of injected fluids and increase oil production.
- Textile Printing: It is employed as a thickener and binder in textile printing pastes to improve print definition, color yield, and fabric penetration.
- Biotechnology: Xanthan gum is used in biotechnological applications, such as cell culture and fermentation, as a gelling agent, stabilizer, and nutrient source for microorganisms.
- Adhesives: It is added to adhesives and sealants to improve viscosity, tackiness, and flow properties, enhancing bonding strength and adhesion to substrates.