Process for production of saline-solution soluble xanthan gum

Details Process for production of saline-solution soluble xanthan gum Process for production of saline-solution soluble xanthan gum

1998-08-19

2001-02-27

Geist, Gary (Department: 1623)

Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series

Organic compounds

Carbohydrates or derivatives

C536S123000, C536S123100, C536S124000, C210S174000, C241S024110, C241S069000, C241S091000, C241S167000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06194564

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for modifying xanthan gum to obtain a xanthan gum having enhanced solubility in saline solution.
Xanthan gum is a naturally occurring high molecular weight polysaccharide and has found a wide scope of uses, particularly as a thickener or viscosity modifier for aqueous based compositions. For example, it has found extensive use in the food, cosmetic and oil industries. The ability of xanthan gum to effectively modify an aqueous solution is directly related to its solubility in the aqueous medium. Since in such uses, the aqueous compositions generally contain sodium chloride or other salts, it is desired that the xanthan gum have as high a solubility in such salt solutions as possible. However, xanthan gum which is conventionally obtained from the fermentation of
Xanthomonas campestris
does not exhibit a particularly high solubility in saline solution, and in particular, saline solutions having relatively high salt concentrations.
A process for obtaining a modified xanthan gum which exhibits enhanced solubility in aqueous solutions of salts, such as, sodium chloride, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,206. As described therein, and as referred to herein, enhanced solubility means that the xanthan gum exhibits a viscosity of not less than 800 mPa as determined on a 0.5% by weight solution thereof in a 12% by weight aqueous sodium chloride solution at 20° C. at 30 rpm using a Brookfield BL viscometer and having a ratio of this viscosity to that determined on a 0.5% by weight solution thereof in distilled water of not less than 1.5.
This process requires equipment for forming fine fibers of the precipitate while mixing an aqueous solution of xanthan gum with an organic solvent which is a non-solvent to xanthan gum but is hydrophilic. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. Sho 58-5301(5301/1983) and Hei 1-318001(318001/1989) teach a method for drying xanthan gum directly as precipitated in the form of lumps rather than fine fibers. The dried lumps, despite subsequent grinding, give products sometimes with unfavorably affected properties, such as, low solubility in aqueous saline solutions and other salts. In view of this, there has been need for a way of obtaining xanthan gum of good quality even through the conventional precipitation process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing xanthan gum having improved solubility in saline solution. Another object is to produce the saline soluble xanthan gum with decreased energy costs.
The above object of the present invention can be accomplished by providing a process for saline-solution soluble xanthan gum which comprises the steps of precipitating xanthan gum by mixing, with stirring, an aqueous solution of xanthan gum with an organic solvent which is a non-solvent to xanthan gum but is hydrophilic, removing liquid from the precipitated xanthan gum to produce a xanthan gum cake having a liquid content of at most 50%, disintegrating the cake of xanthan gum after the liquid removal into particles having an average size of from 0.3 to 2 cm, and preferably, from about 0.6 to 1.5 cm in diameter, and drying the particles of xanthan gum at a temperature not exceeding 80° C.
According to the present invention, the cake of precipitated xanthan gum is broken into particles by conventional means so that specially designed equipment is not required. The drying can be concluded within a short time period while the xanthan gum is maintained substantially in the particulate state, whereby a xanthan gum exhibiting excellent solubility in saline is obtained.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4321140 (1982-03-01), Luthi
patent: 4511559 (1985-04-01), Szendrei et al.
patent: 5416206 (1995-05-01), Nagura et al.
Database XP 002023564—Derwent Publication AN-94-040055 & JP-A-05 345 801.

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