Sorbitol — Frequently Asked Questions

Because the Reichstein process and its modern fermentation variants convert sorbitol to L-sorbose and then through further steps to ascorbic acid. Sorbitol is the entry point because it can be made cheaply and at scale by hydrogenating glucose, and its stereochemistry is the right starting configuration for the sequence. Essentially all the world's vitamin C begins here.

Because its six hydroxyl groups give high functionality. In rigid foam, the number of reactive sites on the starter determines how densely the polymer crosslinks, and a dense crosslink network is what makes the foam rigid rather than flexible. A high-functionality starter such as sorbitol is therefore used where structural rigidity and insulation performance are required.

Its hydroxyl groups coordinate to metal ions, and that chelation remains effective in strong alkali where many sequestrants fail. In textile bleaching that keeps iron and copper from catalysing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, which would otherwise waste the bleach and damage the fibre. The same chemistry is used in alkaline metal cleaning.

Because sorbitol crystallises readily and a more concentrated solution would set solid or become unmanageably viscous. Seventy percent is the practical concentration at which the solution stays fluid and pumpable at normal temperatures while carrying as much active material as possible, which is why it is the standard commercial strength.