Food-Grade SIPERNAT® 22

When powders clump during manufacturing, time and energy are lost cleaning machinery. A product such as food-grade SIPERNAT® 22 precipitated silica deters clumping, which keeps your industry running smoothly. Food ingredient distributor Bell Chem proudly carries SIPERNAT® 22 along with other grades of SIPERNAT® products. Read below to learn how food-grade SIPERNAT® 22 can help your company.

Powdered Ingredients

Imagine hundreds of consumers complaining about their packaged powdered food: one box of chocolate pudding contained only a small amount of sugar while another package purchased at the same time was virtually without chocolate powder because of the excess sugar. What happened? When powdered ingredients are combined, it is generally an automated process that disperses the exact amount into each individual container. If the amount added to the batch is not accurate, the product will differ in its taste, texture, smell, or mouthfeel. If it clings to the machinery, less product is released, and the result is not what was anticipated. Adding SIPERNAT® 22 to powdered ingredients keeps machines and customers content. Form a barrier of SIPERNAT® 22 by coating the inside of the spray tower when spray-drying ingredients. This greatly reduces caking and expedites cleaning times as it decreases poor flowability.

SIPERNAT® 22 absorbs water and oil from the surface of powdered goods, leaving them less sticky and caked. Even after a product is stored or transported, it remains smooth and dry.  

Pharmaceutical

Consumers demand pharmaceutical products with specific dosages. SIPERNAT® 22 acts as a filler and carrier for active ingredients, such as vitamins and supplements, to ensure patients and livestock receive the correct dosage in every tablet or capsule. 

Bell Chem is your food and pharmaceutical ingredient distributor based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products including SIPERNAT® 22 stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Applications of Dipropylene Glycol

Dipropylene glycol is a colorless, almost odorless liquid with low toxicity (hence its abundant use in cosmetics), and it has a high boiling point. Glycols, in general, are organic compounds beneath the alcohol umbrella of alcohols. However, your industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem’s dipropylene glycol finds uses beyond the cosmetics industry. Read below to discover how dipropylene glycol is utilized across a spectrum of industries. 

As a Catalyst in Polymerization

Many monomers do not readily form bonds with other monomers or polymers. Dipropylene glycol stimulates monomers to form multi-dimensional structures with other monomers, forming lengthy chains called polymers. Strands of polymers form plastics such as polystyrene and organic structures such as DNA!

As a Solvent

With its low toxicity and ability to suspend particles uniformly without detriment to their chemical structure, dipropylene glycol is frequently used in cosmetics, skincare products, hair products, and perfumes. When a product’s solids are suspended uniformly, the resulting gel or solid contains a consistent product throughout. The boiling point of dipropylene glycol (446.9°F or 230.5C) significantly decreases a product’s evaporation rate. 

As a Plasticizer/Dispersant

High-viscosity products are generally difficult to spread on the skin or hair. Dipropylene glycol reduces product viscosity, leading to shampoos and lotions that spread easily and evenly. The active ingredients in a highly viscous product are not readily absorbed through the skin. By thinning a medicated cream, these active ingredients are more easily absorbed through the integumentary system. The plastics industry takes full advantage of dipropylene glycol’s ability to increase fluidity (otherwise known as plasticity) of a product. Its major role is as an ingredient in the creation of polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as PVC.  

As a Masking Agent/Fragrance Ingredient

Active ingredients are often associated with a “medicine” smell, which many people find unpleasant. Dipropylene glycol not only masks the smell, it oftentimes eliminates the odor, leaving it virtually fragrance-free. 

Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products, including dipropylene glycol, stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Using Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is more commonly recognized as vinegar, although the two are not completely interchangeable. Vinegar is typically 5%-20% acetic acid diluted in water. The formal name for acetic acid is ethanoic acid, although industry prefers the moniker acetic acid. Acetic acid has been utilized for centuries in industries across the world, and industrial ingredient distributor Bell Chem stocks this important chemical for your business. Read below for a summary of how acetic acid can be beneficial for you. 

Acetic acid has uses across the medical field:

• Even diluted to a 1% concentration, acetic acid is a safe, extremely effective antibiotic agent. Hospitals utilize acetic acid to stop the spread of Enterococci, Streptococci, Staphylococci, and Pseudomonas bacteria. 

• Screening for cervical cancer is simplified with acetic acid. When swabbed on the cervix, if acetic acid turns white in a minute’s time, cancer is likely present.

• Injecting acetic acid into malignant tumors has been a proven cancer treatment for over two centuries.

• In hospital laboratories, acetic acid lyses red blood cells, clearing the path for technicians to examine the less numerous white blood cells.

Other industrial uses for acetic acid include the following:

• Acetic acid is a main component (along with ethylene and oxygen) in the production of vinyl acetate monomer. The monomer is then polymerized in various formations to form the basis of many common adhesives and paints. Other substrates produced from acetic acid include vinegar, ester, and acetic anhydride.

• Because it is an acid, acetic acid acts as a powerful descaling agent. Limescale builds up on metal surfaces when they contact hot water. Boilers, water heaters, and wastewater treatment facilities with an application of acetic acid to the metal find the solid limescale liquefies. 

• In the canning industry, preservation with acetic acid has a longstanding history. Other foods contain acetic acid for its flavor: salad dressings, ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. In baking, adding diluting acetic acid with baking soda creates an acid/base reaction that injects baked goods with gases so cakes and breads rise.

• The cosmetic industry finds acetic acid works favorably as a pH adjuster.

• In a chemical laboratory, acetic acid is used for purifying chemicals and as a solvent for chemical reactions. 

Bell Chem is an industrial ingredient distributor based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products, including acetic acid, stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Malic Acid in the Medical Industry

Malic acid is usually produced in the human body in quantities necessary to function properly. However, sometimes the body requires excess amounts of malic acid due to loss or lack of production. Bell Chem stocks this important supplement and wants you to know how malic acid is used in the medical industry.

Malic acid, also known as hydroxybutanedioic acid or malate, is produced and synthesized in large quantities by the human body in the metabolic conversion of carbohydrates into the energy the body needs to function. Malic acid is an active chemical in the formation of amino acids as well. All fruits and several vegetables contain malic acid, with apples scoring high on the list of malic acid content. 

Topical Treatments

Because it is an alpha-hydroxy fruit acid, malic acid is used by pharmaceutical companies as an ingredient for topical products to help heal specific skin conditions. Acne, calluses, warts, and other skin disorders can be treated with the application of supplements containing malic acid. Malic acid also boosts the production of collagen, a protein responsible for giving skin its elasticity. Without collagen, the skin sags, which we interpret as wrinkles.

Supplements

Individuals who require calcium supplementation often find malic acid is an ingredient to their supplement. Added to liquid and solid calcium supplements, malic acid controls the pH while adding a pleasantly tart taste.

Salivary Glands

Chewing gum is recommended for those who do not produce enough saliva. Combined with saccharin, malic acid stimulates salivary glands. When added in conjunction with other acids, the amount of flavor lasts significantly longer, thereby helping the salivary glands continue to produce saliva.

Fibromyalgia

Individuals suffering from fibromyalgia may find in the near future that malic acid is an ingredient in their management of this lifelong disorder. Preliminary findings show a correlation between the use of malic acid and both the reduction of pain and increased energy levels. Because malic acid is a vital component of the Krebs cycle, a lack of malic acid stops the production of necessary energy from consumed carbohydrates. Many athletes have found malic acid to be a great supplement to enhance muscular performance.

Bell Chem is based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products, including malic acid, stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Uses of Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is one of those ubiquitous chemicals everyone recognizes. However, its uses stretch across numerous industries. Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem’s varied strengths of isopropyl alcohol are ideal for specific tasks, as noted below. But how does isopropyl alcohol perform all these functions? At strengths of 70% and higher, rubbing alcohol is chemically able to penetrate the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Once inside the microorganism, isopropyl alcohol causes the cell’s proteins to coagulate and the organism perishes. Isopropyl alcohol generally contains a percentage of water since alcohol evaporates rapidly; the addition of water slows this evaporation rate and increases the effectiveness of isopropyl alcohol.

Antiseptic

At a solution greater than 50%, isopropyl alcohol is a high-proof ethanol bactericide; it kills existing bacteria but does not completely prevent future growth. It is also effective against fungi and viruses. Its role in hospital and clinic settings is multipurpose. Think of receiving an injection: a small package is ripped open and a sliver of cloth wipes the affected area beforehand. That small cloth is doused in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Before the doctor and nurses visit with a patient and after examining the patient, hands are washed with soap and water and disinfected with hand sanitizer — with 70% isopropyl alcohol as the primary ingredient.

Astringent

An astringent is defined as a substance that constricts body tissues. A 70% solution of rubbing alcohol has long been utilized in the cosmetics industry to tighten pores. The sensation of isopropyl alcohol on most peoples’ faces is described as a clean, refreshing feeling. This shrinking of tissue is a key reason isopropyl alcohol is a topical ingredient in products that help small wounds close and heal.

Solvent

An industry favorite, isopropyl alcohol is an inexpensive, reliable carrier for pharmaceuticals, topical ointments, printing, laboratory reagents, et cetera. Sticky substances, ink, oils, and grease are quickly dissolved with isopropyl alcohol. Industries use isopropyl alcohol in the manufacture of acetone and glycerol. In biology laboratories, the ability of rubbing alcohol to dry and tighten tissues gives it a role in specimen preservation. Lab chemicals are diluted and extracted with rubbing alcohol, paint strips more easily, electroplate cold cleaning and lithography find isopropyl alcohol their perfect solvent. 

Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products, including isopropyl alcohol, stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Citric Acid

The use of citric acid has been recorded for centuries, beginning when it was isolated from lemon juice in 1784 to when it was industrialized in 1890. The food and beverage industry relies heavily on citric acid because of its versatility as an oxidizer, pH stabilizer, and flavoring, among other functions. Citric acid supplier Bell Chem’s pure citric acid should be part of your ingredient lineup. 

Flavoring
The naturally tart, tangy flavor of citric acid is regularly added to candy, foods, and beverages. Sweet and sour candy is an example of how citric acid is added to foods to balance their overly sweet taste, and the balance enhances both flavors. Nearly half of all citric acid production is utilized in beverages as a flavoring. In powdered form, dried foods also benefit from citric acid flavoring, and it plays a role as an ingredient in snacks, powdered drinks, and seasonings. 

Preservative
As its name implies, citric acid has a low pH. Because most microbes exist within a specific pH range, lowering the pH with citric acid disrupts the environment for bacteria, fungi, et cetera. Without microbial growth, foods and drinks have an extended shelf life. Industries add citric acid to preserved and canned fruits and vegetables, many forms of meat, jams and jellies, and snack foods. 

Oxidizer/Antioxidant
When sprayed directly on freshly cut fruits, citric acid prevents oxidation, which causes fruits to develop an off-colored appearance. Adding citric acid to substances containing fats and oils stimulates antioxidant action, and because antioxidants diminish product deterioration rates, shelf life is extended.  

pH Adjuster and Buffer
When beer and wine are manufactured, a specific pH must be achieved. The addition of citric acid to a basic solution adjusts the pH to create more perfect brews. In the cheese-making process, citric acid acts as a catalyst by facilitating many varieties of cheese (mozzarella in particular) to ripen more rapidly. The cosmetic industry greatly benefits from citric acid as an ingredient; along with adjusting pH, it also sequesters pollutants, removing them from hair and skin. 

Bell Chem is your citric acid supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

USP Grade Inhibited Propylene Glycol: Jeffcool P-200

Jeffcool P-200 is a USP grade inhibited propylene glycol that designates its use around food, food-based industries, and potable water. The “inhibited” portion of its title deems it safe for use in metals since it is corrosion-inhibited. Its primary roles are as an industrial coolant and heat transfer fluid. However, Florida ingredient distributor Bell Chem stocks this important chemical for more than food use. Read below for more details on inhibited propylene glycol.

Coolant
Many food and beverage industries rely on Jeffcool P-200 within their machinery as it maintains, cools, or freezes edible products. Breweries and wineries find Jeffcool P-200 ideal for cooling beverages expediently. The dairy industry understands the importance of quickly reducing the temperature of fresh milk, and inhibited propylene glycol is able to substantially lower milk temperatures quickly and evenly. 

Outside the food and beverage industry, USP grade inhibited propylene glycol (Jeffcool P-200) continues to prove its worth in HVAC systems and skating rinks as it maintains constant temperatures necessary for either application.

Heat Transfer
Frozen foods are generally processed with either spray or immersion freezing methods. Inhibited propylene glycol transfers heat from foods for rapid freezing. During winter, accumulated snow and ice can greatly impact walk-in traffic for businesses. When sidewalk and walkway infrastructure is designed with snow-melt systems with inhibited propylene glycol coursing through their channels, the affected areas remain ice and snow free. Applications of snow-melt systems include helipads, walkways, loading docks, and ramps. 

Bell Chem is the Florida ingredient distributor based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Safely Using Sodium Hypochlorite

You have undoubtedly used sodium hypochlorite both at home and in your business. Commonly known as bleach, the chemical percentage varies depending on your uses. You probably also recognize some of the dangers while using sodium hypochlorite; its ability to whiten clothes in a diluted form can quickly destroy clothes as a concentrated chemical. Bell Chem wants you to be safe around chemicals. The following information will help you safely handle sodium hypochlorite as you disinfect solids and liquids.

• On metals: Because sodium hypochlorite is corrosive, metal surfaces disinfected with bleach should be wiped with water or ethanol after application.

• With other chemicals: Sodium hypochlorite should not be combined with ammonia, acids, hydrogen peroxide, or any other commercial cleaners. It can become toxic in many situations. On the other hand, sodium hypochlorite evaporates at a rate of 0.75g a day in a solution, which is why swimming pools and water supplies need a steady supply of chlorine. 

• When disinfecting liquid materials: Household bleach is typically 5% sodium hypochlorite. General disinfecting requires 0.5% sodium hypochlorite concentrations. Therefore, dilute bleach 1:10 with water before applying. Read industrial-strength sodium hypochlorite labels to determine the strength and necessary dilution ratio. When mixing bleach with water, measure the water first, then add the bleach to the water.

• In hospitals or hospitality industries: Fats, blood, and proteins are disinfected with a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution. 

• Disinfection times: For solid materials, sodium hypochlorite should be applied for 1 minute. For liquids, soak for 20 minutes.  

• Effects of different percentages of sodium hypochlorite: A 5% solution of bleach has an average pH of 11, which is irritating to skin, eyes, and nasal passages. A 10–15% sodium hypochlorite solution has a pH closer to 13, which is corrosive and causes severe burns on the skin.

• Work environment: Sodium hypochlorite can be harmful if inhaled. Work in a well-ventilated area with open windows. If a vent hood is available, mix and use bleach beneath it.

• Personal protective devices: When handling sodium hypochlorite, don long-sleeved shirts and pants, a face mask or shield, and gloves. 

Bell Chem is based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Calcium Lactate Uses

Calcium lactate, unsurprisingly, contains calcium, making it beneficial to the human body by providing a method of calcium absorption. But calcium lactate also has an important role in the body’s reliance on magnesium as well. Read the information below provided by Bell Chem, your nutritional ingredient supplier, to see how calcium lactate aids in many of the body’s most important chemical processes.

• Approximately 99 percent of the body’s calcium and more than 50 percent of magnesium are stored in the bones. When supplies of either of these important nutrients are depleted from the bloodstream, both calcium and magnesium are pulled from bones, which causes bones to become more brittle.

• Because calcium and magnesium are positively charged; they stimulate heart function, neuronal impulses, muscle contraction, and fill cells with ample ions to perform properly. 

• Magnesium is a starring component in enzymatic reactions, with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) being one of the most important. ATP is the primary chemical necessary for creating the energy cells need to function. Another important function of magnesium is the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.   

• Because calcium lactate allows for easier absorption of both calcium and magnesium, it is often administered to patients with nerve conduction or muscle contraction difficulties. Patients with low coagulation time rates and immune system responses also benefit from calcium lactate. And, obviously, once calcium is available in the bloodstream, it can be absorbed by the bones and stored for later use.

• Calcium lactate is often prescribed for individuals with known low bone density and is often administered to pregnant or nursing mothers to supplement the calcium lost to their growing babies. It has been found that calcium lactate works more readily when consumed with food.

For further information on calcium lactate, contact Florida’s nutritional ingredient supplier, Bell Chem. Bell Chem is based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff handle all your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.

Xanthan Gum in the Food Industry

When glucose or another polysaccharide is fermented, the result is a natural carbohydrate gum — xanthan gum. This versatile ingredient has proven extremely useful with the public’s insistence of a greater abundance of gluten-free products. Learn how food ingredient distributor Bell Chem’s xanthan gum meets this need and many others. 

Viscosity

Consider ranch salad dressing as an example of how xanthan gum reacts in lower viscosity circumstances: When salad dressing is shaken, it’s easier to pour from the bottle. After the dressing has “settled,” it becomes thicker, which makes it more difficult to pour. Xanthan gum is added to many milk-based products to increase the viscosity, and shaking it will release chemical bonds, causing the product to become more liquefied.

Emulsification

Another one of xanthan gum’s properties is emulsification. Oil and water do not mix, and neither do milk and cream. When xanthan gum is added to a vinaigrette or to whole milk, the individual ingredients with chemical properties that do not allow for easy mixing will disperse evenly, giving the same taste from one bite to the next. 

Thickening

Xanthan gum’s thickening properties are ideal for use as a substitute for wheat, barley, or any other grain containing gluten. When substituting, these products are able to be advertised as gluten-free while maintaining a similar mouthfeel and texture to traditional bread. 

The thickening property is used for more than gluten-free foods, though. The ability of xanthan gum to add bulk to products makes it ideal for soy milk, soups, gravies, and sauces. 

Stability

Xanthan gum has a wide temperature range of stabilization, which means it will keep ice cream from melting as quickly when it is removed to room temperature. It is also an ingredient in frozen foods to stabilize individual components within the meal. Xanthan gum also delays ice crystal formation when foods are frozen for extended periods of time.

Learn more about xanthan gum and its uses by contacting Bell Chem, your food ingredient distributor. Bell Chem is based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff handle all your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.