Green and environmentally friendly raw material - Sorbitol

September 15, 2025

Sorbitol is also known as D-Glucitol or D-Sorbitol. The molecular formula is C6H14O6, which is a white hygroscopic powder or crystalline powder, sheet or particle, odorless. According to different crystallization conditions, the melting point varies within the range of 88-102 ℃, and the relative density is about 1.49. Easy to dissolve in water (1g dissolved in about 0.45mL of water), slightly soluble in ethanol and acetic acid.

Sorbitol has a refreshing sweetness, about half the sweetness of sucrose, and a calorific value similar to sucrose. Its use as a sweetener will not cause dental caries. In the food industry, Sorbitol solution with a content of 69-71% is commonly used.

With the increasing global demand for natural and healthy products, governments around the world will increase their support for the functional sugar alcohol industry. At the same time, environmental requirements for the Sorbitol industry will continue to increase. The Sorbitol industry will pay more attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, adopt more environmentally friendly production processes and materials, and promote the industry's green transformation.

According to market research report data, the Sorbitol industry will maintain a stable growth trend in 2025. Against the backdrop of rising global environmental awareness and a surge in demand for biodegradable materials, the application of Sorbitol as a green and renewable plasticizer in the field of biodegradable materials has exceeded 30%, and is expected to continue to grow at an average annual rate of 8.5% in the next five years.

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Sorbitol is widely used in biodegradable plastics due to its hygroscopicity, moisturizing properties, and stability. Sorbitol can serve as a substitute for traditional petroleum based plasticizers, improving the processing performance and flexibility of biodegradable materials, in line with the growing global demand for environmentally friendly materials.

Advantages of using Sorbitol in green degradable plastics:

Renewable and Green Characteristics:

Sorbitol is derived from the reduction of glucose and is a natural sugar alcohol derived from renewable resources, in line with the concept of green and sustainable development.

Plasticizing effect:

As a plasticizer, Sorbitol can lower the glass transition temperature of plastics, improve their flexibility and processability, making them easier to shape.

Moisturizing and Stability:

The hygroscopicity and moisturizing properties of Sorbitol help improve the stability of biodegradable materials during processing and the performance of the final product.

Reduce costs:

Replacing traditional petroleum based plasticizers with Sorbitol can help reduce the production cost of biodegradable materials and make them more competitive in the market.

Application fields:

Biodegradable plastics: Sorbitol mainly used as plasticizers for biodegradable materials to improve their flexibility and processability.

Packaging materials: Sorbitol can be used to manufacture more environmentally friendly biodegradable packaging products.

Other bio based materials: Sorbitol is suitable for various materials made from biodegradable resins, such as films, fibers, etc.

Sorbitol, with its natural source, excellent plasticizing effect, and moisturizing properties, has become one of the key green materials driving the development of biodegradable plastics. With the increasing global awareness of environmental protection, its application prospects in the field of biodegradable materials are very broad.

Trehalose---"Sugar of Life"