Sorbitan Tristearate
Sorbitan Tristearate, sold as Span 65, is a non-ionic lipophilic emulsifier with CAS number 26658-19-5 and E number E492 in the European Union. The HLB is approximately 2.1, the lowest of the commercial Span series.
The molecule pairs a sorbitan core with three stearic acid (C18:0) chains esterified at the available hydroxyl positions, leaving essentially no free hydroxyls. The product is a cream-coloured hard wax with a melting point near 50 to 53 degrees Celsius and is the dominant chocolate bloom inhibitor in the global confectionery industry.
We source bulk Sorbitan Tristearate from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Guangdong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Cream to tan waxy solid |
| Acid Value | ≤ 15 mg KOH/g |
| Saponification Value | 176-188 mg KOH/g |
| Hydroxyl Value | 66-80 mg KOH/g |
| Water Content | ≤ 1.5% |
| Melting Point | 47-50°C |
| HLB Value | 2.1 |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Color | Range from white to faint yellow |
| pH | 5.6 – 6.0 |
| Solubility | Can be dispersed in petroleum ether, mineral oil and vegetable oil. Hardly soluble in toluene and ethyl acetate. Insoluble in water. |
Common Markets Grades
Span 65 is made in four grades: food, pharmaceutical, confectionery, and industrial.
Food grade meets the JECFA specification for E492 with controlled hydroxyl value (66-80 mg KOH/g), saponification value (176-188 mg KOH/g), acid value below 15, and water below 1.0 percent.
USP-NF and Ph. Eur. pharmaceutical grade adds heavy metal limits and tighter purity specifications for use in tablet coatings and topical preparations.
Confectionery grade is produced with very tight colour and odour specifications for chocolate bloom inhibition.
Industrial grade is used in metalworking fluids, textile finishes, and plastics additives without the food-grade purity controls.
Plant-source stearic acid (palm, soybean, or sunflower) is the standard supply route; RSPO-certified palm, Kosher, and Halal grades are widely available.
Applications
- Chocolate and compound coatings as the primary bloom inhibitor at 0.5 to 1 percent
- Confectionery fats and panning syrups for crystal control
- Cocoa butter equivalents and replacers for polymorphic stability
- Filled chocolates and pralines to suppress fat migration from the filling
- Margarine and bakery shortening blends as a crystal modifier
- Ice cream and frozen desserts as a co-emulsifier with mono-/diglycerides for slow-melt texture
- Whipping cream powders and aerosol toppings for stability
- Pharmaceutical tablet coatings as a hydrophobic film former
- Cosmetic stick formulations (lipsticks, deodorants) for structural support
- Textile spinning lubricants and antistatic finishes
- Plastics processing as a slip and antistatic additive
Brands Using Sorbitan Tristearate
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Sorbitan Tristearate on the ingredient label.
- Hi-ChewOriginal Mix Bag ↗Listed: 'GLUCOSE SYRUP, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, LESS THAN 2% OF GELATIN, MALIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SUCROSE FATTY ACID ESTERS, SORBITAN TRISTEARATE, ...'Label verified 2026-05-24
- Hi-ChewFantasy Mix Bag ↗Listed: 'GLUCOSE SYRUP, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, LESS THAN 2% OF GELATIN, MALIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ... SUCROSE FATTY ACID ESTERS, SORBITAN TRISTEARATE, ...'Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Sorbitan Tristearate
Top Sorbitan Tristearate manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Sorbitan Tristearate
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Sorbitan Tristearate out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Sorbitan Tristearate together with other ingredients such as Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Non-Dairy Creamer and Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Sorbitan tristearate is approved as a food additive and pharmaceutical excipient in essentially every regulated market.
In the European Union it carries the E number E492 within the sorbitan esters family. The European Food Safety Authority re-evaluated the sorbitan esters group in 2017 and confirmed a group acceptable daily intake expressed as sorbitan.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits sorbitan tristearate as a food additive under 21 CFR 172.844 and 172.846 with category-specific use limits in cocoa-based confectionery (up to 1 percent), cake icings and fillings, whipped vegetable oil toppings, and shortenings.
JECFA assigned the sorbitan esters group an ADI expressed as sorbitan. Pharmacopoeial monographs for sorbitan tristearate appear in USP-NF and Ph. Eur.
Kosher and Halal certifications are widely available when stearic acid sourcing is documented.
Manufacturing Process
Span 65 is produced by direct esterification of sorbitol with stearic acid in a 1:3 molar ratio.
Sorbitol is first dehydrated to sorbitan by heating under vacuum with an acid or base catalyst at 150 to 200 degrees Celsius. A single water molecule is eliminated, producing a five-membered tetrahydrofuran ring with three free hydroxyl groups. A small fraction undergoes a second dehydration to isosorbide; this isosorbide content is a controlled impurity.
The sorbitan is then esterified with a stearic acid stream (typically 60 to 70 percent stearic acid, balance palmitic acid) at 210 to 240 degrees Celsius under nitrogen with an alkaline catalyst. The 1:3 molar ratio drives the reaction toward the triester product with minimal remaining free hydroxyl groups.
The reaction is followed by acid value and hydroxyl value until the target specification is reached. The catalyst is neutralised with phosphoric or citric acid and the crude is bleached with activated carbon. Span 65 is shaped to flakes, beads, or pastilles for handling.
The reaction temperature is the principal control. Span 65 requires higher temperatures than Span 60 because the third esterification step is sterically hindered and proceeds slowly.
