Stearoyl lactylate salt composition having improved physical properties and method of production

Claim 2

A composition of reduced hygroscopicity and increased melting point consisting essentially of: (a) a stearoyl lactylate salt selected from the group consising of sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl lactylate, potassium stearoyl lactylate, and mixtures thereof and being within a range of about 98% to about 70% (by weight) of said composition; and (b) an hydrogenated stearin within a range of about 2% to about 30% (by weight) of said composition; said stearin having an iodine value of less than about 7 and all fatty acid radicals on said stearin are in a range of about 50% to 100% (by weight of fatty acid) of at least C 18 fatty acid; and wherein (c) said stearin and said salt are mixed while said salt is in molten state.

Claim 3

The composition as in claim 1 wherein: (a) said hydrogenated stearin is less than 10.0% (by weight) of said composition.

Claim 4

The composition as in claim 2 wherein: (a) said stearoyl lactylate salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

The composition as in claim 3 wherein: (a) all fatty acid radicals on said stearin are in the range of 75% to 100% (by weight of fatty acid) C 18 fatty acid.

Claim 6

The composition as in claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein: (a) said stearin is selected from the group consisting of stearins of corn oil, cottonsed oil, herring oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, sardine oil, sunflower oil, tallow, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

The composition as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein: (a) said stearin is soybean oil stearin.

Claim 8

The composition as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein: (a) said stearin is palm oil stearin.

Claim 9

A composition as in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein: (a) said stearoyl lactylate salt is stearoyl-2-lactylate salt.

Claim 10

The composition as in claim 8 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt is sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

Claim 11

The composition as in claim 8 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt is calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

Claim 12

The composition as in claim 8 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt comprises a mixture of sodium and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

Claim 13

The composition as in claim 8 wherein: (a) said stearin is thermally mixed with said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt by co-mixing during production of said salt.

Claim 14

The composition as in claim 8 wherein: (a) said stearin is thermally mixed with said stearoyl-2-lactylate by co-melting after production of said salt.

Claim 15

A process for production of low hygroscopicity and high melting point stearoyl lactylate salt compositions consisting essentially of the steps of: (a) manufacturing a stearoyl lactylate salt selected from the group consisting of sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl lactylate and mixtures thereof; (b) adding hydrogenated stearin with an iodine value of less than about 7 to said salt, such that from about 2 to about 30 parts by weight of said stearin are added for each 70 to 98 parts by weight of said salt; wherein all fatty acid radicals on said stearin are in the range of 50% to 100% (by weight of fatty acid) of at least C 18 fatty acid; and (c) mixing together said stearin and said salt while said salt is in a molten state.

Claim 16

A process for production of low hygroscopicity and high melting point stearoyl lactylate salt compositions consisting essentially of the steps of: (a) manufacturing a stearoyl lactylate salt selected from the group consisting of sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl lactylate and mixtures thereof; (b) adding hydrogenated stearin with an iodine value of less than about 7 to said salt, such that from about 2 to about 30 parts by weight of said stearin are added for each 70 to 98 parts by weight of said salt; wherein all fatty acid radicals on said stearin are in the range of 50% to 100% (by weight of fatty acid) of at least C 18 fatty acid; and (c) mixing together said stearin and said salt while said salt is in a molten state.

Claim 17

The process as in claim 14 wherein: (a) said hydrogenated stearin is less than 10.0% (by weight) of said compositions.

Claim 18

The process as in claim 14 or 15 wherein: (a) said stearin is selected from the group consisting of stearins of corn oil, cottonseed oil, herring oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, sardine oil, sunflower oil, tallow, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 19

The process as in claim 14 or 15 wherein: (a) said stearin is soybean oil stearin.

Claim 20

The process as in claim 14 or 15 wherein: (a) said stearin is palm oil stearin.

Claim 21

The process as in claim 14 or 15 wherein: (a) said stearoyl lactylate salt is stearoyl-2-lactylate salt.

Claim 22

The process as in claim 19 wherein: (a) said mixing occurs during said manufacturing step by co-mixing of said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt and said stearin.

Claim 23

The process as in claim 19 wherein: (a) said mixing occurs after said manufacturing step by co-melting of said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt and said stearin.

Claim 24

The process as in claim 19 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate is sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

Claim 25

The process as in claim 19 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate salt is calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate.

Claim 26

The process as in claim 19 wherein: (a) said stearoyl-2-lactylate is a mixture of sodium and calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate.