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4 Ways Isopropyl Alcohol is Used as a Cleaning Agent
While isopropyl alcohol is universally used as a disinfectant and solvent, many industries commend its uses as an ingredient in cleaning products. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem wants to share a handful of different methods isopropyl alcohol is utilized as a cleaner.
Cleaning with isopropyl alcohol
Any industry specializing in water-sensitive products, such as electronics, finds the expedient evaporation rate of isopropyl alcohol ideal for cleaning since it does not affect circuitry, semiconductors, fiber optic cables, LCDs, medical devices, and computer chips. The ultimate cleaning process for fuel cells, silicon, solar cells, and wafers involves isopropyl alcohol to ensure the final products are free of minute water particles.
Cleaning in the kitchen
Isopropyl alcohol removes grease, grime, soil, and oil along with other contaminants.
Cleaning circuitry
Water and circuitry often present a shock hazard, and industry standards demand cleaning these components with highly concentrated isopropyl alcohol.
Cleaning floors
The ingredient list on professional floor cleaners and hard surface cleaners often contain isopropyl alcohol since this important chemical enhances the amount of time the cleaner clings to surfaces, then rapidly evaporates. As it cleans, it disinfects the surfaces from pathogens such as spores, bacteria, and certain viruses.
Cleaning machinery
Sticky buildups of grease and grime cause major problems in machinery. Applying isopropyl alcohol easily cuts through even old grease, quickly removing residue with a simple swipe of a cloth. How? Isopropyl alcohol is composed of negatively charged oxygen and positively charged hydrogen and carbon atoms; it is a polar molecule that reacts rapidly to both polar and nonpolar flux, oil, and resin. Even the tiniest nanoparticles are removed via submicron filtering utilizing isopropyl alcohol.
Bell Chem is your industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including isopropyl alcohol. 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.
Understanding the Uses of Dextrose in Food Production
For quick energy, manufacturers turn to dextrose, a monosaccharide often found in performance bars and energy beverages. Dextrose can be derived from many plants, but is primarily pulled from grains, and most specifically corn starch where it is abundant. Once it is dried and/or crystallized, it is generally sold as a powder of liquid. Learn more about dextrose’s many uses in food production and order yours from your food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, today.
Blood sugar and dextrose
With a glycemic index of 100, dextrose rapidly increases blood sugar levels and, because it is a type of glucose produced outside the body, it can be utilized to produce ATP, the most abundant form of energy within the body’s cells. In the liver glucose is regularly produced when hormones determine levels of blood sugar have dropped. Being chemically identical to glucose, dextrose fills that role when the liver is unable to do so. This rapid blood sugar boost stimulates muscles in short bursts, giving sprinters and power lifters the quick energy necessary to perform. Dextrose is also a go-to ingredient in energy gels, which are popular in endurance running, cycling, or training.
High energy, low sweetening
Most consumers believe sugar has an extremely sweet flavor, but dextrose has a naturally low level of sweetness, giving it a starring role in protein shakes, power bars, desserts, and baked products.
The preservative power of dextrose
Along with its quick energy boost, dextrose has another use: it extends the shelf-life of packaged foods, such as jams and jellies, by deterring the growth of yeast, mold, bacteria, and other microbes.
When added to candy, ice cream, and syrup, dextrose impedes crystallization and caking. Producers appreciate this reaction since foods last longer on the shelf in stores and in consumers’ homes. Consumers enjoy the mouthfeel of products containing dextrose since it imparts the same texture and taste with every bite.
The invisible sugar
When added to water, dextrose quickly and evenly dissolves, becoming virtually invisible due to its low turbidity while only imparting a hint of sugary taste. Savory foods often have a high salt content, and dextrose balances the salt with a hint of sweet.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including dextrose. 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.
Understanding Monosodium Phosphate and its Uses
White, crystalline monosodium phosphate is an inorganic sodium bound to a dihydrogen phosphate anion to form an anhydrous, monohydrate, or dihydrate compound. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem wants you to understand how monosodium phosphate is utilized throughout a variety of industries.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
In both human food and animal feed, monosodium phosphate acts as an emulsifier to ensure all ingredients are properly mixed, as in dairy products and meats; and as a thickening agent to increase viscosity, as in mixes. The ability for baking powder to leaven breads and other baked goods is due to monosodium phosphate. Also in baked goods, monosodium phosphate functions as a binder, reducing the amount of dietary phosphate absorbed in the body’s digestive system. When used as an ingredient in sauces, monosodium phosphate acts as a curing agent.
IN LABORATORY SETTINGS
Reagents analyze chemical reactions in chemical and biological experiments. Monosodium phosphate’s buffering capacity is extensive, allowing more accurate readings for biochemical, chromatographic, and molecular experiments. In biology, monosodium phosphate purifies IgM antibodies.
LEATHER AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Textile fibers absorb more dye in an acid bath when monosodium phosphate is added since it acts as a buffer in low pH settings.
INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS
Many acidic cleaners require a pH buffer such as monosodium phosphate to create the best cleaning solution, especially in hard water. Because hard water does not penetrate as readily as soft water, adding monosodium phosphate reduces the chemical composition of the water, thereby increasing the potency of detergents.
IN BOILERS
Boilers are important components of many line systems, but are often corroded through a constant stream of caustic liquids. Monosodium phosphate buffers feedwater by controlling pH levels, chemically altering highly acidic or alkaline liquids.
Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including monosodium phosphate. 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.
Aloe Vera Uses in the Personal Care Industry
The personal care industry and aloe vera have been tightly bound for millennia. Derived from the Arabic word alloeh, which translates to “shining bitter substance,” and vera, which is Latin for “true,” Aloe vera lives up to its truly shining, bitter moniker. At the turn of the first century, Greek scientists deemed aloe the “universal panacea” while Egyptians believed it was the plant of immortality. Personal care ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks this wondrous product for your personal care needs.
SKIN AND WOUND CARE
Nefertiti and Cleopatra relied on aloe to maintain their youthful complexions. Aloe vera is loaded with antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E which neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for breaking down cellular function. When they are eliminated, cells live healthier lives and your skin glows with vitality.
More than a skin beautifier, though, aloe vera’s most famous use is in the treatment of severe radiation dermatitis and surface wounds. Alexander the Great and Christopher Columbus both treated soldiers’ and sailors’ wounds with aloe vera. In today’s world, aloe vera is the go-to cure for insect stings, sunburn, and minor skin breaks.
HOW DOES ALOE VERA DO THAT?
Enzymes within aloe vera reduce dermal inflammation. These enzymes work with the aid of minerals, and aloe contains calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sodium, and zinc to stimulate the enzymes into action. Aloe also contains 4 fatty acids that provide both analgesic and antiseptic properties. Aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory hormones aid in wound repair, and it is replete with amino acids (it contains 20 of the required 22 amino acids necessary for life as well as 7 out of 8 essential amino acids). To aid in absorption, aloe vera also contains lignin. Need more? How about saponins to clean wounds as they sterilize them?
WHERE TO FIND ALOE VERA
Aloe vera is regularly used in cleansers where it cleans the epidermis and reduces scarring.
The antioxidants in aloe vera make it ideal for use in facial masks and skin toners.
Aloe vera’s enzymes reduce the inflammation brought on by excess sun or heat exposure.
The hygroscopic polysaccharides in aloe’s gel provide dry skin with much-needed moisture while, surprisingly, acting as a barricade to external microbes.
Bell Chem is your personal care ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including aloe vera. 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.
How Different Oils are Used in the Food Industry
Many professional chefs and food industry experts recognize the importance of using a specific oil to bring out the best flavor in their foods. Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, has the inside scoop on how oils are utilized within the food industry.
CANOLA OIL
Manufacturers find canola oil is more often listed as an ingredient on packaged margarines and shortenings than any other oil. Look for canola oil in salad dressings and baked goods. Since it has a reputation as being heart healthy, many manufacturers reach for canola oil with the aim of enticing today’s more health-conscious consumer into purchasing their products. Engineered and primarily generated in Canada, it is the most popular oil utilized in Canada and the second most popular oil in the United States.
FLAXSEED OIL
A perennial with blue flowers, flaxseed grows in the Great Plains in North America and is one of the primary grains consumed by humanity throughout history. In modern times, flaxseed’s mild taste can be added to viscous beverages to add Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber. Add vinegar to flaxseed oil for a great salad dressing, or use flaxseed oil as a marinade while processing meat into sandwich ham or beef jerky.
SUNFLOWER OIL
The benefits of sunflower oil include a high smoke point, making it perfect for frying; an extended shelf life when added as an ingredient in foods compared to other oils; and a good base for salad dressings and marinades. Because sunflower oil is a monounsaturated fat, it is often added to high-protein foods, such as protein bars and meal replacement foods, to extend shelf life. Consumers appreciate sunflower oil’s heart healthy benefits due to its elevated amount of linoleic acid.
WHITE MINERAL OIL
Highly refined white mineral oil is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Even better, it is antibacterial. Used in the process of frying foods, white mineral oil is also a component in the wrapping paper of perishable foods to keep them crisp. It also controls foaming during the production of vinegar.
White mineral oil also has uses outside of foods. The lubricant of choice in the food and beverage industry contains white mineral oil since it is compatible with greases and oils in machinery as well as food. White mineral oil has another important quality as well. It oxidizes very slowly, which makes it ideal for seasoning wood and metal cutting utensils and cutting boards.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including a variety of high-quality food-grade oils. 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.
Understanding How Calcium Carbonate is Used in Water Purification
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is literally the backbone of so many living things on our planet since it is a main component of skeletal tissue, as well as the outer coverings of shellfish, pearls, eggshells and corals. How can this compound be used to purify water? Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem is here to answer that question for you.
Defining calcium carbonate
Working under the pseudonyms calcite, chalk, dolomite, lime, ground limestone, or whiting, calcium carbonate is a component of all these minerals. It appears as a white solid, but can be ground to a powder or crystalline texture. It easily pulls water from the surrounding environment, which leaves this compound damp to the touch.
Calcium carbonate forms naturally and is often found in limestone aquifers and in desert climates. Calcium carbonate is generally considered water soluble.
Water treatment uses
In water treatment facilities, calcium carbonate is naturally basic and increases the alkalinity of water. Acidic waters, which are on the increase due to acid rain, are neutralized with the addition of calcium carbonate.
When combined with other chemicals to form calcium polysulphide or calcium hydroxide, these chemicals act as flocculants to adhere waste materials, creating a much heavier material that drifts to the bottom of tanks to be more easily removed.
If these compounds are considered toxic, calcium carbonate partially negates their toxicity. For instance, soft water more naturally contains more toxic levels of copper, lead, and zinc since soft water increases these metals’ solubility. The addition of calcium carbonate is renowned for its negative effects on these metals’ water corrosivity.
Any detergents or cleansing agents present in drinking water are cleansed with the addition of calcium carbonate, which stifles their efficiency.
Taste matters
Calcium carbonate predicts a water’s “softness” or “hardness,” and the addition of calcium carbonate gives water a more appealing flavor since people tend to prefer harder water.
Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including calcium carbonate. 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.
Exploring the Types of Glycol Ether and Their Uses
Glycol ethers have a variety of uses across industries due to their far-reaching role as solvents. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem explains a few of their uses under the categories of “e-series” (ethylene oxide) and “p-series” (propylene oxide) formulations.
Ethylene Oxide Uses
Personal Care
In a process called ethoxylation, ethylene oxide creates more water soluble shampoos, conditioners, and body washes.
Textiles
For printing, leather, and other textiles, e-series glycol ether acts as a solvent or co-solvent for industrial and waterborne coating. It can be found in dyes, enamels, water-based paints, lacquers and inks.
Medical Industry
The addition of ethylene oxide during the manufacture of medicines strengthens the delivery of those medications to patients. The ability to sterilize medical equipment is foremost in hospital care. Approximately 50% of all ethylene oxide produced is specified for sterilization of medical devices.
Chemistry
Ethylene oxide functions as a chemical intermediate in synthesizing ethanolamines, glycol ethers, and surfactants. The end results are products such as antifreeze, de-icers, gas drying agents, lubricants, and polyester resins. Using ethylene oxide as a raw material also produces polyester, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – the building block for plastic bottles.
Automotive
Antifreeze and de-icers in vehicles are formulated to work in temperature extremes. Adding ethylene oxide counters these temperature fluctuations so well it is used not only in land vehicles but in commercial airliners as a de-icing agent.
Propylene Oxide Uses
Cleaners
Coupling solvents increase the reaction of a chemical, and propylene oxide is one of those components helping hard surface cleaners and many other soap/hydrocarbon formulations work through the toughest grime.
Degreasers
Industrial settings find p-series glycol ether a proven solvent. Many specialty formulae rely on p-series glycol ether as an ingredient. Studies have proven propylene glycol is less irritating and cleans better than ethylene glycol; for this reason many manufacturers are choosing p-series formulations over e-series.
Polyurethane
As the main component of polyether polyols, propylene oxide’s foremost role is the manufacture of polyurethane.
Tree Nuts
Fumigating almond and pistachio orchards with propylene oxide prevents Salmonella contamination.
Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including glycol ether. 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.
Benefits of Working with an Experienced Chemical Supplier
Shopping for a chemical supplier involves more than comparing prices. In today’s economy, it is vital to choose a supplier that will be able to overcome business issues that not all chemical suppliers can withstand. Bell Chem’s longevity proves that our status as the best chemical supplier in Longwood will not fade over time. Read more about the benefits of working with an experienced chemical supplier.
Relationships with Chemical Processors
Because Bell Chem has been in business for over 30 years, we have developed strong working relationships with a number of chemical processors and manufacturers to ensure a smooth supply chain for every one of your orders.
You can expect specialized pharmaceutical-grade nutritional and personal use ingredients to meet your customers’ needs, as well as technical-grade chemicals for the most heavily used areas in your manufacturing process. If you cannot find the specific chemical or ingredient you require, ask us; we customize compounds to guarantee the level of cleanliness you deserve.
Strategic Partnerships
We partner with Safe Chem to offer a broad range of CSANTM sanitation blends specifically formulated for the citrus industry, as well as the food and beverage industries. These partnerships and specialties require years of patient experimentation, which you only find with an experienced supplier.
Plenty of Inventory
Our extensive, amply stocked warehouse ensures your supplies are delivered quickly. Bell Chem’s fleet of trucks deliver daily to our local Florida businesses, and if your business requires out-of-state freight shipments, our location allows close proximity to shipping hubs by train, air, or cargo ship. Our partnerships with affiliate terminals expedite shipping to your location, no matter the distance. Studies have proven that consolidating suppliers allows corporations to streamline supply chain efficiency, reduce internal workloads, and decrease costs through lower shipping costs and better volume pricing.
Quality Assured
Time has also allowed us to perfect our quality assurance practices, and Bell Chem is registered with many regulatory authorities, which demonstrates the stringent standards we are able to meet or exceed in all our processing, from start to finish. This quality assurance guarantees the product you receive is the correct standard you requested. We meet the demands of the DEA, EPA, FDA, OSHA, and other regulatory giants. Bell Chem is regularly audited and verified compliant under the supervision of D. L. Newslow and Associates.
Bell Chem is your chemical supplier 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.
Understanding the Uses of Acids in Food Processing
For industries rooted in food preservation, the importance of acids cannot be overstated. However, acids easily find uses across food processing as well. Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, shares many of those functions along with why they are important to your processing operation.
Add Tartness
Acidic flavor enhancers and adjuvants are designed to add a “tang” or “tartness” to flavors without overpowering or changing the intended flavor. For this reason, a larger amount of citric acid or malic acid are regularly added to lemon-flavored candies and beverages while a much lower amount is necessary for strawberry flavoring.
Balance Powdered Mixes
While fumaric acid is utilized less frequently because of its extreme flavor, its inexpensive cost gives it a seat at the acid table. Fumaric acid is much less soluble than other acids, but is often found in powdered mixes.
Enhance Soda
While the preceding acids are easily transferred from one food or beverage to another, some acids are specific as ingredients. For instance, phosphoric acid is on the nutrition label of dark colas and tartaric acid is regularly added to grape-flavored foods and beverages.
Pickle Foods
Lactic acid finds uses in boiled sweet foods and in pickling. For baking, lactic acid acts as a feedstock for emulsifiers. In contrast, acetic acid’s uses focus on pickling. Many pressurized canned goods, such as jams, jellies, and gelatins necessitate specific pH ranges to ensure the proper viscosity and mouthfeel. In dairy products, the creation of curds relies on stringent pH ranges.
Sterilize and Stabilize
Acids are canning powerhouses, decreasing the energy needed to sterilize since low pH zones are unfriendly for microbial growth. This same function also inactivates enzymes that negatively affect canning sterilization. Salt and vinegar chips derive their flavor not from vinegar, but from acetic acid, which is more stable and offers the same flavor chip after chip.
Along with adding acids to foods and beverages, acids are ideal during aseptic processing and packaging, when both foods and containers are sterilized with acids, often in different formulations depending on the food and type of packaging.
Mask Other Flavors
Acids have another important role: masking the flavor of existing ingredients, specifically saccharine, where malic and citric acid remove saccharine’s unsatisfactory aftertaste.
Make Raw Foods Safe
Raw meats destined to be sushi may be marinated in diluted acetic acid, which defers bacteria infiltration as it denatures the proteins making up the meat, helping to change the mouthfeel without affecting the flavor.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products. 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.
Sodium Benzoate as a Food Additive
Sodium benzoate, or benzoate of soda, is a common food preservative not found in nature. While benzoic acid naturally occurs in cranberries, cloves, cinnamon, apples, and tomatoes, for instance, the combination of sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid form sodium benzoate. The addition of this ingredient to foods and beverages enhances solvency. As a food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem recognizes the importance of sodium benzoate in the food and beverage industry and offers the following information on why you should invest in sodium benzoate as a food additive.
Inhibiting Growth
Sodium benzoate is both a bactericide and a fungicide, inhibiting growth of both classifications of microbes. Because it does not kill existing microbes, it is generally added after products have been sterilized or pasteurized. When added to processed foods, sodium benzoate extends shelf life.
Lowering Acidity
Acidic (low pH) environments benefit most from the addition of sodium benzoate as an additive. For this reason, it is often added to “tangy” products, such as lemon sodas, jarred pickles, soy sauce, and salad dressings.
Other Uses of Sodium Benzoate
While other food additives perform many of the above functions, sodium benzoate has other properties not common in almost any other product. It has been found to do the following:
Increase memory and mental cognition by enhancing the plasticity of synapses between areas of the brain;
Treat schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease by curtailing D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) effects on NMDA receptors, which are responsible for maintaining memory function in the brain; and
Lower cholesterol levels by decreasing inflammation. The decrease in inflammation is also responsible for sodium benzoate’s role in countering the effects of autoimmune disorders.
An ingredient that enhances not only food quality and shelf life, but potentially overall health, you can have it all by adding sodium benzoate to your products.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including sodium benzoate. 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.