Guar gum
Natural Sourcing: Obtained from guar beans, a renewable crop mainly grown in drought-prone areas.
Versatile Solubility: Creates a viscous mucilage when mixed with water, with adjustable thickness for diverse industrial uses.
Stable and Safe: Maintains stability under standard ambient conditions with a neutral pH range (5.0-7.0) and demonstrates low toxicity.
Sustainability: Utilizes the whole guar bean in processing, with protein-rich residues being effectively reused as animal feed, promoting circular agriculture.
Guar gum is a natural hydrocolloid derived from either carob tree fruits or guar beans. Carob trees, which are perennial shrubs, mainly grow in Mediterranean coastal areas. In contrast, guar beans are annual legumes largely cultivated in arid regions including India, Pakistan, and Texas (USA), where they develop under conditions of marked diurnal temperature variation and sufficient rainfall. Presently, the guar gum supplied on Chemicalbook is mainly sourced from guar beans.
Parameters
Melting point | >220°C (dec.) |
alpha | D25 +53° (1N NaOH) |
density | 0.8-1.0 g/cm3 |
refractive index | 1.34 |
FEMA | 2537 | GUAR GUM (CYAMOPSIS TETRAGONOLOBUS (L.)) |
storage temp. | Hygroscopic, -20°C Freezer, Under inert atmosphere |
solubility | It yields a mucilage of variable viscosity when dissolved in water, practically insoluble in ethanol (96 per cent). |
form | Free Flowing Powder |
color | Yellow-white |
Odor | Odorless |
PH | 5.0-7.0 (25°C1% in water) |
Merck | 13,4588 / 13,4587 |
Stability: | Stable. Combustible. A mixture of air and finely-divided powder is potentially explosive. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents. |
EPA Substance Registry System | Guar gum (9000-30-0) |
Safety Information
WGK Germany | 1 |
RTECS | MG0185000 |
HS Code | 1302.39.0090 |
Hazardous Substances Data | 9000-30-0(Hazardous Substances Data) |
Toxicity | LD50 in male, female rats (g/kg): 7.35, 6.77 orally (Graham) |
The manufacturing process begins with dehulling mature guar beans, after which the beans are transported to milling plants for thermochemical treatment. This process separates the beans into endosperm flakes, germs, and husks. The protein-rich germs are typically recycled as animal feed, while the endosperm flakes are processed into guar gum through grinding operations.
