Adsorption of Diacetyl by Lactose and Other Sugars

The suggestion that lactose capable of absorbing odors from the surrounding atmosphere was studied with diacetyl as the test material. Air was bubbled through diacetyl and then passed through a column of lactose, sucrose, or glucose. Diacetyl adsorbed on the sugars was measured calorimetrically. Adsorptive capacity of the sugars varied tremendously depending upon the sugar, particle size, and previous heat treatment. Regular α-hydrate adsorbed 18 to 34 mg/kg diacetyl under standard test conditions. Spray-dried amorphous lactose glass was even lower, 11mg. Converting the hydrate to β-lactose increased capacity to 141 to 151 mg/kg. Heating to produce the regular anhydride of lactose gave adsorptions of 156 to 306 mg/kg. The stable anhydride was similar, 141 to 292 mg/kg. Heating glucose and sucrose decreased their absorptive capacities, untreated glucose adsorbing 82 to 87 mg/kg diacetyl, whereas heated glucose adsorbed only 36 to 44 mg/kg. Likewise heating sucrose reduced its adsorptive capacity from 39 to 10 mg/kg.