Some Span and polysorbate products pour straight from the drum. Others need a heat jacket and 30 minutes before they’ll move. Getting the temperature right isn’t just about convenience — it affects dosing accuracy, pump life, and whether your production line starts on time or waits for a solid block to melt.
Below are the pour points and melting points for every common Span and polysorbate grade, plus practical handling guidance.
Pour Point vs. Melting Point — What’s the Difference?
- Melting point: The temperature where a solid (like Span 60 powder) becomes fully liquid. This is what you set your heat jacket to.
- Pour point: The lowest temperature where a liquid (like polysorbate 80) still flows. Below this, it gels or crystallizes inside pipes and pumps.
Get these wrong and you’re dealing with cold-slugging (solid plugs in transfer lines), inaccurate volumetric dosing, or product degradation from overheating.
Span and polysorbate Physical Properties Table
| Product | Chemical Name | State at 25°C | Melting / Pour Point (°C) | Handling Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Span 20 | Sorbitan Monolaurate | Viscous liquid | 13–16 (pour) | May gel in cold storage; warm to 20°C before pumping |
| Span 40 | Sorbitan Monopalmitate | Waxy solid | 45–48 (melt) | Heat jacket at 55–60°C |
| Span 60 | Sorbitan Monostearate | Powder / wax | 50–54 (melt) | Heat jacket at 60–65°C; dissolves best in hot oil |
| Span 65 | Sorbitan Tristearate | Waxy solid | 48–52 (melt) | Heat jacket at 60°C |
| Span 80 | Sorbitan Monooleate | Viscous liquid | ~10 (pour) | Pumpable above 15°C; may thicken in winter |
| polysorbate 20 | Polysorbate 20 | Liquid | ~5 (pour) | Generally pumpable; protect from freezing |
| polysorbate 40 | Polysorbate 40 | Liquid | ~15 (pour) | Warm to 25°C for easy pouring |
| polysorbate 60 | Polysorbate 60 | Paste / waxy | 26–30 (pour) | Heat to 35–40°C for pumpability; avoid overheating |
| PS80 (polysorbate 80) | Polysorbate 80 | Liquid | ~7 (pour) | Pumpable at room temperature; store above 10°C |
Practical Handling by Product Form
Solids (Span 40, Span 60, Span 65)
- Use a drum heater or heat jacket set 10–15°C above the melting point.
- Span 60 in particular — melt it into the fat/oil phase of your formula. Don’t add powder straight to a cold water phase. It won’t disperse.
- Don’t overheat above 200°C — sorbitan esters degrade. Standard food processing temps are safe.
Pastes (polysorbate 60)
- polysorbate 60 is a paste at 25°C. Heat to 35–40°C before pumping or pouring.
- Pre-warm the drum overnight if your facility is cold. polysorbate 60’s pour point (~26–30°C) is above typical ambient temperature in unheated warehouses.
Liquids (Span 20, Span 80, polysorbate 20, PS80, polysorbate 40)
- Pumpable year-round in climate-controlled facilities.
- Span 20 and Span 80 can thicken in winter — if stored below 10°C, warm to 20°C before transfer.
- PS80 and polysorbate 20 have the lowest pour points (~5–7°C). They’ll flow even in cool conditions.
Production Impact — Why This Matters
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pump cavitation / no flow | Product below pour point; gelled in line | Heat tracing on transfer lines; pre-warm drums |
| Inaccurate dosing | Partial solidification in metering pump | Maintain product temperature 10°C above pour/melt point during dosing |
| Off-spec emulsion | Span 60 added as powder, not pre-melted in oil | Always melt Span 60 into the fat phase first |
| Long batch times | Waiting for solid emulsifier to dissolve | Pre-melt solids; add to hot oil phase, not cold water |
Key Takeaways
- Span products are mostly solid (melt 45–54°C). polysorbate products are mostly liquid/paste (pour 5–30°C).
- Span 60: melt at 60–65°C into the fat/oil phase. Never add powder to cold water.
- polysorbate 60: pre-warm to 35–40°C. It’s solid at room temp and the most commonly mishandled product.
- PS80 and polysorbate 20: pumpable as-is. Just keep above 10°C.
- For product specifications, see our Span 60 Guide and PS80 Technical Specifications.
Physical property values are typical for food-grade material. Batch-to-batch variation within specification limits is normal. For your specific lot, refer to the Certificate of Analysis.
