Guar Gum Global Market – Goma Guar, Gomma di Guar, Guarkernmehl

Gumy Guar – a Natural Thickening Agent

Guar Gum being highly rich in galactomannan polysaccharide occupies an important place among different natural agro products. Guar seeds obtained from the guar plant are used for the production of Guar Gum. The production of the Guar Plant starts with seeds sown in July and harvesting in October. These are grown in countries like India & Pakistan. Initially, the seeds from this plant are dried in sun and then separated from the pods. These are then processed in the form of flour which is known in the market as Guar Gum Powder (also known as Gomma di Guar in Italian). Other obtained products known as Guar Gum Splits are sold for utilization in different industries. Guar gum is processed according to the need of a particular product in the market. There are multiple benefits of Guar Gum Powder as its thickening ability is more than cornstarch. It also acts as a binder and plasticizer as it is easily soluble in water and naturally can bind with water molecules.

Uses and Benefits of Guar Gum (Gumy Guar)

Apart from being extracted for different industrial uses, Guar Gum is also used as a cattle feed or in the form of green vegetables. Guar Gum is also known as Guarkernmehl. When combined with different compounds through processes like hydrolysed, oxidized, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl, cationic, borated, or sulphated can be used for multiple commercial-industrial applications. Guar Gum has many health benefits like lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Consumption of Guar Gum can be helpful in such cases. The most known property of a Guar Gum is the thickening property that makes it useful as an additive in puddings and ice creams and similar products. Guar Gum (Guarkernmehl) is also known to be used in diet pills as it creates a feeling of fullness in the stomach. Guar gum (Goma Guar) is also used in industries like the cosmetics industry, textile industry, pharmaceuticals, health care, animal feed, personal care, paper and pulp industry, food, etc as a thickening agent. The high demand for Guar Gum seeds is more in the petroleum industry of oil fields of the middle east and the USA due to the utilization in the petroleum and drilling industry. Gomma di guar (Guar Gum Powder which is also known as гуаровая камедь in Russia) has versatile Industrial applications and is processed in a manner so that cold water viscosity and fast hydration can be obtained. Fast hydration guar gum is used in explosives, oil drilling, and industrial applications that need immediate high terminal viscosity and quick hydration. The most important of guar gum is in the form of fast hydration guar gum for oil drilling applications and act as the modern industry’s two most important pillars.

Guar Gum : Structure Diagram

Guar Gum (Gomme De Guar) Chemical Stucture

The major component of Guar Gum is a high molecular weighted hydrocolloid polysaccharide. This polysaccharide consists of mannopyranose- & galactopyranose- units in the glycoside linkage and chemically can be described as galactomannan. The side chain (1-6) is linked to alpha-D galactose and the main chain (1-4) is linked to beta-D mannose residues. The overall ratio of mannose to galactose in Guar Gum is approximate 2:1. The high ratio of galactose: mannose is the reason for the excellent solubility of Guar Gum in cold water. 1-2 x 106 is reported as Guar’s molecular weight. The beta linkage between the monomer units is the indicated reason by studies to explain the rigid rod-like polymer of Guar Gum. Guar hydroxyls belong to the CIS position which is important. During hydrogen bonding reactions the elements belonging to this CIS position reinforce with the adjacent hydroxyl group.

Gomme De Guar (Guar Gum) Chemical Properties

• Due to the presence of more galactose branch points, Guar Gum acts as an emulsifier.
• Due to the high hydration of guar gum in cold water, it is used as an economical thickener and stabilizer. During comparison with other hydrocolloids, Guar Gum gives pseudoplastic solutions with greater low-shear viscosity.
• Lower concentrations (~ 0.3%) are less thixotropic as compared to High concentrations (~ 1%)
• Shows stability to freeze-thaw cycles.
• Guar gum is strongly shear-thinning but shows high low-shear viscosity. It does not get affected by ionic pH or strength due to being non-ionic but will degrade at pH extremes at high temperatures. For eg. pH 3 at 50°C.
• It becomes slightly thixotropic by forming a biphasic system that contains casein micelles.
• Ice crystal growth can be decreased by Guar gum non-specifically, by slowing the mass transfer throughout the liquid/solid surface.
• Guar Gum is known as one of the best thickening additives, emulsifying additives and stabilizing additives.
• Guar gum has a polymeric structure, containing several hydroxyl groups. The various derivatives or industrial grades of Guar gum are manufactured by reaction of these hydroxyl groups with chemicals that aid in:
  • Dispersion
  • Control Viscosity
  • Causing Gelling
  • Act as preservatives

Guar Gum is mainly used as a

• Natural thickener
• Emulsifier
• Stabiliser
• Bonding agent
• Hydrocolloid
• Gelling agent
• Soil Stabiliser
• Natural fiber