alpha-Lactose monohydrate → alpha-D-lactose

Participants

Reaction Steps

As such it is already known to prepare anhydrous lactose from α-lactose hydrate. According to the U.S. Pat. No. 2,319,562 α-lactose hydrate is heated to a temperature, which is sufficiently high to set free the water of crystallization. However, the heated crystals must be present in a water vapour environment having a carefully controlled water vapour pressure. If the water vapour pressure is low, an unstable form of the anhydrous α-lactose is obtained. If the water vapour pressure is high, β-lactose is formed. The heating can be carried out in various manners, e.g. in an autoclave, in a rotary kiln, on a heated dish, in an organic solvent or on a roll drum drier.

Provenance & Evidence