Investigation of thermal decomposition as the kinetic process that causes the loss of crystalline structure in sucrose using a chemical analysis approach (part II)

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a calcium form cation exchange column with refractive index and photodiode array detection was used to investigate thermal decomposition as the cause of the loss of crystalline structure in sucrose. Crystalline sucrose structure was removed using a standard differential scanning calorimetry (SDSC) method (fast heating method) and a quasi-isothermal modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) method (slow heating method). In the fast heating method, initial decomposition components, glucose (0.365%) and 5-HMF (0.003%), were found in the sucrose sample coincident with the onset temperature of the first endothermic peak. In the slow heating method, glucose (0.411%) and 5-HMF (0.003%) were found in the sucrose sample coincident with the holding time (50 min) at which the reversing heat capacity began to increase. In both methods, even before the crystalline structure in sucrose was completely removed, unidentified thermal decomposition components were formed. These results prove not only that the loss of crystalline structure in sucrose is caused by thermal decomposition, but also that it is achieved via a time-temperature combination process. This knowledge is important for quality assurance purposes and for developing new sugar based food and pharmaceutical products. In addition, this research provides new insights into the caramelization process, showing that caramelization can occur under low temperature (significantly below the literature reported melting temperature), albeit longer time, conditions.