Effect of Methanol on the Various Forms of Lactose

Abstract

Methanol is suitable for removal of the water of crystallization from alphalactose hydrate to form new crystals of stable anhydrous alpha-lactose. The crystalline product is more bulky than the hydrated lactose and is not hygroscopic, as is the anhydrous form produced by heat and vacuum, Conversion from alpha-hydrate to the new anhydrous form can be completed in 1 h at refluxing temperature (64.6 C) at all proportions of alpha-lactose hydrate to dry methanol or in methanol containing up to 5~ moisture.