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Freezing Point Depression (Food) Calculator

Calculate freezing point depression from solute content and estimate ice fraction at storage temperature.

Inputs

Results

Freezing point (°C)

-0.27

Ice fraction (%)

98.49

ΔTf depression (°C)0.27
Molality (mol/kg)0.15
Moles of solute0.15
Unfrozen water (%)1.51
Conc. in unfrozen phase (%)76.8
Solute Mass Fraction0.05%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the mass of dissolved solutes and their average molecular weight in g/mol.
  2. Set the water mass in grams and the van't Hoff factor (1 for sugars, ~2 for NaCl).
  3. Enter your freezer storage temperature in °C.
  4. The calculator shows freezing point, ΔTf depression, molality, moles of solute, ice fraction at storage temperature, and effective solute concentration in unfrozen water.
  5. Use ice fraction to predict product texture changes during frozen storage and optimize sugar/salt levels for desired freeze point.

How the result changes with Avg. solute MW (g/mol)

Avg. solute MW (g/mol)Freezing point (°C)Ice fraction (%)
1,001-0.0999.48
3,501-0.0399.85
6,500-0.0199.92
9,000-0.0199.94

What each input means

Solute mass (g)
Total mass of dissolved solutes (sugars, salts, etc.) in grams.
Avg. solute MW (g/mol)
Average molecular weight. Sucrose = 342, glucose = 180, NaCl = 58.4, fructose = 180.
Water mass (g)
Mass of water (solvent) in the food in grams.
van't Hoff factor (i)
Dissociation factor. 1 for sugars, ~2 for NaCl, ~3 for CaCl₂.
Storage temperature (°C)
Freezer storage temperature to estimate ice fraction.

What each result means

Freezing point (°C)
Predicted initial freezing point of the food product.
ΔTf depression (°C)
Magnitude of freezing point depression below 0 °C.
Molality (mol/kg)
Moles of solute per kilogram of water.
Moles of solute
Calculated moles of solute from mass and molecular weight.
Ice fraction (%)
Estimated percentage of water that is frozen at the storage temperature.
Unfrozen water (%)
Percentage of water remaining liquid at storage temperature.
Conc. in unfrozen phase (%)
Effective solute concentration in the remaining unfrozen water.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Solute mass (g) = 50, Avg. solute MW (g/mol) = 342, Water mass (g) = 1000, van't Hoff factor (i) = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Freezing point
    Freezing point = 0 - deltaT
    -0.272 = -0.272
  3. Calculate Ice fraction
    98.49 = 98.49
  4. Calculate ΔTf depression
    ΔTf depression = kf * molality * vanHoffFactor
    0.272 = 0.272
  5. Calculate Molality
    0.1462 = 0.1462

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