Viscosity of protein-stabilised emulsions: contributions of components and development of a semi-predictive model

TL;DR

This paper investigates how unadsorbed proteins and protein-stabilised droplets contribute to the viscosity of emulsions and develops a semi-predictive model based on rheological properties of pure suspensions.

Contribution

It introduces a semi-empirical model that predicts emulsion viscosity by combining rheological data of pure protein and droplet suspensions.

Findings

Rheological behavior of pure suspensions was characterized.

A semi-empirical model relating emulsion viscosity to composition was developed.

The model facilitates prediction of emulsion viscosity based on component contributions.

Abstract

Protein-stabilised emulsions can be seen as mixtures of unadsorbed proteins and of protein-stabilised droplets. To identify the contributions of these two components to the overall viscosity of sodium caseinate o/w emulsions, the rheological behaviour of pure suspensions of proteins and droplets were characterised, and their properties used to model the behaviour of their mixtures. These materials are conveniently studied in the framework developed for soft colloids. Here, the use of viscosity models for the two types of pure suspensions facilitates the development of a semi-empirical model that relates the viscosity of protein-stabilised emulsions to their composition.