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Flow behaviour, linear viscoelasticity and surface properties of chitosan aqueous solutions

Year: 2010

Journal: Food Hydrocolloids, Volume 24, Issues 6-7, August-October 2010, Pages 659-666, 20111221

Authors: Nuria Calero, José Muñoz, Pablo Ramírez, Antonio Guerrero

Organizations: Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla c/P, García González, 1, E41012 Sevilla, Spain

A study of rheological properties of chitosan solutions was carried out in terms of polymer concentration (0.05–2.5 wt%) and temperature (5–25 °C).

The chitosan solutions studied exhibited Newtonian behaviour at concentrations lower than 0.25 wt%. Above this value, the rest of the systems showed shear-thinning behaviour.

The viscoelastic properties of chitosan solutions above 0.25 wt% were characterized by oscillatory shear measurements under small-deformation conditions and the results showed fluid-like viscoelastic behaviour.

Time-concentration and time-temperature superposition methods were carried out to obtain an overall master curve; where the rheological properties of chitosan solution at a specific temperature or concentration can be predicted over a broad time scale.

The fact that the activation energy for steady shear flow was higher than for oscillatory shear promoted deviations from the Cox–Merz rule, when temperature was decreased at the highest chitosan concentration studied

In addition, their dynamic surface tension behaviour and surface viscoelastic properties were explored. The time-dependent decrease in surface tension along with the limiting elasticity of the interface seems to indicate that commercial chitosan may play the role of an emulsifier as well as a stabiliser of O/W emulsions.