Ability of whey protein isolate and/or fish gelatin to inhibit physical separation and lipid oxidation in fish oil-in-water beverage emulsion

The effect of pH on the capability of whey protein isolate (WPI) and fish gelatin (FG), alone and in conjugation, to form and stabilize fish oil-in-water emulsions was examined. Using layer-by-layer interfacial deposition technique for WPI–FG conjugate, a total of 1% protein was used to prepare 10% fish oil emulsions. The droplets size distributions and electrical charge, surface protein concentration, flow and dynamic rheological properties and physiochemical stability of emulsions were characterize at two different pH of 3.4 and 6.8 which were selected based on the ranges of citrus and milk beverages pHs, respectively. Emulsions prepared with WPI–FG conjugate had superior physiochemical stability compare to the emulsions prepared with individual proteins. Higher rate of coalescence was associated with reduction in net charge and consequent decrease of the repulsion between coated oil droplets due to the proximity of pH to the isoelectric point of proteins. The noteworthy shear thinning viscosity, as an indication of flocculation onset, was associated with whey protein stabilized fish oil emulsion prepared at pH of 3.4 and gelatin stabilized fish oil emulsion made at pH of 6.8. At pH 3.4, it appeared that lower surface charge and higher surface area of WPI stabilized emulsions promoted lipid oxidation and production of hexanal.     

Cold,gel-like whey protein emulsions by microfluidisation emulsification: Rheological properties and microstructures

Novel cold, gel-like whey protein concentrate (WPC) emulsions at various oil fractions (φ; 0.2–0.6) were formed through thermal pretreatment (at 70 °C for 30 min) and subsequent microfluidisation. The rheogical properties and microstructures, as well as emulsification mechanism of these emulsions were characterised. The rheological analyses indicated that the gel-like emulsions exhibited shear-thinning and predominantly elastic gel behaviours, and the apparent viscosities and the mechanical moduli of the emulsions remarkably and progressively increased with increasing the φ from 0.2 to 0.6. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses confirmed close relationships between rheological properties and gel network structures at various φ values. The formation of the gel-like network structure was closely related to the high emulsifying efficiency by microfluidisation. This kind of novel gel-like emulsion might exhibit great potential and be applicable in food formulations, e.g. as a kind of carrier for heat-labile and active ingredients.     

纳米SiO2防气窜乳液制备及分散稳定性研究

针对高温高压超深油气井防气窜固井技术难题,以纳米SiO2作为原材料制备的防气窜乳液具有良好的抗温性和防气窜效果,但超细纳米材料颗粒表面存在非常多的硅羟基,极易团聚在一起,乳液里的固相材料会沉淀、结块,造成产品失效。本文以搅拌分散为实验手段,研制了纳米SiO2防气窜乳液,通过Zeta电位、表观黏度、粒径分析、稳定性分析等表征方法,研究了影响乳液分散稳定性的化学因素。结果表明:纳米SiO2乳液的pH值应在11~12,颗粒间的静电斥力强,乳液的平均粒径小、表观黏度低,分散效果好;电解质存在压缩双电层效应,可大幅度降低纳米颗粒间的静电斥力,制备纳米SiO2防窜乳液应避免引入电解质;电位阻型分散剂SCNF加量达到5%时就接近饱和吸附量,当分散剂加量过大后,只能对外相水产生增黏作用;加入稳定剂增加了纳米SiO2颗粒的布朗运动阻力,可以大幅度提高纳米SiO2防窜乳液的稳定性,所制得的乳液平均粒径小于200 nm,固含量可达45%,室温下可储存一年以上,底部无析水沉淀现象。     

Ultrasensitive Strain Gauges Enabled by Graphene‐Stabilized Silicone Emulsions

Here, an approach is presented to incorporate graphene nanosheets into a silicone rubber matrix via solid stabilization of oil‐in‐water emulsions. These emulsions can be cured into discrete, graphene‐coated silicone balls or continuous, elastomeric films by controlling the degree of coalescence. The electromechanical properties of the resulting composites as a function of interdiffusion time and graphene loading level are characterized. With conductivities approaching 1 S m^?1, elongation to break up to 160%, and a gauge factor of ≈20 in the low‐strain linear regime, small strains such as pulse can be accurately measured. At higher strains, the electromechanical response exhibits a robust exponential dependence, allowing accurate readout for higher strain movements such as chest motion and joint bending. The exponential gauge factor is found to be ≈20, independent of loading level and valid up to 80% strain; this consistent performance is due to the emulsion‐templated microstructure of the composites. The robust behavior may facilitate high‐strain sensing in the nonlinear regime using nanocomposites, where relative resistance change values in excess of 10⁷ enable highly accurate bodily motion monitoring.     

Selectively Permeable Double Emulsions

Natural organisms are made of different types of microcompartments, many of which are enclosed by cell membranes. For these organisms to display a proper function, the microcompartments must be selectively permeable. For example, cell membranes are typically permeable toward small, uncharged molecules such as water, selected nutrients, and cell signaling molecules, but impermeable toward many larger biomolecules. Here, it is reported for the first time dynamic compartments, namely surfactant‐stabilized double emulsions, that display selective and tunable permeability. Selective permeability is imparted to double emulsions by stabilizing them with catechol‐functionalized surfactants that transport molecules across the oil shell of double emulsions only if they electrostatically or hydrophobically attract encapsulants. These double emulsions are employed as semipermeable picoliter‐sized vessels to controllably perform complexation reactions inside picoliter‐sized aqueous cores. This thus far unmet level of control over the transport of reagents across oil phases opens up new possibilities to use double emulsion drops as dynamic and selectively permeable microcompartments to initiate and maintain chemical and biochemical reactions in picoliter‐sized cell‐mimetic compartments.     

复合表面活性剂对油包水型高内相乳状液流变性和稳定性的影响

为了研究复合表面活性剂对油包水型高内相乳状液流变性和稳定性的影响,选用由PIBSA-TEA和油酸二乙醇酰胺、椰子油酸二乙醇酰胺、失水山梨醇单油酸酯等小分子表面活性剂组成的复合表面活性剂制备HCEs,并检测所制得HCEs的流变性和储存稳定性。结果表明:表面活性剂对HCEs的剪切应力和储能模量有较大的影响。采用复合表面活性剂制备的HCEs具有较高的剪切应力和储能模量。但是,复合表面活性剂制备的HCEs储存稳定性明显下降。在油相黏度比较高时,复合表面活性剂制备的HCEs储存稳定性有一定的提高。     

Dynamically Reconfigurable,Multifunctional Emulsions with Controllable Structure and Movement

Dynamically reconfigurable oil‐in‐water (o/w) Pickering emulsions are developed, wherein the assembly of particles (i.e., platinum‐on‐carbon and iron‐on‐carbon particles) can be actively controlled by adjusting interfacial tensions. A balanced adsorption of particles and surfactants at the o/w interface allows for the creation of inhomogeneity of the particle distribution on the emulsion surface. Complex Pickering emulsions with highly controllable and reconfigurable morphologies are produced in a single step by exploiting the temperature‐sensitive miscibility of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon liquids. Dynamic adsorption/desorption of (polymer) surfactants afford both shape and configuration transitions of multiple Pickering emulsions and encapsulated core/shell structured can be transformed into a Janus configuration. Finally, to demonstrate the intrinsic catalytic or magnetic properties of the particles provided by carbon bound Pt and Fe nanoparticles, two different systems are investigated. Specifically, the creation of a bimetallic microcapsule with controlled payload release and precise modulation of translational and rotational motions of magnetic emulsions are demonstrated, suggesting potential applications for sensing and smart payload delivery.     

Elucidation of polyurethane dispersions in a batch rotor-stator mixer

In this study, the effect of high energy input from mechanical agitation, provided with a high shear rotor-stator, on the drop size and the drop size distribution (DSD) of aqueous polyurethane (PU) dispersions is investigated. The effect of the dispersed phase volume fraction (ϕ) on the DSD of aqueous PU dispersions is also examined to understand the fundamental characteristics that result from the high shear mixing. DSD is measured by using either a high magnification video probe or dynamic light scattering, depending on the range of drop sizes. For the PU without any ionic content, the distributions appear to be bimodal with rather large drop sizes. The mean sizes of the first and second modes are about 10 and 22 μm, respectively. For the PU with an ionic content, the mean drop sizes are approximately 80 nm. The distributions reveal that functional chemistry plays a more dominant role in the process of making PU dispersions than the mechanical agitation, and that ϕ has a weak effect on the mean drop sizes. The results further suggest that mechanical agitation can be used to control the breadth of the distributions.     

Extraction of formic acid with G/O/W microdispersion system

The enrichment of formic acid in dilute solution was achieved by complex extraction method. An extraction system with high partition coefficient was determined. The continuum model was then applied for describing mass transfer process and predicting the mass transfer characteristics in O/W system. The rate-limiting step was determined to be mass transfer of formic acid in aqueous phase, by comparison of mass transfer rates between extractant in organic phase and solute in aqueous phase. The effect of dispersion size of organic droplets on mass transfer characteristics in O/W systems was determined, indicating inefficient extraction process with low mass transfer coefficients and surficial area in O/W systems. Inert gas was introduced into extraction system and a G/O/W system was developed. The calculation of mass transfer performance in G/O/W system indicates the addition of microbubbles effectively enhances the mass transfer process. Also, suitable volumetric fraction of inert gas was optimized. According to the calculation, a double-membrane-dispersion-device was designed, with which G/O/W double emulsion was prepared and effective enrichment of formic acid from its dilute solution was realized.