Introduction to Dispersed Systems

FDSC400 09/28/2001

Goals
Scales and Types of Structure in Food Surface Tension Curved Surfaces Surface Active Materials Charged Surfaces

COLLOIDAL SCALE

Dispersed Systems
A kinetically stable mixture of one phase in another largely immiscible phase. Usually at least one length scale is in the colloidal range.

Dispersed Systems
Dispersed phase

Continuous phase

Interface

Continuous phase
Solid Liquid
Sol

Gas
Smoke

Dispersed phase

Solid Liquid Gas

Some glasses

Emulsion Aerosol Solid foam Foam

Properties of Dispersed Systems

Too small to see Affected by both gravitational forces and thermal diffusion Large interfacial area
SURFACE EFFECTS ARE IMPORTANT

Increased Surface Area

We have 20 cm3 of oil in 1 cm radius droplets. Each has a volume of (4/3.p.r3) 5.5 cm3 and a surface area of (4.p.r2) 12.5 cm2. As we need about 3.6 droplets we would have a total area of 45.5 cm2

The same oil is split into 0.1 cm radius droplets, each has a volume of 0.004 cm3 and a surface area 0.125 cm2. As we need about 5000 droplets we would have a total area of 625 cm2

For a Fixed COMPOSITION

Decrease size, increase number of particles Increase AREA of interfacial contact

decrease area

Tendency to break
LYOPHOBIC Weak interfacial tension Little to be gained by breaking e.g., gums LYOPHILIC Strong interfacial tension Strong energetic pressure to reduce area e.g., emulsions

Surface Tension
-molecular scale-

Surface Tension
-bulk scaleForce, g Slope g Interfacial energy

Area, A

Interfacial area

Curved Surface
Highly curved surface

Slightly curved surface

Curved Surfaces

Molecules at highly deformed surfaces are less well anchored into their phase

Laplace Pressure
Surface pressure pulls inwards increasing pressure on dispersed phase pressure
Surface tension

Increased pressure

2g PL r
radius

Curved Surfaces
-Consequences Dispersed phase structures tend to be round Small fluid droplets behave as hard spheres Solubility increases with pressure so Large droplets may grow at the expense of small (Ostwald ripening)
Depends on the solubility of the dispersed phase in the continuous

Surface Active Material

Types of surfactant Surface accumulation Surface tension lowering

Types of Surfactant -small moleculeHydrophilic head group (charged or polar)

Hydrophobic tail (non-polar)

Types of Surfactant -polymericPolymer backbone

Sequence of more water soluble subunits

Sequence of less water soluble subunits

Surface Binding

Equilibrium

ENTHALPY COST

ENTROPY COST

Surface Binding Isotherm

Surface concentration /mg m-2

Surface saturation

No binding below a certain concentration ln Bulk concentration

Surface Tension Lowering

Bare surface (tension g0) Surface pressure the ability of a surfactant to lower surface tension

Interface partly hidden (tension g)

p g-g0