Microviscosity of water-containing heterogeneous systems. An ESR spin probe study

The microstructure of maltodextrin gels was studied by ESR spin probe technique. From investigations of the time dependence of the gelling process and from the Arrhenius plot of the rotational correlation time, important information about the phase behaviour of the system is obtained. The microviscosity decreases with swelling time, whereas the macroviscosity increases. The conclusion is drawn that the maltodextrin gel is a two-phase system and can be characterized in the nomenclature of Papkov as a gel of the second type.