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Practical scale modification of oleogels by ultrasonic standing waves
Petri Lassila1, Fabio Valoppi2, Oskari Tommiska1
1Electronics Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64 (Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2), FI-00014, Finland.
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
|April 3, 2022
Summary
Researchers scaled up ultrasonic standing wave (USW) treatment for oleogels by 200 times. This method effectively modifies oleogel structure and properties for large-scale applications in food and cosmetics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Food Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Oleogels, lipid-based materials, are developed as saturated fat substitutes.
- Current production methods for structurally modified oleogels lack scalability.
- Ultrasonic standing waves (USW) offer a novel approach for oleogel structural modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To scale up the USW-assisted structural modification of oleogels.
- To develop and validate efficient USW chamber prototypes for large-volume oleogel treatment.
- To characterize the mechanical properties and stability of USW-treated oleogels.
Main Methods:
- Finite element simulations (FEM) and experimental testing of three USW chamber prototypes.
- Imaging techniques to assess the internal band-like structures formed by USW.
- Uniaxial compression tests and scanning acoustic microscopy for mechanical property evaluation.
- Automated image analysis for oil-release tests to determine oleogel stability.
Main Results:
- Successful scale-up of USW oleogel modification by a factor of 200.
- Identification of optimal USW chamber designs based on structural feedback.
- Demonstration of effective mechanical-structural manipulation of oleogels in 10-100 mL volumes.
- USW-treated oleogels exhibited enhanced stability compared to control samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed USW method enables large-scale production of structurally modified oleogels.
- This advancement facilitates the potential application of oleogels in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
- USW technology provides a viable route for cost-effective and practical oleogel manufacturing.
