ARS | Publication request: Micro-Heterogeneity of Cellulosic Fiber Biopolymer Prepared from Corn Hulls

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 12, 2009
Publication Date: September 16, 2009
Citation: Xu, J., Cheng, W., Inglett, G.E., Wu, P., Kim, S., Liu, S.X., Tseng, Y. 2009. Micro-Heterogeneity of Cellulosic Fiber Biopolymer Prepared from Corn Hulls. Meeting Abstract.

Technical Abstract: Z-trim is a zero calorie cellulosic fiber biopolymer produced from corn hulls. The micro-structural heterogeneities of Z-trim biopolymer were investigated by monitoring the thermally driven displacements of well-dispersed micro-spheres via video fluorescence microscopy named multiple-particle tracking (MPT). By comparing the distribution of the time-dependent mean-square displacement (MSD) of polystyrene micro-spheres embedded in three concentrations of Z-trim, we found that the degree of heterogeneity of the suspensions increased dramatically within a narrow range of concentrations. The ensemble-averaged MSD of 0.5% Z-trim biopolymer exhibited a power-law behavior that scaled linearly with time lag. This behavior was similar to that of homogeneous aqueous glycerol solution. But the MSD distribution for Z-trim was wider and more asymmetric than for glycerol. Increasing Z-trim concentration caused more deviation of microspheres colloidal dispersion from homogeneity as detected by the MPT.