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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263866

Title: Improving Electrode Durability of PEF Chamber by selecting suitable material

Author
item MINGJUNG, KIM - Cargill Dressing
item ZHANG, HOWARD - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2010
Publication Date: 2/8/2011
Citation: Zhang, H.Q., Barbosa-Canovas, G.V., Balasubramaniam, V.B., Dunne, C.P., Yuan, J.T. 2011. Nonthermal Processing Technologies for Food. New Jersey. Wiley-Blackwell. 640 p.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Corrosion resistance of four materials - titanium, platinized titanium, stainless steel, and boron carbide - as electrodes in a Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) system was studied to reduce electrode material migration into the food by electrode corrosion. The PEF process conditions were 28 kV/cm field strength, 2 µs pulse duration, 600 pps repetition rate, 43 µs total treatment time and 125 L/hr flow rate. The PEF system was operated by recirculation of liquid media. Temperature, electrical conductivity, pH and total volume of media were controlled during recirculation. Electrode corrosion was measured by metal trace detection in the media using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The changes of electrode surface morphologies were observed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Titanium electrode showed the most corrosion resistance and boron carbide electrode had the least corrosion resistance in ICP-MS analysis (p<0.05). Amounts of migrated Ti, Pt, Fe and B in the media from the electrodes were well below dietary exposure limits. The SEM analysis indicated the changes on electrode surfaces where the high electric field applied for all materials. Stainless steel electrode surface exhibits the evidence of severe corrosion in SEM analysis.