Author
 |
Jong, Lei |
|
Submitted to: Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/5/2012 Publication Date: 4/1/2013 Citation: Jong, L. 2013. Characterization of soy protein nanoparticles prepared by high shear microfluidization. Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology. 34(4):469-475. Interpretive Summary: Nanoparticles have a very high surface area per weight; this causes them to be more reactive with certain other materials and have been used in applications such as material, coating, medicine, etc. Natural nanoparticles are renewable and environmentally friendly. In the current development, soy protein nanoparticles were produced with a high shear microfluidizer and characterized in terms of particle size, size distribution, morphology, rheological properties, and aggregate structure. The development will have potential uses in the reinforcement of rubber materials and controlled-release of medicine, and will be beneficial to soybean farmers by creating new markets for soy products. Technical Abstract: Soy protein nanoparticles were produced with a microfluidizer and characterized in terms of particle size, size distribution, morphology, rheological properties, and aggregate structure. Three stages of structure breakdown were observed when the soy protein dispersion was passed through the microfluidizer. A sudden change in the aggregate size was observed after a certain number of passes through the microfluidizer; such change was both concentration and pH dependent. Rheological measurements of these soy protein emulsions showed that both viscosity and storage/loss modulus decreased as the aggregate size of soy protein was decreased, indicating reduced interactions between the aggregates. The fractal dimension of the soy protein aggregates was estimated from the properties of a continuous matrix embedded with the aggregates. |
