Abstract
The swelling of biopolymer gels is analysed with scaling laws from polymer physics, as an alternative for the classical Flory-Rehner theory. With these scaling laws, holding for polymer concentrations in the semi-dilute regime, experimental data on deswelling of gels can be collapsed to a single universal master curve. The predictions made with the scaling laws are similar to those made with the modified Flory-Rehner, where the osmotic pressure is described with a composition-dependent interaction parameter. For gels in the semi-dilute regime we recommend the use of the scaling laws, because their compact, and universal character.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 94-101 |
Journal | Food Hydrocolloids |
Volume | 48 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2015 |
Keywords
- Gel
- Swelling
- Water holding capacity