Effect of molecular structure on tribological properties of free fatty acids and correlation to human detection thresholds
Abstract
Free fatty acids (FFA) are the building blocks of triglycerides which are fundamental elements of food fats and oils. They significantly influence texture, mouth feel and flavor of food products. Macroscopic material properties of FFAs do not appear to be correlated with human perception and it is likely that atomic scale characteristics play a role in this inconsistency. Molecular dynamics simulation is used to characterize how molecular structure of FFAs affects nanoscale properties and thus human perception. Models of four FFAs with naturally occurring variations in molecular structure, such as chain length and degree of saturation, were developed and used to predict viscosity under high shear and density at high pressures. Properties from model predictions were compared to detection thresholds obtained from human taste tests to evaluate correlation. No correlation was statistically significant but certain trends were observed.
Degree
M.S.M.E.
Advisors
Martini, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Mechanical engineering
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