Introduction to Dispersed

Systems
FDSC400
09/28/2001
 Goals
• Scales and Types of Structure in Food
• Surface Tension
• Curved Surfaces
• Surface Active Materials
• Charged Surfaces
COLLOIDAL
SCALE
 Dispersed Systems

A kinetically stable mixture of

one phase in another largely
immiscible phase. Usually at
least one length scale is in the
colloidal range.
Dispersed Systems

Dispersed phase

Continuous phase

Interface
 Continuous phase
Solid Liquid Gas

Solid Some Sol Smoke

Dispersed phase

glasses
Liquid Emulsion Aerosol

Gas Solid foam Foam

 Properties of Dispersed Systems
• Too small to see
• Affected by both gravitational forces and
thermal diffusion
• Large interfacial area
– SURFACE EFFECTS ARE IMPORTANT
 Increased Surface Area

We have 20 cm3 of oil in 1 cm The same oil is split into 0.1

radius droplets. Each has a
volume of (4/3.π .r3) 5.5 cm3
and a surface area of (4.π .r2)
12.5 cm2.
As we need about 3.6 droplets
we would have a total area of
45.5 cm2
cm radius droplets, each has a
volume of 0.004 cm3 and a
surface area 0.125 cm2.
As we need about 5000
droplets we would have a total
area of 625 cm2
 For a Fixed COMPOSITION
• Decrease size, increase number of particles
• Increase AREA of interfacial contact

decrease area
 Tendency to break
• LYOPHOBIC • LYOPHILIC
• Weak interfacial • Strong interfacial
tension tension
• Little to be gained by • Strong energetic
breaking pressure to reduce area
• e.g., gums • e.g., emulsions
Surface Tension
-molecular scale-
 Surface Tension
-bulk scale-
Force, γ
Slope γ

Interfacial energy

Area, A

Interfacial area
Curved Surface

Highly curved surface

Slightly curved surface

Curved Surfaces

Molecules at highly deformed surfaces

are less well anchored into their phase
 Laplace Pressure

Surface pressure pulls

inwards increasing
pressure on dispersed
phase pressure
Surface tension

2γ
PL =
Increased pressure r
radius
 Curved Surfaces
-Consequences-
• Dispersed phase structures tend to be round
• Small fluid droplets behave as hard spheres
• Solubility increases with pressure so…
• Large droplets may grow at the expense of
small (Ostwald ripening)
– Depends on the solubility of the dispersed
phase in the continuous
 Surface Active Material
• Types of surfactant
• Surface accumulation
• Surface tension lowering
Types of Surfactant
-small molecule-

Hydrophilic head group (charged or polar)

Hydrophobic tail (non-polar)

Types of Surfactant
-polymeric-

Polymer backbone

Sequence of more water

soluble subunits

Sequence of less water

soluble subunits
 Surface Binding

Equilibrium

ENTHALPY COST ENTROPY COST

Surface concentration /mg m-2 Surface Binding Isotherm

Surface saturation

No binding below a certain

concentration

ln Bulk concentration
 Surface Tension Lowering

Bare surface Interface partly

(tension γ 0) “hidden”
(tension γ )
Surface pressure – the
ability of a surfactant to π = γ
lower surface tension
−γ 0