title: Determination of physical emulsion stabilization mechanisms of wood hemicelluloses via rheological and interfacial characterization.
abstract: Materials manufacturing industries seek efficient, economic, and sustainable compounds for stabilizing dispersed systems such as emulsions. In this study, novel, abundant biobased hydrocolloids spruce galactoglucomannans (GGM) and birch glucuronoxylans (GX) were obtained from a forestry biorefining process and characterized as versatile stabilizers of rapeseed oil-in-water emulsions. For the first time, GGM and GX isolated by pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) of spruce and birch saw meal, respectively, were studied in emulsions. The PHWE wood hemicelluloses-polysaccharides with relatively low molar mass-facilitated the formation of emulsions with small average droplet size and efficiently prevented droplet coalescence. GGM and GX lowered the surface tension of emulsions' oil-water interface and increased the viscosity of the continuous phase. However, viscosity of the wood hemicellulose-based systems was low compared to that of commercial polymeric stabilizers. GGM-stabilized emulsions with varying oil volume fractions were characterized in terms of their rheological properties, including large amplitude oscillation shear (LAOS) measurements, and compared to emulsions prepared with a classical small-molecular surfactant, Tween20. The physical emulsion stabilization mechanisms of GGM and GX are suggested as steric repulsion assisted by Pickering-type stabilization. Wood hemicelluloses have potential as highly promising future bioproducts for versatile industrial applications involving colloidal systems and soft materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, 00014 University of Helsinki, P. O. Box 27, Finland. kirsi.s.mikkonen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: K S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4490-5912
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mikkonen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merger
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute Finland, Viikinkaari 4, 00790 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kilpeläinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, P. O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murtomäki
authors.affiliation: Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Section I: Food Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
authors.forename: U S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilhelm