Paper Number
SF13   Keynote 

Session
Surfactants, Foams and Emulsions

Title
Drainage of protein foams

Presentation Date and Time
October 11, 2022 (Tuesday) 1:30

Track / Room
Track 7 / Ontario

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

  1. Hassan, Lena (University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Chemical Engineering)
  2. Xu, Chenxian (University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Chemical Engineering)
  3. Boehm, Michael W. (Motif FoodWorks, Inc.)
  4. Baier, Stefan K. (Motif FoodWorks, Inc.)
  5. Sharma, Vivek (University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Chemical Engineering)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Lena Hassan1, Chenxian Xu1, Michael W. Boehm2, Stefan K. Baier2 and Vivek Sharma1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL; 2Motif FoodWorks, Inc., Boston, MA

Speaker / Presenter 
Sharma, Vivek

Keywords
experimental methods; foams; food rheology; surfactants

Text of Abstract
Proteins influence the stability and drainage of food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical foams by modifying interfacial and bulk properties of the liquid phase. In this study, we characterize the drainage of protein-based foams by using thin film balance that employs single foam films and bulk foam characterization. We contrast the drainage behavior with those of micellar foams formed using small molecule surfactants above the critical micelle concentration. Micellar foam films undergo drainage via stratification, manifested as stepwise thinning in the plots of average film thickness over time. Stratification in micellar foam films is accompanied by formation of coexisting thick-thin regions visualized in reflected light microscopy as exhibiting distinct grey regions as intensity is correlated with thin film interference. We critically examine the drainage of protein foam films and show nanoscopic thickness variations can be characterized using IDIOM (interferometry digital imaging optical microscopy) protocols developed in our laboratory. We also characterize the stability and drainage in bulk foams, and compare the influence of different types and concentrations of proteins, and contrast the behavior with the single foam film response.