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Use of X‐ray micro tomography to study the microstructure of loose‐packed and compacted milk powders
Author(s) -
CHAWANJI A.S.,
BALDWIN A.J.,
BRISSON G.,
WEBSTER E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2012.03649.x
Subject(s) - microstructure , materials science , x ray , spray drying , skimmed milk , composite material , chromatography , chemistry , optics , food science , physics
Summary The use of X‐rays to evaluate food microstructure has developed considerably in recent years. In this work we used X‐ray micro tomography (XMT) to visualize the microstructure of loose‐packed and compacted samples of spray‐dried skim milk powder (SMP) and whole milk powder (WMP) and to quantify the proportion of both interstitial and occluded air voids in each sample. Visual scrutiny of the acquired XMT images showed details of the microstructure of the milk powders such as the spherical morphology of the particles, the size of the particles and internal air voids of various sizes. Within loose‐packed powders, the proportion of air voids was higher (13% average) in WMP than in SMP. This was reversed in the compacted powders, in which the proportion of air voids was higher in SMP. The disparity in the proportion of air voids in both loose‐packed and compacted samples of SMP and WMP was attributed to the size, shape and surface properties of the particles.