The shear viscosity of commercial maize grits, potato powder and a low density polyethylene has been measured under a range of extrusion processing conditions using an extruder-fed slit die viscometer and a capillary rheometer. The results show the strong dependence of the viscosity of food melts on the processing history undergone during extrusion. To this end, the shear viscosity data for the food materials have been fitted to relationships including the effects of temperature, shear rate and moisture. The effect of the shear processing history on the viscosity has been represented by a power-law relationship with extruder screw speed.
The effect of extrusion cooking on the pasting properties of potato starch materials is examined using a Couette rheometer. The dispersion viscosity of aqueous dispersions of potato starch, pregelatinized potato starch and commercial potato granules has been investigated. The effect of extrusion moisture and progress down the extruder on this property has been studied. The dispersion viscosity response is related to the gelatinization and disruption of starch granules. Extrusion at high moisture levels leads to high viscosity dispersions tending to that of gelatinized starch whereas low moisture levels result in lower viscosity dispersions.
The flow of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids which obeys a power law relationship between shear stress and shear rate has been modeled in the melt conveying section of a self-wiping co-rotating twin-screw extruder using a finite element analysis of a n unwound channel section. Predictions of throughput against pressure gradient are compared with experimentally obtained results for maize grits which is represented as a power law material. Rheological data applicable to extrusion simulation were obtained from capillary rheometry. Comparisons are reasonable with predicted characteristic showing similar behavior.
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