The formation of oil droplets in a pectin solution and the viscosity of the oil-in-pectin solution emulsion Original Research Article

Oil droplets were produced in a pectin solution by microchannel emulsification and by conventional homogenization, and the rheological properties of the oil-in-pectin solution emulsion were investigated. The effect of the pectin concentration on the emulsification ability was studied using a dead-end-type microchannel plate. A monodisperse emulsion was produced when the pectin concentration was 1 wt% or lower. When the pectin concentration was 2 wt%, a polydisperse emulsion was produced due to the increase in the viscosity of the continuous phase (the pectin solution). Oil-in-pectin solution emulsions were also continuously produced using a crossflow-type microchannel plate. The viscosity of the emulsion increased as the volume fraction of oil increased. The relationship between the volume fraction of oil and the viscosity was well explained by a simple equation, which describes the viscosity of emulsions.