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Pulsed Electric Field Effects on Sucrose Nucleation at Low Supersaturation

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Abstract

Nucleation of sucrose at high supersaturation is difficult to control and the nuclei easily form aggregates, whereas at low supersaturation it is difficult to achieve nucleation using traditional methods. In order to explore a feasible method to enhance sucrose nucleation at low supersaturation, the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on sucrose solutions at supersaturation of 1.05–1.20 was investigated. The experiments were conducted using electric field strengths of 10–30 kV cm−1 and flow rates of 15–50 mL min−1 in a volume of 3.0 mL. The results revealed that PEF treatment has a profound influence on sucrose nucleation at supersaturation of 1.05–1.20. Nucleation occurred at all degrees of supersaturation tested, with more nuclei formed in the more supersaturated solutions. The regression model indicated that the total nuclei number induced by PEF was proportional to supersaturation and field strength, but varied inversely with flow rate. The microstructure of the PEF-induced nuclei and a non-PEF-treated sample had a similar XRD pattern, and the PEF-induced nuclei had larger interplanar spacings, higher intensities, and greater crystallinity. PEF technology is revealed to be a promising method for sucrose nucleation at low supersaturation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology through the Agriculture Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Fund (No. 2013GB23600669), and The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou Municiple, China (No. 2011Y2-00012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Light Industry and Food Science, South China University of Technology, No. 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China

    Biao Hu, Kai Huang, Pingjun Zhang, Xin-an Zeng, Zhong Han & Shujuan Yu

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  1. Biao Hu
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  2. Kai Huang
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  3. Pingjun Zhang
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  4. Xin-an Zeng
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  5. Zhong Han
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  6. Shujuan Yu
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Correspondence to Shujuan Yu.

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Hu, B., Huang, K., Zhang, P. et al. Pulsed Electric Field Effects on Sucrose Nucleation at Low Supersaturation. Sugar Tech 17, 77–84 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-014-0331-4

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