Impact of Oil-in-Water Emulsion Composition and Preparation Method on Emulsion Physical Properties and Friction Behaviors

Emulsions have been used as a model food system for many studies on food behavior, including tribological studies. Several studies have examined the effect of fat content and emulsifier on emulsion friction behavior; however, other emulsion parameters such as ionic strength, pH, and homogenization pressure have received little attention in the literature. Additionally, emulsion friction measurements are generally compared to sensory data rather than physical property data. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of various emulsion parameters on emulsion physical properties and rheological and friction behavior. Emulsion salt content, pH, and homogenization pressure all affected friction behavior, with specific effects dependent on the emulsifying protein. All emulsions showed reduced friction coefficient with increased fat content. Emulsion rheological behavior was not strongly impacted by changes in the emulsion parameters. Changing emulsion pH had the strongest effect on emulsion physical properties. The results of this study suggest that tribology may be used to develop a "fingerprint" for emulsions prepared using different parameters, allowing improved differentiation of these emulsions compared to traditional rheometry.