Characterizing wear behaviors of edible hydrogels by kernel-based statistical modeling

Abstract

Hydrogels are used in multiple industries; although hydrogel deformation and wear behaviors can be a good indicator for their functionality, there are no available models for characterizing hydrogel deformation–wear behaviors. This study characterized wear behaviors of casein (3–5% w/w, 200 mM NaCl), κ-carrageenan (0.8–1.2% w/w, 100 mM NaCl), and whey protein gels (13% w/w, 50–150 mM NaCl) at room temperature (20 °C) under several normal forces (0.1–1.5 N). A kernel-based model was used to characterize hydrogel wear behavior by separating the deformation–wear process deformation-dominant, constant wear rate, and failure regions. Higher normal force and lower polymer concentration showed higher constant wear rates and lower durability. The kernel model was able to characterize hydrogel wear-deformation behaviors and is useful for industrial applications.