Abstract
The size distribution of droplets in emulsions is very important for adjusting the effects of many indices on their quality. In addition to other methods for the determination of the size distribution of droplets, the usage of machine learning during microscopic analyses can enhance the reliability of the measurements and decrease the measurement cost at the same time. Considering its role in emulsion characteristics, in this study, the droplet size distributions of emulsions prepared with different oil/water phase ratios and homogenization times were measured with both a microscopy-assisted digital image analysis technique and a well-known laser diffraction method. The relationships between the droplet size and the physical properties of emulsions (turbidity and viscosity) were also investigated. The results showed that microscopic measurements yielded slightly higher values for the D(90), D[3,2], and D[4,3] of emulsions compared to the laser diffraction method for all oil/water phase ratios. When using this method, the droplet size had a meaningful correlation with the turbidity and viscosity values of emulsions at different oil/water phase ratios. From this point of view, the usage of the optical microscopy method with machine learning can be useful for the determination of the size distribution in emulsions.
Highlights
Accepted: 7 March 2022An emulsion can be defined as a system consisting of two immiscible liquids, in which one of the liquids is dispersed as small spherical droplets in the other liquid [1].The size and distribution of droplets depend upon the energy input and temperature during homogenization, the characteristics and ratios of the two phases, and the type and concentration of the emulsifier [2]
This study aimed to develop a protocol for the determination of droplet size of an emulsion with a microscopy-assisted digital image analysis technique using Trainable Weka Segmentation (TWS) for the segmentation step
The results of the present study showed that the same trends and similar particle size values were obtained by microscopy-assisted digital image analysis and laser diffraction particle size analysis for the determination of particle size in emulsions
Summary
The size and distribution of droplets depend upon the energy input and temperature during homogenization, the characteristics and ratios of the two phases (dispersed and continuous), and the type and concentration of the emulsifier [2]. It is well known that the size and distribution of droplets have a great impact on emulsion stability, optical properties, rheology, and sensorial characteristics [1]. The distribution of droplets in emulsion systems can be monodispersed or polydispersed. The vast majority of emulsions, such as food emulsions, are polydisperse systems containing droplets with a range of different sizes. They should be characterized by the particle or droplet size distribution, which represents the concentration of droplets in different size classes [1]. The size distribution can be used as a representative of stability if measured as a function of Published: 9 March 2022
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