Viscosity of tangerine and lemon juices as a function of temperature and concentration

Abstract

SummaryViscosities of two fruit (lemon and tangerine) juices have been measured with a capillary flow technique. Measurements were made in the temperature range from 303 to 393 K. The range of concentration was between 15 and 40 °Brix for tangerine juice and between 17 and 45 °Brix for the lemon juice. The total uncertainty of viscosity and temperature measurements was estimated to be <0.5% at low concentrations and up to 1.5% at high concentrations and 0.025 K, respectively. The effect of temperature and concentration on viscosity of tangerine and lemon juices was study. The measured values of the viscosity were used to calculate the temperature, (∂ ln η/∂T)x, and concentration, (∂ ln η/∂x)T, coefficients for each juice. The Arrhenius type correlation equations for viscosity were used to represent the temperature dependence of viscosity. The values of the Arrhenius equation parameters (flow activation energy, Ea, and η∞) were calculated for the measured viscosities of tangerine and lemon juices as a function of concentration. Different theoretical models for the viscosity of fruit juices were stringently tested with new accurate measurements on tangerine and lemon juices. The predictive capability of the various models was studied. The concentration and temperature dependence behavior of the viscosity of tangerine and lemon juices are discussed in light of the various theoretical models for viscosity of fruit juices. The applicability and predictive capability of the models used previously for aqueous solutions to represent the effect of temperature and concentration on viscosity of fruit juices was also studied. New model was developed to represent the combined effect of temperature and concentration on the viscosity of the juices. The average absolute deviation between measured and calculated values from this correlation equation for the viscosity was 0.8% and 2.1% for tangerine and lemon juices, respectively.