STRESS-STRAIN EVALUATION FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYSACCHARIDE GELS BEHAVIOR

MAMMARELLA, E. J.; DE PIANTE VICÍN, D.; RUBIOLO, A. C.

Santa Fe

Congreso; 3rd MERCOSUR CONGRESS ON PROCESS SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 1st MERCOSUR CONGRESS ON CHEMICAL ENGINEERING; 2001

The stress-strain involved when samples were deformed until failure and the relaxation response after 50% deformation of the initial height under constant stress was obtained. An increment of failure stress during uniaxial compression test for higher calcium concentration in the gel structure was observed. The maximum cation amount uptaken was higher than the value necessary to saturate theoretically all the carboxylic groups present in any available alginate molecule. Stress-relaxation tests indicated that the gel residual stress increased with higher k-carrageenan concentration. Uniaxial compression and stress-relaxation tests allow the determination of the mechanical resistance difference for changing alginate and carrageenan concentrations in the gel.