Skip to main content
Log in

Electrospraying and Electrospinning of Chocolate Suspensions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Food and Bioprocess Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Novel applications of efficient and economical techniques such as electrospraying and electrospinning in chocolate processing could be a strategy to help manufacturers improve declining sales growth rate in a saturated confectionery market. In this study, electrosprayed near-monodisperse particles have been produced using chocolate suspensions. Electrospun fibres have also been created from a commercial chocolate sauce. The effects of process parameters such as sugar concentration, addition of electrolytes (NaCl), flow rate, applied voltage and collection distance on the production and morphology of as-sprayed chocolate particles were studied. A positive linear trend in the electrosprayed chocolate particle diameter and diameter distribution range with increasing sugar concentration in the chocolate suspension was demonstrated. Sugar concentrations of 30–35%w/w resulted in very fine, near-monodisperse chocolate particles. Trace amounts of electrolyte at 1%w/w were found to decrease the average particle diameter and improve the monodispersity of the particles produced. The addition of NaCl at low concentrations increased the electrical conductivity and, to a lesser extent, the surface tension of the chocolate samples. Further increases in NaCl concentration to 3%w/w did not bring any additional decrease in the average diameter of the chocolate particles. In addition, the observed modes of electrospraying and the characteristics of chocolate particles obtained under these were investigated. Bead-on-string morphology was commonly observed among electrospun chocolate fibres. Moreover, satellite particles and very fine fibres were obtained during the transition between electrospraying and electrospinning. The continuous alternating shape of elongated spheres and thin fibres may have the potential for varying the microtexture of the chocolate products.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abu-Ali, J., & Barringer, S. A. (2005). Method for electrostatic atomization of emulsions in an EHD system. Journal of Electrostatics, 63(5), 361–369.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aeschlimann, J. M., & Beckett, S. T. (2000). International inter-laboratory trials to determine the factors affecting the measurement of chocolate viscosity. Journal of Texture Studies, 31(5), 541–576.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmedou, S. A. O., Rouaud, O., & Havet, M. (2009). Assessment of the electrohydrodynamic drying process. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 2(3), 240–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrady, A. L. (2008). Science and technology of polymer nanofibers. New York: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, S. T. (2000). The science of chocolate. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Business Insights (2009) Innovations in confectionery: Key trends, growth opportunities and emerging markets. Available at: www.globalbusinessinsights.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Cloupeau, M., & Prunet-Foch, B. (1989). Electrostatic spraying of liquids in cone-jet mode. Journal of Electrostatics, 22(2), 135–159.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cloupeau, M., & Prunet-Foch, B. (1990). Electrostatic spraying of liquids—Main functioning modes. Journal of Electrostatics, 25(2), 165–184.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Datamonitor (2007) The European confectionery market to 2007. Datamonitor Business Information Centre. Available at: www.datamonitor.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Datamonitor (2008a) Confectionery in the UK to 2011. Datamonitor Business Information Centre. Available at: www.datamonitor.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Datamonitor (2008b) Confectionery in the UK to 2012. Datamonitor Business Information Centre. Available at: www.datamonitor.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Datamonitor (2009) Confectionery: Global industry almanac 2009. Datamonitor Business Information Centre. Available at: www.datamonitor.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Datamonitor (2010) Global confectionery market to 2014. Datamonitor Business Information Centre. Available at: www.datamonitor.com. Last accessed 24 Sept 2010.

  • Deitzel, J. M., Kleinmeyer, J., Harris, D., & Tan, N. C. B. (2001). The effect of processing variables on the morphology of electrospun nanofibers and textiles. Polymer, 42(1), 261–272.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doshi J & Reneker DH (1993) Electrospinning process and applications of electrospun fibers. Proceeding of IEEE-Industry Applications Society, Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, 1698–1703.

  • Edirisinghe, M. J., & Jayasinghe, S. N. (2004). Electrohydrodynamic atomization of a concentrated nano-suspension. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 1(2), 140–145.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, S. A., & Williams, D. R. M. (2006). Surface tension of electrolyte solutions: Comparing the effects of ionic dispersion forces and solvation. Europhysics Letters, 74(5), 854–860.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evans RJ & Reynhout GS (2000) Electrostatic deposition of edible liquid condiment compositions upon edible food substrates and thus-treated products. US Patent No 6010726.

  • Fenn, J. B., Mann, M., Meng, C. K., Wong, S. F., & Whitehouse, C. M. (1989). Electrospray ionization for mass-spectrometry of large biomolecules. Science, 246(4926), 64–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fong, H., Chun, I., & Reneker, D. H. (1999). Beaded nanofibers formed during electrospinning. Polymer, 40(16), 4585–4592.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GananCalvo, A. M., Davila, J., & Barrero, A. (1997). Current and droplet size in the electrospraying of liquids. Scaling laws. Journal of Aerosol Science, 28(2), 249–275.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert W (1600) De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure (On the magnet and magnetic bodies, and on that great magnet the Earth). Peter Short, London, UK.

  • Gorty AV & Barringer SA (2009) Electrohydrodynamic spraying of chocolate. In: 2009 Electrostatics Joint Conference. Boston University, Boston, USA

  • Guinard, J. X., & Mazzucchelli, R. (1996). The sensory perception of texture and mouthfeel. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 7(7), 213–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, P., Elkins, C., Long, T. E., & Wilkes, G. L. (2005). Electrospinning of linear homopolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate): Exploring relationships between fiber formation, viscosity, molecular weight and concentration in a good solvent. Polymer, 46, 4799–4810.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartman, R. P. A., Brunner, D. J., Camelot, D. M. A., Marijnissen, J. C. M., & Scarlett, B. (2000). Jet break-up in electrohydrodynamic atomization in the cone-jet mode. Journal of Aerosol Science, 31(1), 65–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Z. M., Zhang, Y. Z., Kotaki, M., & Ramakrishna, S. (2003). A review on polymer nanofibers by electrospinning and their applications in nanocomposites. Composites Science and Technology, 63(15), 2223–2253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaworek, A. (2007). Micro- and nanoparticle production by electrospraying. Powder Technology, 176(1), 18–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaworek, A., & Krupa, A. (1999). Classification of the modes of EHD spraying. Journal of Aerosol Science, 30(7), 873–893.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaworek, A., & Sobczyk, A. T. (2008). Electrospraying route to nanotechnology: An overview. Journal of Electrostatics, 66(3–4), 197–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayasinghe, S. N., & Edirisinghe, M. J. (2002). Effect of viscosity on the size of relics produced by electrostatic atomization. Journal of Aerosol Science, 33(10), 1379–1388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A. R., & Thong, K. C. (1971). The production of charged monodisperse fuel droplets by electrical dispersion. Journal of Physics D—Applied Physics, 4(8), 1159–1166.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, C. J., Nangrejo, M., & Edirisinghe, M. (2010). A novel method of selecting solvents for polymer electrospinning. Polymer, 51(7), 1654–1662.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mestel, A. J. (1994). Electrohydrodynamic stability of a slightly viscous jet. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 274, 93–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neethirajan, S., & Jayas, D. S. (2011). Nanotechnology for the food and bioprocessing industries. Food and Bioprocess Technology. doi:10.1007/s11947-010-0328-2.

  • Pham, Q. P., Sharma, U., & Mikos, A. G. (2006). Electrospinning of polymeric nanofibers for tissue engineering applications: A review. Tissue Engineering, 12(5), 1197–1211.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishna, S., Fujihara, K., Teo, W. E., Yong, T., Ma, Z. W., & Ramaseshan, R. (2006). Electrospun nanofibers: Solving global issues. Materials Today, 9(3), 40–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reneker, D. H., & Chun, I. (1996). Nanometre diameter fibres of polymer, produced by electrospinning. Nanotechnology, 7(3), 216–223.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reneker, D. H., & Yarin, A. L. (2008). Electrospinning jets and polymer nanofibers. Polymer, 49(10), 2387–2425.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reneker, D. H., Yarin, A. L., Fong, H., & Koombhongse, S. (2000). Bending instability of electrically charged liquid jets of polymer solutions in electrospinning. Journal of Applied Physics, 87(9), 4531–4547.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samarasinghe, S. R., Pastoriza-Santos, I., Edirisinghe, M. J., & Liz-Marzan, L. M. (2008). Fabrication of nano-structured gold films by electrohydrodynamic atomisation. Applied Physics. A Materials Science & Processing, 91(1), 141–147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smallwood, I. M. (1996). Handbook of organic solvent properties. London: Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sukigara, S., Gandhi, M., Ayutsede, J., Micklus, M., & Ko, F. (2003). Regeneration of Bombyx mori silk by electrospinning—Part 1: Processing parameters and geometric properties. Polymer, 44, 5721–5727.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. (1964). Disintegration of water drops in electric field. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A—Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 280(1380), 383–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. (1969). Electrically driven jets. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A—Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 313(1515), 453–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teo, W. E., & Ramakrishna, S. (2006). A review on electrospinning design and nanofibre assemblies. Nanotechnology, 17(14), R89–R106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wannatong, L., Sirivat, A., & Supaphol, P. (2004). Effects of solvents on electrospun polymeric fibers: Preliminary study on polystyrene. Polymer International, 53, 1851–1859.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yarin, A. L., Koombhongse, S., & Reneker, D. H. (2001a). Bending instability in electrospinning of nanofibers. Journal of Applied Physics, 89(5), 3018–3026.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yarin, A. L., Koombhongse, S., & Reneker, D. H. (2001b). Taylor cone and jetting from liquid droplets in electrospinning of nanofibers. Journal of Applied Physics, 90(9), 4836–4846.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeleny, J. (1914). The electrical discharge from liquid points, and a hydrostatic method of measuring the electric intensity at their surfaces. Physical Review, 3, 69–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeleny J (1915) On the condition of instability of electrified drops, with applications to the electrical discharge from liquid points. Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 18(71–93).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeleny, J. (1917). Instability of electrified liquid surfaces. Physical Review, 10, 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohan Edirisinghe.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Luo, C.J., Loh, S., Stride, E. et al. Electrospraying and Electrospinning of Chocolate Suspensions. Food Bioprocess Technol 5, 2285–2300 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0534-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0534-6

Keywords

Navigation