Trottet B., Marconati M., Keddie J., Ramaioli M., 2017, Mastering the Coating Thickness Obtained Using Liquids with a Yield-Stress, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 57, 1897-1902.
Dip coating is a very common process in food manufacturing. Controlling the thickness of the coating is key to deliver the desired sensorial properties and to be compliant with the product’s nutritional claims. Whilst dip coating with Newtonian liquids is physically well understood, coating food products almost invariably involve liquids with more complex rheology. This makes the process more difficult to design and control and reduces the coating homogeneity. Developing novel food products with improved nutritional attributes often calls for reducing the coating thickness and non-homogeneity should be avoided to guarantee the quality of the final product. In this study, we focused on the coating of a flat surface using Carbopol solutions and a commercial ketchup, following a Herschel-Bulkley rheological model. The final average coating thickness was always significantly lower than the critical thickness that can be estimated from liquid density and yield stress. Liquids with a yield stress in the range 4-56 Pa were considered in this study and the steady withdrawal speed from the bath was varied in the range 0.1-20 mm/s. The resulting average coating thickness and its uniformity are discussed. The results are interpreted in the context of an existing theory for dip coating with liquids with a yield stress. This study paves the way toward an integrated design of the coating process and the liquid rheology of foods, such as chocolate or ketchup. This can enable the development of new food products allying improved nutrition, a consumer preferred sensory profile and cost.
