Spray Coating Cheese With Shear-Thinning Polymer Emulsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cheese coating compositions based on high viscosity protective colloid-stabilized polymer emulsions, such as Mowilith SDM 4230, are unsuitable for spraying due to difficulty in achieving sufficient flow through nozzles, limiting their application in industrial settings where high polymer solids content and rapid drying are required.
Innovation Solution
A water-borne cheese coating composition with a protective colloid-stabilized polymer at a minimum solids content of 38 wt.%, preferably 38-60 wt.%, and a viscosity between 50-300 mPa.s, optimized for spray applications using emulsion polymerization in the presence of a protective colloid, along with optional additives like colorants and fungicides, to ensure high application rates and rapid drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high viscosity protective colloid-stabilized polymer emulsions (e.g., Mowilith SDM 4230) are used for cheese coating, then the coating provides good protective properties and adhesion, but the coating composition cannot achieve sufficient flow through spray nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the viscosity parameter of the polymer emulsion from high viscosity (suitable for brush coating) to low viscosity (suitable for spray coating). Specifically, it uses polymer emulsions with Brookfield viscosity between 10-1000 mPa.s at room temperature, which enables sufficient flow through spray nozzles while maintaining coating quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs shear-thinning polymer emulsions that exhibit different viscosity characteristics under different shear rates. The emulsion has low viscosity at high shear rates (during spray application) to ensure good flow through nozzles, and exhibits appropriate rheological properties during coating formation to ensure protective performance
2Productivity
If polymer solids content is increased to achieve rapid drying and high application rate, then coating efficiency improves, but the coating composition becomes too viscous to flow through spray nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the polymer solids content parameter to a specific range (20-60 wt.%, preferably 30-50 wt.%) that balances two conflicting requirements: high enough solids content for rapid drying and high application rate, but low enough viscosity to flow through spray nozzles. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables effective spray coating of cheese with high polymer solids content, preventing cross-contamination and ensuring rapid drying, thus providing a robust and protective coating layer while maintaining high throughput in industrial settings.
Implementation Method 1
a protective colloid-stabilized polymer in an amount of 38-60 wt.%, preferably 38-48 wt.%, with respect to the weight of the composition, wherein said protective colloid-stabilised polymer is a polymer or a mixture of polymers obtainable by emulsion polymerisation in the presence of a protective colloid
Implementation Method 2
emulsion polymerisation in the presence of a protective colloid
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for coating cheese which comprises applying a cheese coating composition to said cheese using a spraying device. The invention also provides a cheese coating composition which is especially suitable for use in the method. The cheese coating composition has relatively high polymer solids content and a relatively low viscosity at high shear rates which makes it very suitable for industrial application of a protective coating layer on a cheese.