A Rheo-optical Investigation into the Viscoelastic Moduli of Acidified Milk Gel

Diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) in the backscattering geometry was employed to observe the evolution of the intensity correlation function during the acidification of skimmed milk by gluconic-δ-lactone (GDL). At the stage when the formation of casein particle gel is largely complete the correlation function at shorter decay times reveals the local structural arrest of the casein micelles, whereas at longer delay times it illustrates the hindered slow motion of casein micelle aggregates. We use the principles of the approach suggested by Mason, Gang and Weitz, linking the optically measured mean square displacement, <Δr2(t)>, of the microscopic particles in a dense colloid to its viscoelastic properties, to provide an estimate of the frequency dependent viscoelastic modulus of the acidified milk gel (AMG). We compare the viscoelastic moduli measured by the conventional mechanical rheometry with the optically measured ones. The results of the two different experimental methods are found to be in reasonable agreement.