Rheology of whey protein concentrate solutions as a function of concentration, temperature, pH and salt concentration

Summary Rheological properties of whey protein concentrate (WPG) solutions were studied in steady shear, using a Bohlin VOR Rheometer, as a function of concentration, temperature, shear rate, shearing time, pH, salt type, salt concentration and solution age. At 22 °C and pH 7, the WPC solutions exhibited Newtonian behaviour up to a concentration of 10% total solids, pseudoplastic behaviour between 10 and 30% and time-dependent shear thinning at 35% and above. The apparent viscosity of solutions at 22 °C and pH 7 was linearly related to concentration up to 8%. The effect of temperature on apparent viscosity in the range 5–60 °C was closely described by the Arrhenius equation. The viscosities of WPC solutions were independent of solution age in the pH range 4–8 at all concentrations up to and including 20%, the precise pH range narrowing as concentration increased. At pH values above or below this range apparent viscosity became dependent on both pH and solution age, the age effect becoming more marked at higher WPC concentrations. Apparent viscosity at pH 7 increased markedly with both CaCl 2 concentration and solution age at concentrations above 0·6 M-CaCl 2 , the age effect in this case increasing with CaCl 2 concentration. In contrast, NaCl concentrations of up to 0·8 M-NaCl had little effect on apparent viscosity. The rheological behaviour of WPC solutions changed from time-independent to time-dependent shear thinning at high concentration, at extreme pH values, at high CaCl 2 concentration (after ageing) and on heating to above ∼ 60 °C. This change is considered to be caused by the formation of structure in solutions; a 40% solution (at 22 °C and pH 6·75) exhibited classic thixotropic behaviour in a step–shear rate experiment.