Synergistic interaction of konjac glucomannan and gellan gum investigated by rheology and texture analysis

Abstract The rheological kinetics of konjac glucomannan and gellan gum mixed sols were studied using rotational concentric cylinder viscometer. The effects of polymers weight ratio, shear rate, and temperature were systematically investigated. The curves showed a Newtonian plateau followed by strong shear thinning that can be described by a power law dependence on the shear rate. The dynamic viscoelastic character was evaluated by measurements of small‐deformation oscillatory. After adding some cations, the mixed sols turned into mixed gels. The contribution of Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , and Zn 2+ at different concentration was also evaluated by texture analysis. The results reveal a strong dependence of the structural properties of different samples on their preparation conditions. A fine turning of the properties of the mixed sols is possible through the change of the temperature preparation and/or the polymer weight ratio. The texture properties of the mixed gels were also possibly influenced significantly by the cations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012