Linear to nonlinear rheology of bread dough and its constituents

There are many practical reasons for studying the deformational behavior or rheological properties of a dough system. The mass production of bread has led to a need of machines that are able to handle and process large volumes of dough. An understanding of the deformational properties can aid in designing machines of this kind. Less obviously, the texture of the bread we eat is governed by the mechanical properties of the dough from which it is proofed and baked from. During the bread making process, large non-linear deformations feature prominently. In mixing and kneading, dough is stretched and sheared by hand or by specially designed mixing devices, while in proofing and baking, the expansion of gas cells causes significant extensional strain on the surrounding dough. Other than directly affecting the moduli of the fibers and membranes in the solid phase of bread, a link between the rheology of dough and the baked loaf volume has also been established. In this thesis, we first develop consistent and accurate techniques for measuring the rheological properties of the dough. Good experimental techniques and protocols are essential for studying the mechanical properties of such a sticky, visco-elasto-plastic, time-dependent material. We modify some of the standard rheometric hardware and protocols to accommodate this unusual material. Special attention is given to nonlinear deformations such as uniaxial extensional flows and large amplitude oscillatory shear flows (LAOS). We use the new techniques to probe the microstructure of dough and its constituents from a mechanical viewpoint. The strongly nonlinear rheological properties of dough arise from the interactions of a protein matrix and a high filler concentration consisting of hydrated starch particles.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Ng, Shen Kuan (Trevor Shen Kuan)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gareth H. McKinley.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42288

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42288