A study of the high pressure phase transition of diacylglycerol oil by means of light transmission and scattering

Abstract

A sample of diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, being a mixture of DAGs and triacylglycerols with a ratio of 82% and 18%, respectively, and with a vestigial content of monoacylglycerols and free fatty acids, has been researched in high pressure conditions. As a result of dynamically applied pressure, a discontinuous (first-order) phase transition of the DAG sample has been observed. After the threshold value of the pressure for the phase change was determined, a number of further measurements were performed. The aim of the measurements was to pressurise the DAG sample with different rates of compression. During the measurements, the following parameters were recorded: the intensities of beams both transmitted and scattered at the angle of 90°, and the temperature of the sample. The obtained data may prove useful for an introductory description of the phase change kinetics induced by dynamically applied pressure.

Keywords:

• diacylglycerol oil
• high pressure phase transition
• phase transition kinetics
• transmission and scattering of light

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the European Union in the framework of European Social Fund through the Warsaw University of Technology Development Programme.

Notes

^†This paper was presented at the XLIX^th European High Pressure Group (EHPRG 49) Meeting at Budapest (Hungary) 28 August–2 September 2011.