Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of fat crystallization

Crystallization and phase behavior of fatty acid esters of 1,3-propanediol

Six pure fatty acid esters of 1,3-propanediol (PADE) molecules were investigated. A careful analysis of XRD, DSC as well as SFC results has allowed the determination of their structure and phase behavior. Two beta polymorphs were observed for C10-C18 and three beta polymorphs for C8. The same first polymorph (beta1) was observed for all the samples. The second polymorph (beta2) observed for C12-C18 was different from the second beta-form observed for C8 and C10. For all properties, the short chain length C8 and C10 samples were distinguished from the C12 to C18 samples and this explained much of the observed trends in behavior. Their lamellar packing was similar and has been explained by a simple addition of multiples of the length of a carbon bond to a primitive structure. The estimated long-range order highlighted a geometric effect that enabled the small chain molecules to better order than the longest molecules. The XRD results have been confirmed by DSC. The difference in property between the short and long chain molecules has also been clearly verified by the evolution of the energy of activation for nucleation as well as the enthalpy of melting and confirmed by microscopy measurements. For all the samples, the hardness which increased with increasing chain length is correlated with final %SFC. Avrami analysis of SFC versus time indicated heterogeneous nucleation and spherulitic crystal development from sporadic nuclei, and suggested that the rate of nucleation was higher for longer chain molecules.