Fabrication and characterization of food-grade fibers from mixtures of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate using needleless electrospinning

Food-grade fibers were fabricated from dispersions of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate (WPI) using needleless electrospinning. Two maltodextrins (DE 2) from different starch sources were used and the maltodextrin/WPI ratio was varied. Molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity, entanglement concentration, shear stability, and electrical conductivity were studied as function of maltodextrin type and mixing ratio and correlated to fiber production rate and morphology. The results show that a high molecular weight of the maltodextrin was beneficial to its spinnability. Waxy potato starch maltodextrin (P-MD) (M-w=129.6 kDa) and WPI produced fibers with diameters between 1.40 and 1.67 mu m at production rates up to 1.65 g/h; while the dispersions with waxy maize starch maltodextrin (M-MD) (M-w=85.9 kDa) showed poor spinnability and ruptured fibers. P-MD/WPI dispersions had a higher viscosity and stronger shear thinning behavior attributed to a stronger entangled polymer network which is beneficial to electrospinning. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46328.