Rheological characterization of the exopolysaccharide Paenan in surfactant systems

Marius Rütering; Jochen Schmid; Moritz Gansbiller; Andre Braun; Jochen Kleinen; Martin Schilling; Volker Sieber

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.11.086

Rheological characterization of the exopolysaccharide Paenan in surfactant systems

Carbohydr Polym. 2018 Feb 1:181:719-726. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.11.086. Epub 2017 Nov 26.

Authors

Marius Rütering¹, Jochen Schmid², Moritz Gansbiller³, Andre Braun⁴, Jochen Kleinen⁵, Martin Schilling⁶, Volker Sieber⁷

Affiliations

¹ Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Schulgasse 16, 94315, Straubing, Germany. Electronic address: m.ruetering@gmail.com.
² Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Schulgasse 16, 94315, Straubing, Germany. Electronic address: j.schmid@tum.de.
³ Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Schulgasse 16, 94315, Straubing, Germany. Electronic address: m.gansbiller@tum.de.
⁴ Anton Paar Germany GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 6, 73760, Ostfildern, Scharnhausen, Germany. Electronic address: andre.braun@anton-paar.com.
⁵ Evonik Nutrition and Care GmbH, Goldschmidtstraße 100, 45127, Essen, Germany. Electronic address: jochen.kleinen@evonik.com.
⁶ Evonik Nutrition and Care GmbH, Kirschenallee, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany. Electronic address: martin.schilling@evonik.com.
⁷ Chair of Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, Technical University of Munich, Schulgasse 16, 94315, Straubing, Germany; Fraunhofer IGB, Straubing Branch Bio, Electro, and Chemocatalysis BioCat, 94315, Straubing, Germany; Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany; The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, 68 Cooper Road, St. Lucia 4072, Australia. Electronic address: sieber@tum.de.

PMID: 29254028
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.11.086

Abstract

Rheology-controlling agents are of importance for numerous products in a variety of industries. Replacement of synthetic chemicals with natural additives is desired in light of current environmental awareness and limited fossil resources. This study investigates the rheological features of Paenan, an exopolysaccharide produced by Paenibacillus polymyxa. Paenan exhibits highly shear-thinning flow behavior at concentrations ≥0.1% in 0.5% NaCl. Because of its pronounced intermolecular network, it forms stable, weak gels, thereby delivering elasticity as well as thixotropy. Application-relevant flow behavior is obtained with 60-65% less polymer as compared to the benchmark commercial products Xanthan and Gellan. In mixtures with surfactants (sodium lauryl ether sulfate, cetrimonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betaine, or lauryl glucoside), Paenan displays outstanding compatibility with every class of surfactant, making it superior to the partially incompatible Xanthan and Gellan. The weak-gel character of Paenan/surfactant systems is retained with three out of four surfactants, rendering Paenan highly interesting for various applications.

Keywords: Gellan; Paenan; Rheology; Surfactant; Xanthan.