Objectives
The project goal is to develop a novel technique based on spontaneous capillary penetration (wicking) of culinary oils into porous media that determines the quality of an oil used for frying.
Project Objectives:
- In-depth investigation of capillary penetration of fresh and degraded oils in porous media.
- Dynamic interfacial properties of fresh and degraded oils.
- Investigation of the degradation during frying of oils of different origin and different degree of unsaturation.
- Investigation of the effect of food type on oil degradation.
- Analysis of fried oils physical and chemical properties used as quality criteria in legislation.
- Measurement of porous media properties (surface properties, pore sizes).
- Investigation of the specific conditions for the application of the method.
- Design, development and testing of a prototype of the apparatus.
- Assessment of the method and of the prototype performance with respect to legislation criteria.
- Measurement of oil quality with other rapid methods.
Project Expected Results
The expected results of the project are:
- The method/technique (theoretical analysis, a prototype).
- The measurement results of the developed technique.
- New experimental data on dynamic interfacial phenomena of culinary oils.
- New experimental data on capillary penetration.
- Publication of the above in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international conferences.
- Submission of one or two patents.