Measure Gel Strength

GEL STRENGTH is a measure of the ability of a colloidal dispersion to develop and retain a gel form.

In the gelatine world, gel strength is traditionally referred to as Bloom. It is the force, expressed in grams, necessary to depress by 4 mm the surface of a gelatine gel with a standard 0.5" diameter cylinder probe.

Whilst gels are commonly accepted in the food industry the measurement of gel strength is also of widespread interest in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetic products. 

Gel properties such as elasticity and rupture force of, for example, pectin, gelatine, agar etc. are important in the development of such products as coronary stents where hydrogel polymers are selected due to their soft, rubbery nature which gives them a strong, superficial resemblance to living, soft tissue. 

Other products for which gel-forming properties are useful are in the manufacture of wound dressings, jelly lubricants, contact lenses, suppositories, soft gel capsules and bacterial growth media. The strength of gels can also be utilised in products such as toothpaste, creams and pastilles to modify the consistency of the required end product.

Typical Methods & Fixtures for Gel Strength Measurement in action:

 

Typical physical properties that can be obtained from a texture analysis graph:  
Gel strength, bloom strength, force to rupture, elasticity.
 
A wide range of attachments is available for measuring texture analysis properties.  

Typical Texture Analyser graph
with annotated properties

The above are only typical examples of gel strength measurement. 

We can of course design and manufacture probes or fixtures for the TA.XTplus texture analyser that are bespoke to your sample and its specific measurement.

Once your measurement is performed our expertise in its graphical interpretation is unparalleled – no-one understands texture analysis like we do. Not only can we develop the most suitable and accurate method for the testing of your sample but we can prepare analysis procedures that obtain the desired parameters from your curve and drop them into a spreadsheet or report designed around your requirements.

For more information, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

To discuss your specific test requirements click here...