BENDING FORCE: the physical nature of some products make them more suitable for testing via a bending test.
Generally the higher the force to bend (usually up to the point of break) the firmer the sample.
The force and distance references at the point of break provide a measure of BREAK STRENGTH by this action.
STIFFNESS is associated with a material that cannot easily be bent and therefore has a high degree of hardness and usually lacks flexibility.
FLEXIBILITY is the opposite of this and is a characteristic of a product that can be bent, flexed or deformed to a much higher degree of deformation before failing.
The COMPACTABILITY/COMPRESSIBILITY of a product is its ability to be compacted or compressed, usually to a large degree of deformation.
This can be a required property of, for example, the formation of cosmetic powder tablets or formation of tablets from granules.
However it may also be undesirable, as would be true of a large amount of packaging material which is usually chosen for its ability to protect a product and therefore resist compaction to a reasonable extent.
ABRASION is the erosion of material from a solid surface by the action of another solid.
When material is removed by contact with hard particles, abrasive wear occurs. The particles either may be present at the surface of a second material or may exist as loose particles between two surfaces.
Abrasive materials are widely used across a variety of industries for polishing, grinding, honing and other similar processes. The efficacy of these materials relies on their frictional properties, which can be calculated as the force required to draw the material across a given surface. Assessment of these properties will allow manufacturers to evaluate the suitability of their products for a specific use. The test results will also highlight differences between grades or brands of abrasive materials.
CONSISTENCY is commonly the textural property possessed by dairy products, sauces, syrups and pharmaceuticals lotions (i.e. fluid products).
It most often makes use of the back extrusion rig for its measurement. Consistency relates to the 'firmness', 'thickness' or 'viscosity' of a liquid or fluid semi-solid.
Stirring a fluid or semifluid food with a spoon or a finger is frequently used by consumers to give an indication of viscosity or consistency.
STRINGINESS/SHORTNESS is the degree (distance) to which a product hangs on the probe when the probe is withdrawn.
It is a major characteristic of mozzarella cheese or adhesives but is also commonly the textural property possessed by sauces (e.g. ketchup, dessert sauces), confectionery glazes, baked product toppings and undoubtedly, syrups.
In the adhesive industry this characteristic is sometimes referred to as 'legging' or 'tailing', as stringiness may result in the formation of filaments or threads when the adhesive surfaces are separated.
FRICTION is a phenomenon that is part of our daily lives - in one sense we would find most difficult to survive without it yet in another it can be most expensive to minimise.
It can be simply identified as the resisting force that arises when one surface slides, or tries to slide, over another. It is commonly the textural property measured from packaging materials, shaving gels, cosmetic sponges, etc.
Friction can be a limitation to us; for example, the friction of packaging can be a major limiting factor in the speed of packing machines. Additives are often used to improve the lubricity of surfaces, this is known as 'slip'. Polythene is added to packaging to improve slip characteristics.
SWELLING is associated with an increase in size or volume of a product.
Swelling applications include tablets, gels, films, pellets, mucosal tissues, super-absorbent polymers, sponges, aquaculture feed, chemical and yeast leavened products, etc.
Depending on application, swelling can be quantified by measuring changes in force or distance by either (i) compressing a product a slight distance and then measuring how force increases as the product swells, or (ii) applying and maintaining a small force onto the product and measuring the distance change as swelling occurs.
BITING/CUTTING FORCE gives an indication of the firmness/hardness of a product.
Bearing in mind that if a row of top front teeth were pulled from a
curve into a straight line they would represent a 'knife edge', using a
knife blade gives a close representation of the biting or cutting
action.
TOUGHNESS – whilst Hardness/Firmness is usually the textural property possessed by most products, the word 'toughness' or ‘chewiness’ may be substituted for a textural property more associated with the product.
