Gelatin is an extremely important part of our protein glues. Since the 1970s, we have replaced the primary ingredient, extracted collagen from hides of bovine and porcine, with recycled pharmaceutical and nutritional gelatin in the form of soft gel netting.
Some tests that we perform on incoming gelatin shipments include: dirt tests, viscosity tests, gram “jelly” strength tests, sulfur tests, solids tests, and bleachability tests. Any customer specific testing is performed on all protein glues as well.
Today we will dive into viscosity tests.
The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to gradual deformation by shear stress or tensile stress. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness" (Wikipedia).
The viscosity of a gelatin sample is extremely important. If the viscosity of the glue is not within specification, the performance of the glue could be hindered.
For testing the viscosity of gelatin, our technical team uses a capillary viscometer immersed in a circulating hot water bath (pictured to the right). The bath holds the fluid at the correct temperature for testing to maintain accuracy. More information on Immersion Circulators can be found here.
For testing the viscosity of cake glues, our quality control team uses the Brookfield RVT Dial reading viscometer (pictured left). This viscometer measures the torque the glue applies to a spindle and then the reading is converted to centipois.
Stay tuned to learn more about our lab testing capabilities.