FAQs

Why is the apparent viscosity of gellan gum solutions highly pseudoplastic (shear-thinning)?

In a fully dissolved state at high temperatures, gellan gum molecules exist as randomized, highly entangled polymer coils that present high hydrodynamic resistance (high viscosity) under low shear rates. When external shear stress is applied (such as pumping, mixing, or swallowing), these entangled polymer chains immediately align themselves parallel to the direction of flow. This structural alignment sharply decreases friction and hydrodynamic resistance, leading to a drastic drop in apparent viscosity. This extreme pseudoplasticity ensures easy engineering pumpability while maintaining high structural stability at rest.

Testing the viscosity of high acyl gellan gum.