be applied to situations in foods: it needs knowledge of the magnitude of a
number of variables, which is generally not available. In Chapter 6
(especially Section 6.2.1), variables affecting polymer conformation are
discussed: solvent quality and polymer properties like chain length, chain
stiffness, and branching. For polyelectrolytes, also density and distribution
of electric charges and ionic strength are important variables.
By way of example, some results on thetotal interaction free energyare
shown in Figure 12.7, which serves to illustrate trends. Besides the steric
FIGURE12.7 The total interaction free energyVrelative tokBTas a function of
interparticle distancehbetween equal-sized spheres covered by adsorbed layers of a
homopolymer. Calculated taking van der Waals attraction and steric interaction into
account.