concentrating the system further increases the modulus, presumably until it
would reach the value of a homogeneous gel of the same agar concentration.
It may be concluded that the most important variables affecting the
modulus are
Thevolume fractionof the particles.
Theanisometryof the particles. For a greater anisometry, the modulus
will be higher at the samej, and a measurable modulus will be
obtained at a lower value ofj.FIGURE17.28 Shear modulus of concentrated dispersions of agar gel particles in
water as functions of relative concentration of agar,crel. Curve a, spherical
monodisperse particles of 2%agar;crel¼1 for close packing. Curve b, anisometric
particles of 1.75%agar gel;crel¼1 for an unaltered sheared agar gel (Gunsheared¼
27,000 Pa). Curve c, same, 0.75%agar gel (Gunsheared¼3700 Pa). (After results by
W. J. Frith et al. In: Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry 11. Spec. Publ. 278,
Royal Soc. Chem., 2002, p. 95.)