Enhancing the specific surface area of gum arabic powder using instant controlled pressure drop technology

In this study, a stage of structural modification using instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) technology was proposed for enhancing the specific surface area (SSA) of gum arabic powder. Response surface methodology (RSM), involving a central composite design, was used to examine the influence of steam pressure and processing time on the SSA. The SSA of all gum arabic samples was enhanced after DIC treatment, yielding an increase of 156.5% as the largest increase in surface area. Furthermore, applying the DIC treatment under appropriate operating conditions (including the pressure and treatment time) yielded ground powders with SSAs higher than that of commercial gum arabic powder obtained via spray-drying. The steam pressure in the DIC reactor had a greater effect on the SSAs of the ground powders than the processing time. Finally, the DIC operating conditions were optimized to maximize the SSA, with an optimal steam pressure and processing time of 4.74 bar and 85 s, respectively.