Mechanical reinforcement of gelatin hydrogel with nanofiber cellulose as a function of percolation concentration

Given a variety of distinguished aspect ratio-related characteristics of nanofiber cellulose (NFC), the impact of NFC on gelatin hydrogel performance involving strength, rheology, microstructure was investigated, focusing on concentration percolation mechanism for it. The inner topography displayed a compact three-dimensional network structure in the NFC-added gelatin gel, however, an NFC amount of 7.5 g kg−1 caused more inhomogeneous aggregation. Texture profile analysis showed that the addition of NFC increased the hardness but reduced the elasticity of gelatin gel at 10 °C, depending on NFC concentration. For static rheology, adding NFC transformed gelatin solution from the Newtonian action into pseudoplastic behavior at 60 °C, with a marked increase of viscosity. Furthermore, NFC improved the temperature of sol-gel transition of gelatin, even no obvious transformation as ≥5 g kg−1 NFC used. NFC reinforcement provides the potential to use as texture modifier along with gelatin in food field.