Yuan Fang (PhD Student)
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Tel: +61-3-99059740
E-mail: yuan.fang @eng.monash.edu.au
Office: Room 109, Building 37 Education History:
2001-2005 BE (Material Science & Engineering), Beijing Technology & Business University, China 2006-2007 ME (Biomedical Engineering), University of Melbourne, Australia 2007-Present PhD Student (Chemical Engineering), Monash University, Australia |
Research Project: Smart particle production, characterisation and powder forensics
Project Description: The aim of my project is to characterise the microstructure properties of milk powder produced by spray drying in relation to the process parameters including temperature and rate of drying, in order to improve the properties and functionalities of milk powder. Currently, spray drying operation is mainly based on trial and error, whereby the operating conditions are adjusted according to the product quality, with little understanding of the processes involved. This leads to inefficient operations resulting in unwanted agglomeration and loss of functionality, among others.
Project Description: The aim of my project is to characterise the microstructure properties of milk powder produced by spray drying in relation to the process parameters including temperature and rate of drying, in order to improve the properties and functionalities of milk powder. Currently, spray drying operation is mainly based on trial and error, whereby the operating conditions are adjusted according to the product quality, with little understanding of the processes involved. This leads to inefficient operations resulting in unwanted agglomeration and loss of functionality, among others.
In particular for milk powder, the surface composition is very important and can vary from the inner composition of the powder particle. This may be due to how the milk droplets are being dried, causing uneven distribution of proteins through segregation. This difference may cause problems for end-users, such as the formation of “clumps” when dissolving the powder in water. Another way to add value to milk powder is by loading proteins and/or vitamins onto the surface. To do this, analysis of the surface properties for later modifications is also required.