Mathematical Modeling and Microparticle Size Control for Enhancing Heat Transfer Efficiency in High-Viscosity Food Suspensions

This study investigated how microparticle size affects natural convective heat transfer in high-viscosity suspensions. Suspensions were formulated using 0.5% xanthan gum and 3% stearic acid, with particle sizes ranging from 120 to 750 nm. Key thermal properties, including thermal conductivity (0.598–0.679 W/m·K), specific heat, and the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient (0.990–1.000/◦C), were measured. Rheological analysis based on the Herschel–Bulkley model revealed that reducing the...