3D Printing Characteristics of Yam Gel

In order to explore the effect of different concentrations of yam powder on 3D printing characteristics of yam gel system, the experiment used rheological analysis, color determination, texture testing, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and other techniques to determine the influence of yam powder concentrations on the dynamic viscoelasticity, 3D printing characteristics, microstructure and functional groups of the gel system. The results showed that yam powder had significant effects on the viscoelasticity, printability, color, texture, microstructure and functional group of gel system. As the addition of yam powder increased, both storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G") were increased first and then decreased. Moreover, hardness, adhesiveness, a^* and b^* values increased, springiness and L^* values decreased. As observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the porous network structure of the 3D printed samples showed a honeycomb-like microstructure with the porosity decreasing with addition of yam powder. When the content of yam powder was 40%, the printability of gel system was the best. The height deviation and diameter deviation of the printed sample were −1.8% and 0.2%, respectively, and the diameter deviation was −2.8% after 1 h. This research provides a theoretical basis for food 3D printing materials, which is very important to the development of functional foods.