Crystallization and interfacial chemistry of edible waxes: constructing dual-mechanism gelled high internal phase Pickering emulsions for 3D food printing.

Abstract

This study systematically investigates the tunable crystallization behavior and exceptional structural stabilization capacity of natural edible waxes to fabricate dualstabilized internally gelled high-internal-phase Pickering emulsions (IG-HIPPEs) via two chemical routes. Comprehensive particle-level, crystallographic, and interfacial characterization reveals that 2.0 wt.% Tween 60 tailors yellow beeswax-based solid lipid nanoparticles (YBW-SLNs) into elastic interfacial barriers, while FTIR, XRD, DSC and PLM evidence five waxes form unique, hierarchically ordered internal crystalline networks. Morphological observations display compact droplet stacking within ϕ80 IGHIPPEs, where synergistic integration of interfacial YBW-SLN layers and internal wax crystal lattices confers exceptional comprehensive rheological performance. Among all samples, CLW-IG-HIPPE exhibits the minimum instability index, complete thixotropic recovery, 98.47% printing precision and 99.13% shape retention over 2 h. A dual stabilization mechanism is proposed: outer YBW-SLN films hinder droplet coalescence, and inner wax crystal frameworks immobilize dispersed oil. This work provides a rational chemical strategy applicable to extrusion-based 3D food printing.

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