Abstract
Effects of oil fractions and oil-droplet sizes within microcapsules produced by dehydrating oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions on the surface oil content were examined by simulating the two- and three-dimensional models of percolation, depicted by square and cubic models, respectively. The square and cubic models were divided into No×No and No×No×No equal lattices, respectively, where No was the number by which a side of the models was divided. A random number ranging from 0 to 1 was generated for each lattice. When the number was smaller than a volumetric oil fraction, the lattice was considered to be occupied by oil. The oil in the lattices connected with the surface lattice on a side or a plane in the two- and three-dimensional models was assumed to be extractable. In both the models, the surface oil content was lower when the oil content was lower in the solid microcapsules, especially when the No values are larger (smaller oil droplets). The simulation suggested that the smaller droplets were more favorable for the production of microcapsules wherein the oil was hardly oxidized. The effect of the formation of central voids in the microcapsules on the surface oil content was also examined. The formation of larger voids made the content larger, although this effect was not significant.
