Opportunities and challenges to determine surface free energy of chocolates on microscopic scale from atomic force microscopy adhesion measurements

Surface free energy (SFE) is an important surface property in food processing as it determines the wettability of solid surfaces or the interaction of mould surfaces and chocolate during the moulding process. High-resolution information about SFE could be useful to understand gloss inhomogeneities of chocolates after de-moulding. SFE is connected with adhesion properties. Thus, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) adhesion measurements can be applied to determine SFE of a solid surface at microscopic scale. For this purpose, AFM tips were functionalized to modify their SFE and used for adhesion measurements at three different chocolate gloss areas (matt, glossy and homogenous) via AFM force maps. Influence of relevant parameters such as surface roughness, contact area, relative humidity, and SFE of functionalized tips was considered. Two different mathematical approaches based on Johnson-Kendall-Roberts theory were used to calculate SFE from adhesion values. The measured adhesion values showed variations depending on functionalized tip and chocolate gloss area. The results showed a difference in adhesion and, consequently, SFE in the different gloss areas with gloss > homogenous > matt. However, SFE obtained from adhesion forces were not decisive enough to enable a direct correlation with SFE data from contact angle measurements at the same area.