Solvent-substitution effects on weight and volume changes during the desiccation process of egg-white gel

The substitution effects for ethanol and acetone were investigated by means of simultaneous measurements of weight and volume during the desiccating process of egg-white gel. The time variations of the weight and volume in ethanol- and acetone-substituted gels were much different from those in the gel without substitution; the former showed gradual decrease, while the latter showed linear time dependence approximated by two lines in the semi-log plots. The structures in the desiccated specimens substituted with ethanol or acetone were revealed, through the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photographs to differ greatly from those prepared from the nonsubstituted gel. Moreover, in the dehydration measurements carried out after soaking the desiccated specimens in water, all of the specimens showed almost the same features as the gel without substitution.