Probing Molecular Mechanisms of Emulsifier-Modulated Lipid Crystallization via Ultrasonic Phase Velocity

Lipid crystallization critically influences food quality, yet its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study employs ultrasonic phase velocity, integrated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), to elucidate sucrose fatty acid ester (SFE) modulation of hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO) crystallization. Compressibility, not density, dominates acoustic responses during phase transitions, with compressibility changes 2.3 times greater than density changes.