Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

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Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects
Instrumental "hardness" is defined as the necessary force to achieve a given deformity
measured at the peak compression force during the first cycle (TPA), which
can be a real peak or a plateau. The unit of measurement in this equipment is the
gram (g).
The instrumental parameter called "cohesiveness" is obtained from the ratio of
the area under the curve of the second cycle between the first. It has no dimension
and the larger numerical values indicate greater cohesion.
“Adhesiveness” is instrumentally defined as the area under the negative part of
the curve during the first cycle and represents the work needed to remove the probe
from the sample. It is measured in grams per second (g.s) 6-7 .
Results
With the information on the water content and the hardness, cohesiveness and
adhesiveness, graphics have been designed obtaining the mathematical equations
that best fit the experimental curves.
The adhesiveness and hardness graphics compared to the water content can be
expressed by exponential equations with e base, extremely important in mathematical
applications to physical and chemical sciences such as:
Y
�
A e
1
� x0
�x
�
� t1
Where Y is the hardness or adhesiveness and x is the percentage of water in the
peloid. The value of the constants A1, x0 and t1 shown in the equation are summarized
in Table 1. The relationship between cohesiveness and the water content is
almost constant over the concentration range studied.
References
1. Armijo, F., 2008. Textura y granulometría de los peloides. En: Legido, X.L.,
Mourelle, M.L. (Eds), Investigaciones en el ámbito iberoamericano sobre peloides
termales. Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, pp. 115-128.
2. Fry, J., Hudson, J., 1983. Development of a Penetrometer Test of the Gel
Properties of Jam. In: Manufacturing Industries Research Association. Research
Reports of the British Food. Leatherhead, Surrey, 415, 1-32.
3. Roudot, A., 2004. Reología y análisis de la textura de los alimentos. Editorial
Acribia, S.A., Zaragoza.
4. Sahin, S., Sumnu, SG., 2006, Propiedades físicas de los alimentos. Editorial
Acribia, S.S., Zaragoza.
5. Armijo, F., Corvillo, I., Aguilera, L., Maraver, F. 2010. Comparación de la
textura de tres parafangos utilizados en Balnearios españoles. Libro de
resúmenes de II Congreso Iberoamericano de peloides. Lanjarón 14-16 julio,
pág. 32-33.
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Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 147-149