Microscopy and spectroscopy techniques applied to analyze the microstructure of food powders

The objective of this chapter is to give an overview of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques used to analyze the microstructure (structure) of food powders. With the knowledge of the powder structure, it is possible to propose the design conditions for quality products with more excellent stability. The development of the structure of the powders will depend on the process used for their elaboration, among those of higher industrial applications are the fragmentation (grinding), pulverization, lyophilization, drum drying, and spray drying, the latter being the most widely used. During the powders processing, the microstructure is developed by the arrangement of the fed components. The development of microscopy techniques has promoted more excellent knowledge of the microstructural development of powders. Among these is light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Thus spectroscopy techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, and Raman microscopy have also been used.