Starches structure-property relationships

All the above examples clearly demonstrate that the physical properties of starch-based materials are related to the molecular structure and the state of starch. Undoubtedly, there is a need for more work in the area of structure-property relationships of starches in model systems and in composite matrices of real products. Such studies would be useful in optimizing product formulation and in refinement of processing conditions to improve end-product characteristics and increase shelf life. 

Stein, T.M., Gordon, S.H. and Greene, R.V. (1999). Amino Acids as Plasticizers - II. Use of Quantitative Structure-Property Relationships to Predict the Behavior of Monoammonium-monocarboxylate Plasticizers in Starch-Glycerol Blends. Carbohydr.Polym., 39,7-16. 

Structure-Property Relationships in a Low-Moisture Starch Model System... 

This article provides a review of thermoplastic starch polymers [unlike polymers with added granular starch] including an introduction to biodegradable polymers and thermoplastic starch polymers a review of thermoplastic starch polymer development a review of reactive modification of thermoplastic starch, examining the structure-property relationships of thermoplastic starch and a review of commercial thermoplastic starch polymer applications. 

Understanding Thermoplastic Starch Structure-Property-Processing-Performance-Biodegradation Relationships... 

Application of flotation agents and their structure-property relationships Adsorbed starch Shielded collectors... 

Pea is a renewable reservoir for functional macromolecules. Pea proteins or starches can be used for packaging applications, such as films, foams and controlled release systems. The functionality of the biopolymers is influenced by technological treatments and altered by physical, enzymatic or chemical modifications. This work is aimed at obtaining detailed knowledge about the structure-property relationships of pea-based biodegradable plastics. 

J. J. G. van Soest, Starch Plastics Structure-Property Relationships, PhD Dissertation, Utrecht University, ISBN 90-393-1072-6, P L Press, Wageningen, 1995, pp. 1. 

Van Soest, J., 1996, PhD diesis Starch plastics structure-property relationships. 

Walenta, E., Fink, H. R,Weigel, R, Ganster,J., Schaaf, E. (2001]. Structure-Property relationships of extruded starch. 2. Extrusion products from native starch, Macromol. Mater. Eng., 286,462-471. 

The following sections focus on the description of the state and phase transition behavior of starch systems, as schematically illustrated in Figure 8.5, with an emphasis on their molecular organization and their response to various environments (temperature, solvent, other co-solutes, etc.). Selected material properties are also discussed in an effort to demonstrate structure-function relationships of this biopolymer mixture in pure systems and in real food products. 

Clearly, understanding these relationships will provide the ability to understand these systems and aid in the smart design of new thermoplastic starch products. Our future work is focussing on effects of subsequent conversion processing conditions on structure-property-biodegradation relationships. 

The composition of reducing sugars in aqueous solution has been surveyed. A review on the structural properties of the anomeric centre in pyranoses and pyranosides has appeared. Three reviews concerning properties of fructose have been published, dealing with its metabolism, its chemical structure and properties, and its chemistry with some emphasis on the relationship between molecular structure and calculated and experimental values of optical activity, and such properties as taste. The production of nutritive sweeteners by acidic and enzymic hydrolysis of starch has been reviewed. ... 

Available chromatographic, spectroscopic and chemical methods for the characterization and quantitative determination of amylo-dextrin products are reviewed, discussed and evaluated. The analyses of amylodextrins are of vital importance to researchers involved, for example, in the characterization of novel starch degrading enzymes and starches of novel rheological properties and the rationalization of structure/ function relationships of amylases. 

At this point little is known about the interrelationships between composition, structure, starch-degradation and physical disintegration properties of starch-plastic composites. Continued work towards development of a laboratory assay for biodegradability will eventually result in the establishment of a sufficient database to elucidate these relationships, allowing development of a host of starch-containing plastic products for both existing and new markets. 

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