Water-starch complex problems

Pyrolysis is always accompanied by the evolution of volatile, decomposition products. The proportions and chemical complexity of these depend on the severity of the experimental conditions. However, under diminished pr ure, even at temperatures below 100°, water is liberated, and a major problem in this area of starch chemistry is to distinguish between the processes of dehydration and decomposition. At higher temperatures, the problem of thermal degradation may be complicated by the occurrence of intramolecular rearrangements and second-order interactions. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the course of pyrolysis is markedly altered by the presence of small proportions of inorganic materials. 

---