Cereal Chem. 70:247-251   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Dynamic Measurement of Starch Granule Swelling During Gelatinization.

G. R. Ziegler, D. B. Thompson, and J. Casasnovas. Copyright 1993 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Swelling of corn starch granules during gelatinization was monitored by a new method based on particle size analysis (PSA). Using a modified PSA chamber, for which temperature could be increased at a controlled rate, a series of particle size distributions was collected throughout the gelatinization process. Swelling behavior of common corn starch, waxy maize starch, and cross-linked waxy maize starch was shown to be consistent for a given starch, yet different among the three starches. Maximum swelling power (maximum swollen granule volume per initial hydrated granule volume) was 11.2, 16.4, and 10.3 for common corn, waxy maize, and cross-linked waxy maize, respectively. Two other dynamic methods of monitoring gelatinization, differential scanning calorimetry and viscometry (Brabender Viscoamylograph) were employed for comparison to the dynamic swelling data.