THE ACETYLATION OF STARCH BY REACTIVE EXTRUSION

Potato starch has been acetylated in a counter rotating twin strew ext ruder using vinylacetate and sodium hydroxide. The desired starch acet ylation reaction is accompanied by an undesired parallel base catalyse d hydrolysis reaction of vinylacetate and a consecutive hydrolysis rea ction oi. the acetylated starch. Also deacetylation may occur. During the extrusion process sodium hydroxide, vinylacetate, granular potato starch and water were supplied to the extruder. Conversions up to 100 % could be achieved. The degree of substitution could be varied from 0 .05 to 0.2. Selectivities from vinylacetate towards starch of up to 80 % could be achieved. From reaction kinetics and experiments it could b e concluded that the deacetylation reaction could be neglected. The de gree of gelatinisation appeared to be a major key parameter. Increasin g the gelatinisation in an early stage of the extrusion process, at hi gh starch concentrations and temperatures, increases the selectivity a nd degree of substitution. The gelatinisation degree can be increased by applying high shear and temperatures to the starch granule and by u sing screws with modified geometries.