In this article, we will discuss about the production of starch that is - How to make Potato starch? And How to make Corn starch?
The ancients used starch in manufacturing Paper (as an adhesive and stiffener) in about 3500 B.C. At the same period the Egyptian cemented papyrus (a kind of paper made from reed plant) together in this manner. Between the period 700 to 1300, most paper was heavily coated with starch, but afterwards this practice was dropped and not in use today.
During Middle Ages, it was used in textiles as a common stiffening agent. Up to this time potato starch to supplement the wheat starch was introduced. Starch plays a leading role in determining texture of many foods, and texture is of vital concern to both the consumer and the food manufacturer for it is a major factor governing the acceptability and palatability of most food products.
Starch is one of the most common substances existing in nature. It is one of the major basic constituent of the diet. Starch is used in more than 300 modern industries. Some of them are textiles, paper, adhesives, insecticides, paints, soaps, explosives etc.
Manufacturing of Industrial Starch:
Even though starch has many varieties, the three varieties which are mainly produced are corn, wheat and potato starch.
The corn wet milling process starts with the production of starch slurry. This starch slurry can be further processed to produce, dextrin, corn sweeteners and ethanol.
First, shelled and cleaned kernels are placed in steep tanks and soaked in water containing small quantities of So2 for the period of 24 to 48 hours at a temperature of 10°C (50°F). During this period the extraction of soluble materials from Kernel take place.
The main function of So2 is to prevent fermentation and to separate the starch and protein. After the process of steeping is completed, steep water is drained from the Kernels and it is then concentrated. This concentrated steep water is mainly used to produce animal feed products.
In the next step kernels are ground in attrition mills. It helps to loosen the hull (covering the corn) Water is then added to the mills, producing a mixture of pulp slurry and whole germ (micro-organism). This slurry is then taken to hydro-clone separators, which remove the lighter germ. The germ is then dried and sold as is or further processed into corn oil and germ meal. The corn oil can be either refined to make a salad oil or cooking oil or a raw material input to margarine. The germ meal is used in the production of animal feed.
The remainder of the Kernel, the hull and gluten (a sticky substance when the starch is removed) is sent through an additional series of grinding and screening processes. After passing through a grinding mill, the hull particles are hold on screens while the gluten and starch particles pass through. The hills are used to make animal feed or refined corn fiber.
The remaining slurry of gluten and starch or mill starch is then separated by centrifugation. The gluten is then dried. It is then either sold as corn gluten meal (60% protein) or in producing corn gluten feed (12% protein). The starch slurry is then washed and de-watered using filters and centrifuges. The starch slurry is then used to make starch, dextrins or corn sweeteners and ethanol.
It contains about 10 to 30% starch. The production of potato starch includes the steps such as delivery and unloading potatoes, clearing, rasping of tubers (a potato is a tuber -i.e. having small buds from which new plants are formed), potato juice separation, starch extraction, starch milk refination, dewatering of refined starch milk and starch drying.
Potato starch is mainly used as a material both in the manufacture of food and non-food products. Applications of starch in food sectors include puddings, jellies, dessert, caramel and other food products. Application of starch in non-food sectors include: production of dextrins, adhesives, drilling fluids, biodegradable plastics etc. Modified starches are used as fillers, emulaion stabilizers. Other important applications are textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and paints.
In the manufacture of this cereal starch, the major problem met is the separation of the starch and gluten. This may be achieved by Martin's process. In this process wheat is ground to flour, made into a dough with about 40% of its weight of water and stored for one hour. The resulting mass is divided into small lumps. It is then placed in a semi-circular sieve. Here roller is pressed over it to remove starch. It is then removed by fine water spray. The gluten is then separted from the starch slurry on screens, washed and water spray. The gluten is then separated from the starch slurry on screens, washed and dried.
It is the largest non-food application for starches all over the world. In a sheet of copy paper the starch content may be as high as 8%. Both chemically modified and un-modified starches are used in paper making. Starch is also used in paper coating as one of the binders for coating formulations such as pigments, thickness etc. on account of this the smoothness, hardness, whiteness and gloss of paper has improved a lot, and thus quality of printing has improved a lot.
Corrugated board adhesives are the largest application of non-food starches all over the world.
It is also called as Laundry starch. It is prepared by mixing a vegetable starch in water. During the 19th Century and early 20th century it was mainly used stiffen the collars of men's shirts and the ruffles (wrinkles) of girl's petticoats by applying starch to them and then applying the iron. Today, it is sold in aerosol cans for home use.
In construction industry it is used in the gypsum wall board manufacturing process. The starches act as a glue and provide rigidity to the board.
It is also used in the manufacture of various adhesives and glues for book-binding, wallpaper adhesives, tube winding, envelope adhesives, school glues and bottle labelling.
In oil exploration, starch is used to adjust the viscosity of drilling fluid.
In the painting industry, food grade starch is used in the manufacture anti-set-off spray powder used to separate printed sheets of paper to avoid wet in being set off.
Powdered corn starch is used as a substitute for talcum powder.
The ancients used starch in manufacturing Paper (as an adhesive and stiffener) in about 3500 B.C. At the same period the Egyptian cemented papyrus (a kind of paper made from reed plant) together in this manner. Between the period 700 to 1300, most paper was heavily coated with starch, but afterwards this practice was dropped and not in use today.
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| Corn Starch |
During Middle Ages, it was used in textiles as a common stiffening agent. Up to this time potato starch to supplement the wheat starch was introduced. Starch plays a leading role in determining texture of many foods, and texture is of vital concern to both the consumer and the food manufacturer for it is a major factor governing the acceptability and palatability of most food products.
Starch is one of the most common substances existing in nature. It is one of the major basic constituent of the diet. Starch is used in more than 300 modern industries. Some of them are textiles, paper, adhesives, insecticides, paints, soaps, explosives etc.
Manufacturing of Industrial Starch:
Even though starch has many varieties, the three varieties which are mainly produced are corn, wheat and potato starch.
How to make Corn starch?
1) Corn Starch production:
The corn wet milling process starts with the production of starch slurry. This starch slurry can be further processed to produce, dextrin, corn sweeteners and ethanol.
Production of starch slurry:
First, shelled and cleaned kernels are placed in steep tanks and soaked in water containing small quantities of So2 for the period of 24 to 48 hours at a temperature of 10°C (50°F). During this period the extraction of soluble materials from Kernel take place.
The main function of So2 is to prevent fermentation and to separate the starch and protein. After the process of steeping is completed, steep water is drained from the Kernels and it is then concentrated. This concentrated steep water is mainly used to produce animal feed products.
Production of starch slurry
In the next step kernels are ground in attrition mills. It helps to loosen the hull (covering the corn) Water is then added to the mills, producing a mixture of pulp slurry and whole germ (micro-organism). This slurry is then taken to hydro-clone separators, which remove the lighter germ. The germ is then dried and sold as is or further processed into corn oil and germ meal. The corn oil can be either refined to make a salad oil or cooking oil or a raw material input to margarine. The germ meal is used in the production of animal feed.
The remainder of the Kernel, the hull and gluten (a sticky substance when the starch is removed) is sent through an additional series of grinding and screening processes. After passing through a grinding mill, the hull particles are hold on screens while the gluten and starch particles pass through. The hills are used to make animal feed or refined corn fiber.
The remaining slurry of gluten and starch or mill starch is then separated by centrifugation. The gluten is then dried. It is then either sold as corn gluten meal (60% protein) or in producing corn gluten feed (12% protein). The starch slurry is then washed and de-watered using filters and centrifuges. The starch slurry is then used to make starch, dextrins or corn sweeteners and ethanol.
How to make White Potato Starch?
It contains about 10 to 30% starch. The production of potato starch includes the steps such as delivery and unloading potatoes, clearing, rasping of tubers (a potato is a tuber -i.e. having small buds from which new plants are formed), potato juice separation, starch extraction, starch milk refination, dewatering of refined starch milk and starch drying.
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| Potato starch |
Application of potato starch:
Potato starch is mainly used as a material both in the manufacture of food and non-food products. Applications of starch in food sectors include puddings, jellies, dessert, caramel and other food products. Application of starch in non-food sectors include: production of dextrins, adhesives, drilling fluids, biodegradable plastics etc. Modified starches are used as fillers, emulaion stabilizers. Other important applications are textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and paints.
Wheat Starch:
In the manufacture of this cereal starch, the major problem met is the separation of the starch and gluten. This may be achieved by Martin's process. In this process wheat is ground to flour, made into a dough with about 40% of its weight of water and stored for one hour. The resulting mass is divided into small lumps. It is then placed in a semi-circular sieve. Here roller is pressed over it to remove starch. It is then removed by fine water spray. The gluten is then separted from the starch slurry on screens, washed and water spray. The gluten is then separated from the starch slurry on screens, washed and dried.
Industrial Applications of Starch
1) Papermaking:
It is the largest non-food application for starches all over the world. In a sheet of copy paper the starch content may be as high as 8%. Both chemically modified and un-modified starches are used in paper making. Starch is also used in paper coating as one of the binders for coating formulations such as pigments, thickness etc. on account of this the smoothness, hardness, whiteness and gloss of paper has improved a lot, and thus quality of printing has improved a lot.
2) Corrugated Board Adhesives:
Corrugated board adhesives are the largest application of non-food starches all over the world.
3) Clothing Starch:
It is also called as Laundry starch. It is prepared by mixing a vegetable starch in water. During the 19th Century and early 20th century it was mainly used stiffen the collars of men's shirts and the ruffles (wrinkles) of girl's petticoats by applying starch to them and then applying the iron. Today, it is sold in aerosol cans for home use.
Some characteristic applications of food starches:
In construction industry it is used in the gypsum wall board manufacturing process. The starches act as a glue and provide rigidity to the board.
It is also used in the manufacture of various adhesives and glues for book-binding, wallpaper adhesives, tube winding, envelope adhesives, school glues and bottle labelling.
In oil exploration, starch is used to adjust the viscosity of drilling fluid.
In the painting industry, food grade starch is used in the manufacture anti-set-off spray powder used to separate printed sheets of paper to avoid wet in being set off.
Powdered corn starch is used as a substitute for talcum powder.