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Submitted to: Starch
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The EPA, every year, is imposing fines on industrial companies polluting our waterways. Use of agricultural commodities, for example, modified starch, will lesson pollution. Value-added products from starch, reacted with citric acid at high temprature, have been researched to provide materials which are biodegradable. Several reaction parameters were explored to yield products, which can be used as substitutes for commercial petrochemically available products, to remove toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewaters. Technical Abstract: Starch was allowed to react thermochemically (oven versus drum drying-oven) with citric acid to potentially yield biodegradable products possessing high ion exchange capacity. Reaction variables studied were: starch type (amylose content 0-70%), pH (0.5-8.5), sodium level (0-3 moles), citric acid level (0.1-0.5 moles), reaction time, temperature (110-140 deg C) and sodium dihydrogen phosphate catalysis. Reaction efficiencies approaching 100% were achieved, while minimizing crosslinking and maximizing ccccarboxyl content. Carboxyl content was determined and copper binding capacity at pH 4.5 was evaluated. |
