ARS | Publication request: RHEOLOGY OF MODIFIED LESQUERELLA GUM

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: November 23, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Lesquerella fendleri is a promising new crop whose oil has important industrial applications. In addition the seed contains a gum which may have many commercial applications. This study chemically altered the native gum to improve its characteristics in water-based paint formulations. Results of the study indicate that the gum and its derivatives could meet the requirements of many different applications. Lesquerella will be one step closer to becoming a commercial crop in the U.S. because a market for the gum has been identified.

Technical Abstract: Lesquerella fendleri is a promising new oil-seed crop with potential for commercialization in the next few years. It's oil contains hydroxy fatty acids that have many potentially important industrial applications. In addition to the oil, L. fendleri seed contains seed-surface polysaccharides (SSP) or gum. The oil-extracted seedmeal containing the SSP may have applications in adhesives or suspending agents. For the purpose of improving the physico-chemical properties of the SSP, acetate, amine, carboxylate, and quaternary ammonium pendant groups have been added to the gum. The rheological behavior of this gum and its derivatives were compared to three widely used commercial gums, guar, tragacanth and xanthan.