Achievement of Starch Fiberization Technology

1)研制了实验室规模的淀粉纤维生产装置。这是一种在空气压力下将淀粉水溶液挤压成约40%的硫酸铵溶液的设备。喷嘴直径设计为0.1至0.4毫米。利用该装置可以制备重复性较好的淀粉纤维。2)考察了淀粉纤维的制备条件。玉米淀粉比马铃薯淀粉具有更好的纤维性能，尽管马铃薯淀粉在热水中有更高的溶解度。这种纤化行为和溶解性的差异一定是由于这些淀粉样品中直链淀粉和支链淀粉的比例造成的。溶液中淀粉含量和装置喷嘴直径的最佳条件分别为10%和0.4 mm。为了改善淀粉纤维的性能，我们将在不久的将来进行进一步的淀粉与其他水溶性聚合物或填料共混纤维的制备实验。3)研究了含0-40%淀粉纤维的手抄片的基本性能。虽然淀粉纤维的加入在一定程度上降低了手纸的施胶性能和光学性能，但通过用淀粉纤维增强手纸中的纤维间粘合，极大地提高了手纸的力学性能。加速老化试验表明，加入淀粉纤维可以在一定程度上防止酸性手纸的酸败。

1) A laboratory-scale apparatus for producing starch fiber was manufactured. This is an apinner which extrudes aqueous starch solution into ca. 40% ammonium sulfate solution by air-pressure. The nozzle diameter was designed to vary from 0.1 to 0.4 mm. Starch fibers were able to be prepared in good reproducibility using this apparatus.2) Preparing conditions for starch fibers were examined in terms of shapes of starch fibers thus obtained. Corn starch gave better fibers than potato starch, although potato starch had higher solubility in hot water. This difference in fiberization behavior and solubility must be due to ratios of amylose and amylopectin in these starch samples. The optimum conditions for starch content in solutions and the nozzle diameter of the apparatus were 10% and 0.4mm, respectively. Further experiments for preparing blend fibers with starch and either other water-soluble polymers or fillers will be carried out in near future to improve characteristics of starch fibers.3) Fundamental properties of handsheets containing 0-40% starch fibers were studied. Although sizing and optical properties of the handsheets fell down to some extent by the addition of the starch fibers, mechanical properties were extremely improved by reinforcing interfiber bonds in handsheets with starch fibers. Accelerated aging tests revealed that deterioration due to acidity of acidic handsheets was prevented to some extent by the addition of starch fibers into handsheets.