Achievement of Starch Fiberization Technology

1)研制了一套实验室规模的淀粉纤维生产装置。这是一种将淀粉水溶液挤压成液体的离心器。40%的硫酸铵溶液通过空气压力。喷嘴直径设计为0.1 ~ 0.4mm。使用该装置能够以良好的再现性制备淀粉纤维。2）根据由此获得的淀粉纤维的形状来检查淀粉纤维的制备条件。虽然马铃薯淀粉在热水中的溶解度较高，但玉米淀粉比马铃薯淀粉产生更好的纤维。这种纤维化行为和溶解度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。实验结果表明，最佳的淀粉含量为10%，喷嘴直径为0.4mm。为了进一步改善淀粉纤维的性能，今后还将进行淀粉与其它水溶性聚合物或填料共混制备共混纤维的实验。3）研究了淀粉纤维含量为0-40%的手抄纸的基本性能。虽然淀粉纤维的加入在一定程度上降低了手抄纸的施胶性能和光学性能，但通过用淀粉纤维增强手抄纸中的纤维间键，极大地改善了手抄纸的机械性能。加速老化试验表明，淀粉纤维的加入在一定程度上防止了酸性手抄纸的酸性劣化。

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.