Cereal Chem. 73 (5):539-542  |  VIEW ARTICLE

Engineering and Processing

(^60)Co Radiation Effect on Copolymers of Starch and Plastics (1).

Anantha N. R. Kollengode (2), Sandeep Bhatnagar (3), and Milford A. Hanna (4). (1) Published as Journal Series No. 11406 of the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division. (2) Graduate research assistant, Industrial Agricultural Products Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. (3) Research associate, Industrial Agricultural Products Center and Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. (4) Professor, Departments of Food Science and Technology and Biological Systems Engineering, and Director, Industrial Agricultural Products Center., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0730. Corresponding author. E-mail: <bsen024@unlvm.unl.edu> Accepted May 14, 1996. Copyright 1996 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Normal corn starch (25% amylose content) was mixed with 10% of either polystyrene or poly(methyl methacrylate) and irradiated at 0, 5, 10, 20, or 30 kGy. The irradiated samples were extruded using a C. W. Brabender twin-screw laboratory extruder at 120ºC barrel temperature, 60 rpm screw speed, and 18% (db) moisture content. Level of radiation significantly (P > F = 0.001) influenced extrudate radial expansion ratio, bulk density, specific mechanical energy, water solubility index, and degree of grafting as determined by delta (^13)C values. These properties were not significantly influenced by the type of plastic polymer used.