Rheology and rheological measurements of starch

Starch is a semicrystalline polymer. Upon heating in excess water, starch granules absorb water, crystallites melt, and the sol becomes a gel. All these steps are together termed gelatinization. The transformation of sol to gel, gelatinization and the reaction kinetics related to the gelatinization have been described by rheometry in this chapter. Various measurement techniques related to starch rheology, starting from steady-state flow to small and large amplitude oscillatory measurements to creep and recovery are the focus of the chapter. Starch gels exhibit viscoelastic properties with predominating solid-like behavior (G′>G″). The possibility of the measurements of conventional viscographic pasting properties on a rheometer is also highlighted.