Amylose crystallization from concentrated aqueous solution

Maize amylose, separated from granular starch by means of an aqueous leaching process, was used to investigate spherulite formation from concentrated mixtures of starch in water. Amylose (10-20%, w/w) was found to form a spherulitic semicrystalline morphology over a wide range of cooling rates (1-250 °C/min), provided it was first heated to > 170 °C. This is explained through the effect of temperature on chain conformation. A maximum quench temperature of approximately 70 °C was required to produce spherulitic morphology. Quench temperatures between 70 and 110 °C produced a gel-like morphology. This is explained on the basis of the relative kinetics of liquid-liquid phase separation vis-à-vis crystallization. The possibility of the presence of a liquid crystalline phase affecting the process of spherulite formation is discussed.