ABSTRACT
Starches serve as an energy source for growing seeds such as corn and wheat and for tubers such as potatoes. Corn is by far the largest starch-rich crop in the United States, and the largest use of corn at 40% continues to be an energy source or feed for livestock (USDA/ERS). Second in volume at 33%, the conversion of cornstarch to ethanol by fermentation has increased greatly recently due to subsidies and the increased price of petroleum. Food starches and starches for industrial use utilize a rather small portion (2%) of the total corn crop. Most industrial applications of starch take advantage of its low cost and its ability to be dispersed in water with heating followed by drying to form a coating, Šlm, or adhesive. Common high-volume applications include paper coatings and sizes, textile coatings, cardboard adhesive, drywall adhesive, etc. (Zobel and Stephen 2006). Recently, starches have become useful as biodegradable packaging foams and as components in Šlms and molded articles (Bastioli 2001; Carvalho 2008; Halley et al. 2008; Shen et al. 2010). In most cases, the starch has been gelatinized or melted in the presence of water or other plasticizer and exists in the form of a largely amorphous solid.
