Drying dissipative structures of arrowroot starch

Macroscopic and microscopic drying patterns of arrowroot starch (ARS) in diluted aqueous solution and gel state were investigated on a cover glass in order to know the molecular information of ARS and their interaction with the substrate. Thickness profiles of the dried film showed coexistence of the rather sharp broad ring and the very broad accumulation at the outside edge and the inner region, respectively. The sharpness parameters, S values from the outside peaks decreased sharply from 100 to 3 as initial concentration increased from 0.04 to 3 wt%. Furthermore, very low S values between one and two originating from the round hills were also observed at low concentrations, 0.04 to 0.2 wt%. The results support that stable gelation of ARS molecules does not take place at the ARS concentrations lower than ca. 2 wt% at 20 °C. It is highly plausible that ARS molecules existing near the substrate surface are adsorbed strongly on the substrate. Gelation of ARS molecules took place rapidly above 2 wt%. The S values increased sharply from 3 to 15 with increasing temperature from 5 to 20 °C, and kept constant around 15 at the higher temperatures up to 50 °C. Convectional diffusion of ARS decreased in the order of ARS > gelatin > poly (N-butyl acrylate), when comparison was made at the same weight percent at the lower concentrations than ca. 2 wt%. Above the concentration, stable gel structures of ARS were formed.