A small‐angle x‐ray scattering study of starch gelatinization in excess and limiting water

The architecture of the starch granule, and its subsequent disruption due to the application of heat and water, known as gelatinization, is of wide interest. Small‐angle x‐ray scattering (SAXS) techniques have been used to study gelatinization in limiting and excess water. SAXS allows the absorption of water into the differing regions of the starch granule to be monitored. In excess water, a process of cooperative melting can be seen. In limiting water, the crystalline order melts at a higher temperature. These features have been studied, and observed features of the gelatinization related to those known from other techniques.