Is rheological characterization of starch possible in 10 minutes and are the results comparable to the Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph or the Viscograph-E?
To anticipate the outcome: Yes, it is indeed possible to characterize starch rheologically in just 10 minutes while maintaining a high degree of comparability (R²= 0.994) to existing measurement methods or specifications. Even with a test time of only 10 minutes, the typical Brabender temperature profile is relevant for determining the rheological properties.
The absorption of water and thus the start of the gelatinization process of native starch granules can only be initialized at higher temperatures. Therefore, a reduction of the measuring time to 10 minutes is only possible if the heating and cooling rate of the temperature profile is increased. The Viscograph-E, one of Brabender’s first viscometers, has a maximum temperature control rate of 1.5-3.0 °C/min. This results in a total test time of 1:40 hrs.
In the late 1990s, there was tremendous interest in parts of the starch industry in shortening the testing time. Brabender looked into fulfilling this demand and succeeded in reducing the test time to 20 minutes with the introduction of the Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph.
Today, the industry has once again been transformed by digitalization and automation. The need for fast results and smart analyzers is greater than ever before. In tackling these new challenges, Brabender supports its partners with the ViscoQuick. Thanks to its novel heating and cooling system, the test time can be reduced by 50% compared to the previous model, the Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph. In light of this, some users may ask themselves whether the results of the ViscoQuick are comparable to the old viscometers from Brabender.
This technical note provides an example of how to take advantage of the ViscoQuick’s short test time while continuing to work with existing measurement results and specifications.
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