RAPID SEPARATION AND MEASUREMENT OF PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF STARCH GRANULES BY SEDIMENTATION STERIC FIELD-FLOW FRACTIONATION

Sedimentation/steric field-flow fractionation (Sd/StFFF) is introduced as a new technique for the size analysis of starch granules. Sd/StFFF provides both high speed and high resolution, and narrow size fractions of starch granules can be collected from the eluting stream for further characterization by microscopy or other techniques. The sedimentation FFF instrument was calibrated and applications were made to 12 starch samples derived from wheat, durum wheat, corn, oat, tapioca, and potato. The instrument response curve (the fractogram) and the size distribution curves for several of these samples were recorded. The mode or bimodal diameters and the percentages of A- and B-granules were compiled.