Dual Modification of Starch Via Gamma Irradiation and Subsequent Chemical Treatment with Urea for the Development of Adhesives

Abstract

This research evaluates achira starch modification via gamma radiation, chemical modification and the subsequent adhesives formulation. Native starch was irradiated using a linear accelerator; the mean dose rate used was 19.5 kGy/min at ambient temperature and normal pressure. The chemical modification of irradiated starch consisted of a hydrolysis process, followed by the obtention of carbamates from the hydrolyzed starch with urea, sulphuric acid and ethanol. In order to prepare adhesives; native, modified and dual-modified starches were tested in different proportions with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed all modified starches had a lower intensity in the band between 1100 and 900 cm-1 due to the damage in the glycosidic bonds. Only single modified starches evidenced a characteristic band at 1715 cm-1, which corresponds to the group carbonyl (C=O) of carbamates. The viscosity of native starch adhesives increased with the starch-PVA, unlike, single and dual-modified starch adhesives. The shear bond strength did not change significantly in the adhesives formulated either with starch modified by urea or electron beam irradiation. The combination of hydrolysis with gamma radiation caused strong damage in the starch structure. However, despite the molecular destruction of polysaccharide, the adhesion capacity for non-irradiated starches is similar in all cases.