Segment Starch

The scarcity of raw materials and prices increases for synthesis products are constantly boosting demand for renewable raw materials.

Products based on renewable raw materials are also increasingly being seen as a symbol of greater environmental awareness.

The primary purpose of our R&D efforts is therefore to tap new application areas for products based on starch and to adapt specific products to special applications. Close cooperation with the market and intensive discussions with customers are essential to successfully implementing new developments.

The main focus of our work in this area lies in the development of special starch products (based on potato starch, corn starch and waxy corn starch) by means of physical or chemical derivatization for use in technical areas (paper, corrugated cardboard, textiles, construction, adhesives, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, etc.) as well as the testing of application technologies for use in various technical areas.

One area we have been focusing on in particular is the development of innovative starch products for the construction industry. The combined use of highly viscous starch derivatives and cellulose ethers as thickening agents for paints, especially water-based paints, has enabled us to open up a new application area for starch products. These newly developed products will be launched on the basis of intensive application method testing in a special-purpose water-based paints laboratory. Use patent applications have been filed to protect our developments.

AGRANA has continued with its development of organic starches, an area in which it is the market leader, to tap into new application areas and ensure the wide use of these new developments in products such as fruit preparations and mayonnaises, etc.

We are also currently testing and developing high starch content varieties of wheat particularly suited for use in the production of bioethanol. Other series of tests are investigating methods to further optimize the process for manufacturing bioethanol.

Yet another focus of our research efforts has been ways in which to accelerate the fermentation process for bioethanol through the use of special additives (e.g. complex sources of nitrogen such as PNC – potato nitrogen concentrate).