Characterization of storage modulus of starch suspensions during the initial stages of pasting using Stokesian dynamics simulations

Abstract This study performs Stokesian dynamics simulations of suspensions of rigid spheres to determine the conditions under which swollen starch granules can be considered rigid for rheology measurements. The first part of the study benchmarks the numerical simulations to experimental measurements of storage modulus (G′) for monodisperse polystyrene suspensions. The second part of the study compares the simulations to experimental measurements of G′ for waxy maize and normal rice starch suspensions swollen to volume fractions 0.4   0.5. These results indicate that granule deformability plays an important role when φ > 0.5, and indicates the range where one can apply theories of rigid suspension rheology.