Résumé
The aim of this study was to determine and compare the melting (T-m), glass transition (T-g) and mechanical relaxation (T-alpha) temperatures of a new waxy cassava starch. Thermal transitions measurements were obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamical Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA). The experimental data showed a high correlation between water volume fraction and melting temperature (T-m) indicating that the Flory-Huggins theory can be used to describe the thermal behavior of this starch. The T-m of waxy cassava starch-water mixes were lower than a waxy corn starch-water reference system, but differences were not statistically significant. The mechanical relaxation temperatures taken at tan delta peaks were found 29-38 degrees C larger than T-g. The T-alpha and T-g measured for waxy cassava starch exhibited similar properties to the ones of waxy corn starch, implying that waxy cassava starch can be used in food and materials industry.