OUR TECHNOLOGY
Gelatinization with less energy
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Our technology makes starch gelatinized instantly with less energy by milling under a certain temperature.
High gelatinization rates lead to high digestibility. Our technology contributes to the feed efficacy improvement in the livestock industry, and nutrition improvement in the food industry. Alphatech’s gelatinization adds new physical properties to grain powders as well as being applicable to various kinds of food recipes.
Temp-Controlled Milling also enhances the degradability of cellulose fibers, which is the main component of wood and grass.
High degradability is a must in cellulosic biomass up-cycling.
Alphatech tackles the better usage of natural polymers, such as starch and cellulose.
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Grains/starch need gelatinization to be nutritious
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Starches in grains are basically in a crystal state.
The crystal structures of raw starches are rather firm and resistant to digestive enzymes.Starches became high-nutrient foods only after humans began “cooking” them. During the cooking process, starches are heated with water, and become easy to digest by loosening their crystal structures.
The gelatinized state is generally not long-lasting, and they return to the enzyme-resistant state again as time passes. This return is called retrogradation/aging/recrystallization.
Conventional gelatinization methods need a lot of energy and work; so do preservations of gelatinized starches.
Alphatech’s Temp-Controlled Milling gelatinizes starches instantly with less energy. It makes the gelatinization state long-lasting as well through its unique additional water-free gelatinization principle.
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What else can gelatinized starch do
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Gelatinized grain powders work as a sticker or thickener.
Ordinary grain powders are insoluble and only disperse in water. On the other hand, Alphatech’s gelatinized grains are partly water-soluble and partly absorb water. Being able to control their viscosity by adjusting the amount of water added, Alphatech’s gelatinized grains can utilize many functions such as thickening, binding, and dispersing ingredients.
Alphatechs’s gelatinization realizes clean-label food by efficiently producing gelatinized grain powders which can be an alternative for such food additives as thickeners, diluting agents or stabilizers.
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The viscosity alters the physical characteristics of dough. For example, Alphatech’s gelatinized rice powder realized soft and fluffy gluten-free bread and a springy texture in noodles made from only rice powder.
Application in cellulose amorphization
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The crystal structure in lignoellulose is quite firm, making wood a suitable construction material. The other way around, this firmness is a nuisance in lignocellulosic biomass up-cycling which needs degradation of the structure.
Alphatech‘s Temp-Controlled Milling enhances cellulose degradation through amorphization of its crystal structure. Alphatech’s amorphization is simple: just milling under a certain temperature. It is low-cost and eco-friendly compared to conventional cellulose amorphization methods which need high temperature/pressure, chemicals, or high-breaking energy.
Various applications are expected from lignocellulose biomass including energy resource, feed, food, fertilizer, chemical industry raw materials, and so on. Alphatech’s amorphization may open the door to a sustainable world that fully utilizes the potential of cellulosic biomass.
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