The optimization of the thermal treatment of cationic starch in the paper industry offers the
opportunity to reduce the energy consumption of this process. Four different industrially relevant
cationic starches, varying in source, cationization method and degree of substitution were treated
by a steam-jet cooking procedure, comparable to industrially employed starch cooking processes.
The influence of the starch properties and cooking parameters on the adsorption behavior of the
starches on cellulosic pulp was investigated. The adsorbed amount was affected by the cooking
temperature and the type of starch. For some starch grades, a cooking temperature of 115 ◦C can be
employed to achieve sufficient starch retention on the pulp fibers. The energy consumption could
further be reduced by cooking at higher starch concentrations without loss of adsorption efficiency.