| Boiling Point | 300 °C |
| Melting Point | 180 °C |
| Flash Point | 250 °C |
| Physical Form | Powder |
| Molecular Weight | ~500,000 g/mol (bulk polymer) |
| Solubility Information | Soluble in water |
| CAS Number | 9047-50-1 |
| PubChem CID | 24776 |
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Dialdehyde starch is a chemically modified starch derivative produced by oxidizing native starch so that pairs of hydroxyl groups on the glucose backbone are converted into reactive aldehyde functionalities. This oxidation step transforms an otherwise inert carbohydrate polymer into a versatile crosslinking building block, since the newly formed aldehyde groups can react readily with amines, hydroxyls, and other nucleophilic sites on adjacent molecules.
Because the degree of oxidation can be adjusted during manufacturing, dialdehyde starch’s bulk molecular weight sits in the hundreds-of-thousands range, consistent with a high-molecular-weight polymeric material, and it dissolves readily in water — a property that makes it convenient to work with in aqueous processing environments common to the paper, textile, and adhesives industries.
The reactive aldehyde groups on dialdehyde starch make it particularly valuable wherever a crosslinking or bonding function is needed within a water-based system. In papermaking, it is used to reinforce the internal fiber network of paper, helping sheets retain strength even when exposed to moisture. Textile processors rely on similar chemistry when finishing or coating fabrics.
Beyond paper and textiles, dialdehyde starch serves as a functional ingredient in adhesive formulations, and finds a role in organic synthesis and biopolymer research, where chemists use it as a reactive starting material to build crosslinked networks or to chemically modify other polysaccharides.
