Effect of ultrasound on sulfuric acid-catalysed hydrolysis of starch

The influence of ultrasound on the hydrolysis of starch was investigated at moderate temperature range (90-100°C) and in the dilute sulfuric acid (1-5 wt%). Enhancements of the reaction rate by ultrasound was observed. The degree of the relative enhancement depended on the reaction temperature. The model reaction by maltose showed that the acid hydrolysis of glucosidic linkages was first order with respect to the substance concentration and the hydrogen ion concentration, respectively. And the activation energies of the control and the ultrasound-aided hydrolysis of maltose were 30.2 and 23.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Enhancement was thus expressed as the alleviation of activation energy by ultrasound irradiation.