Starch and cellulose derivatives: Feedstocks
Why co-products keep a starch mill in business
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Starch is a crop product: about 1.5 t of maize or 4-5 t of cassava roots per t of starch (indicative). Maize is most of the cost, and co-products (gluten, germ, fibre) earn back a large part of it. Plants must sit near maize or cassava supply. Cellulose derivatives use wood pulp or cotton linters, so they follow pulp and cotton prices.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mz Maize | about 1.5 t per t starch (indicative) | starch source | about 70-80% of cash cost before co-product credits (indicative) | indicative; maize tile |
| Csv Cassava | about 4-5 t per t starch (indicative) | starch source in Thailand, Vietnam and Tamil Nadu | most of cash cost | cassava tile; indicative |
| Wh Wheat | not published | starch and gluten in Europe and Australia | large | indicative |
| Po Potatoes | not published | potato starch in Europe | large | indicative |
| Tm Timber | about 0.5-0.7 t per t CMC (indicative) | cellulose source for ethers | significant (indicative) | indicative |
| Ct Cotton | not published | high-purity cellulose for ethers | significant (indicative) | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
US and Chinese maize wet millers and Thai cassava mills are lowest cost; Indian millers compete on cheap labour and growing maize output but face ethanol-driven maize prices (Mordor via GII).
Raw materials on the commodity table
Mz MaizeCsv CassavaTm TimberCt CottonWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| Cit Citric acid | glucose is the fermentation feedstock |
| Lys Amino acids (lysine, methionine) | glucose feeds lysine and threonine fermentation |
| PLA Lactic acid and PLA | glucose feeds lactic acid fermentation |
| Fd Food and feed additives | modified starches and maltodextrins are texturants |
| Con Construction chemicals | cellulose and starch ethers in mortars and tile adhesives |