Corn starch production flow chart shows turning corn into a starch. As per the diagram, the first step is corn cleaning, followed by steeping. During steeping, the kernels absorb water and get more than double in size. The gluten bonds in the corn loosen, and starch is released. The water that the corn soaked in, referred to as steep-water, contains much of the soluble material from the corn, including a significant percentage of proteins. As the flow chart suggests, the corn is then coarsely milled in disc mills to separate the germ from starch, gluten, and fiber. The corn grit passing the underflow of the second germ hydro cyclone unit is pre-dewatered on the gravity arc screen.
