A dispersion of starch is a mixture in which starch particles are dispersed evenly in a liquid medium, typically water. Starch dispersions are used in a variety of food, cosmetic, and industrial applications due to their thickening and stabilizing properties. The dispersion can be achieved by mechanically mixing starch with water or by using chemical and physical methods to create a colloidal suspension of starch particles. The properties of the starch dispersion, such as its viscosity and stability, depend on the type of starch, the concentration of the dispersion, and the processing conditions used to create it.
A suspension of starch and a dispersion of starch are similar in the sense that they are both systems of starch particles dispersed in a liquid. However, the difference between the two lies in the particle size of the starch. A suspension of starch has larger, undissolved particles that are not evenly distributed throughout the liquid, whereas a dispersion of starch has smaller, evenly distributed particles.