AbstractThe effect of polyhydric and monohydric alcohols, of phenols, of carboxylic acids and their anions, of halide anions, of alkalimetalions and of some other compounds on the gelatination temperature of potato starch granules in aqueous solutions were studied.Polyhydric alcohols and methanol raise the gelatination temperature, whereas ethanol, propanol, butanol, p‐dioxane, carboxylic acids, phenols, urea and hydrogen peroxide cause a decrease in the gelatination temperature. The effect of polyhydric alcohols may be attributed to the lessened tendency of the medium to rupture hydrogen bonds. Carboxylic acids, phenols, urea and hydrogen peroxide may act in a opposite way. The lowering effect of the monohydric alcohols, dioxane, and other non‐polar substances may be due to structural and kinetic alterations of the aqueous medium, induced by the non‐polar groups. At higher concentrations of ethanol, propanol, p‐dioxane, acetic, propionic and butyric acid the gelatination temperature tends to increase. This is to be attributed to the association of solute mo