Abstract:A high-strength crosslinked starch adhesive (OSt-IA-PEI/Borax) was synthesized using natural corn starch (St) as the base material, itaconic acid (IA) as the grafting monomer, and an ammonium persulfate (APS) and NaHSO3 redox system. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) and borax were employed as composite crosslinking agents. The material was characterized by FTIR, SEM, and TGA, while viscosity, shear strength, and water resistance tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of APS and IA concentrations, the m(NaHSO3)∶m(APS), m(PEI)∶m(Borax), and the PEI-Borax crosslinking agent dosage on the adhesive"s properties. The results demonstrated that the graft copolymerization of IA produced a smooth and uniform adhesive film, and the crosslinking copolymerization significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the modified starch adhesive. The PEI-Borax composite crosslinking, along with IA grafting, effectively improved bonding strength by 59.0% and water resistance by 75.0%. The optimal synthesis conditions for OSt-IA-PEI/Borax were found to be 1.2% APS and 10% IA based on starch mass, NaHSO3-to-APS ratio of 2:3, and a PEI-Borax dosage of 3.0% with a mass ratio of PEI to Borax at 3:1. Under these conditions, the adhesive achieved a shear strength of 8.92 MPa and a water resistance duration of 3.5 hours at 60 ± 3 °C.