A method comprising providing a sol comprising a solvent; contacting the sol with a precipitation initiator to initiate precipitation of the sol, wherein the precipitation initiator is different to the solvent; and applying the precipitating sol to a product. The methods of the invention may be used with sols comprising a solvent, a metal alkoxide, and optionally a biopolymer and/or a catalyst, with alkoxides comprising metals, organically modified alkoxides comprising metals, alkoxides comprising metalloids, and organically modified alkoxides comprising metalloids all being encompassed by the term ‘metal alkoxide’. Also disclosed is an apparatus for use in the method comprising a first storage vessel; a second storage vessel; one or more pumps; and one or more delivery means.

The present invention relates to a web of fibrous cellulosic material derived from wood pulp, said web being suitable for three-dimensional moulding to form a packaging product, wherein the web comprises >40 wt % of soft wood chemical pulp and at least one strength enhancement agent, wherein the web has a grammage less than 400 g/m.sup.2, and wherein the cellulose fibers of said soft wood chemical pulp comprise a fiber curl of >9%.

The present invention relates to a web of fibrous cellulosic material derived from wood pulp, said web being suitable for three-dimensional moulding to form a packaging product, wherein the web comprises >40 wt % of soft wood chemical pulp and at least one strength enhancement agent, wherein the web has a grammage less than 400 g/m.sup.2, and wherein the cellulose fibers of said soft wood chemical pulp comprise a fiber curl of >9%.

The present disclosure provides for aqueous, curable binder compositions, as well as articles and products comprising assemblies of matter comprising mineral fibers, synthetic fibers, natural fibers, cellulosic particles and sheet materials comprising the binder compositions disclosed herein.

A crosslinked dextran polymer, bearing carboxylate groups, wherein at least two saccharidic units of dextran belonging to two different polymer chains are covalently linked by at least one at least divalent radical, this at least divalent radical being a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl radical including at least 15 carbon atoms and optionally heteroatoms such as oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur.

Improved thermally inhibited starch is disclosed and methods of making such starch are disclosed. In some embodiments a thermally inhibited starch has improved whiteness and flavor. In some embodiments a method for making a thermally inhibited starch includes providing adding a buffer and an acid to a starch to obtain a pH adjusted starch having an acidic pH and thermally inhibiting the pH adjusted starch. The technology further pertains to methods of making the thermally inhibited starch in batch, continuous, continuous-like process or combinations thereof.

Disclosed is a processing method of a self-reinforced starch-based multifunctional material, and belongs to the technical field of starch deep processing. The processing method takes bulk starch as a base material, including the following steps: firstly reacting starch nanoparticles with an organic acid anhydride reagent and adding a bacteriostatic agent to prepare composite nanoparticles, then mixing the composite nanoparticles with the bulk starch, an etherifying agent, a crosslinking agent, a plasticizer and the like, and finally preparing a starch-based multifunctional material by dry extrusion modification combined with a starch-based nanoparticle assembly and reinforcement technology. The method of the disclosure is simple and convenient in step, mild and controllable in reaction, and continuous and green in production. The obtained product has good mechanical properties, high barrier properties and high antibacterial properties, can be applied to many fields such as food, textiles, daily chemicals and medicine, and has a broad market prospect.

The disclosure discloses a preparation method of slowly digestible starch, and belongs to the technical field of starch modification. In the disclosure, ordinary rice starch and corn starch are used as raw materials, and the starch is fully de-clustered through dry-heat amorphization treatment, instead of traditional hydrothermal gelatinization; then ultrasonic treatment is used to induce complexation of amino acids and starch milk to form VI-type crystal; and finally through an extrusion technology, the VI-type crystal is transformed into VII-type crystal, and the content of the slowly digestible starch is significantly increased to 55%-60%. The disclosure is highly efficient, simple and environmentally friendly, and the prepared product can be used as a drug sustained-release carrier or a low-glycemic index food ingredient, and has important practical value for the regulation of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The disclosure discloses a preparation method of slowly digestible starch, and belongs to the technical field of starch modification. In the disclosure, ordinary rice starch and corn starch are used as raw materials, and the starch is fully de-clustered through dry-heat amorphization treatment, instead of traditional hydrothermal gelatinization; then ultrasonic treatment is used to induce complexation of amino acids and starch milk to form VI-type crystal; and finally through an extrusion technology, the VI-type crystal is transformed into VII-type crystal, and the content of the slowly digestible starch is significantly increased to 55%-60%. The disclosure is highly efficient, simple and environmentally friendly, and the prepared product can be used as a drug sustained-release carrier or a low-glycemic index food ingredient, and has important practical value for the regulation of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The present invention relates to a pregelatinized starch having a Brabender hot paste viscosity (HPV) of at least 200 BU when measured at a pH of at most 4.5. The starch is used to provide a viscosity and pulpy texture to a food product and is resistant to processing under extreme conditions of heat, acidity and shear. Examples of food products which highly benefit from the properties of the starch include compotes; sauces and preparations based on tomatoes; meat sauces; gravies; baby foods; puddings; cereals; fruit-juices and fruit-drinks; fruit sauces such as apple sauce; confectionary such as textured gum drops; cookies, crackers, cakes and pastries comprising fruits; soups; and dry powdered mixes which may be reconstituted with water.