The invention relates to a hydrogel product comprising glycosaminoglycan molecules as the swellable polymer, wherein the glycosaminoglycan molecules are covalently crosslinked via crosslinks comprising a spacer group selected from the group consisting of di-, tri-, tetra-, and oligosaccharides.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for producing a product comprising fibrous material, such as a filter. A system for manufacturing a fibrous material comprises a feeder for advancing a substrate of fibers from an upstream end to a downstream end and a first dispersion device for dispersing a binding agent onto the substrate to coat at least a portion of the fibers with the binding agent. The system further includes a second dispersion device for dispersing nanoparticles through the first surface of the substrate such that the nanoparticles are disposed within the substrate between the first and second surfaces. The binding agent facilitates the bond between the fibers and the nanoparticles to retain the nanoparticles within the internal structure of the substrate. In addition, facilitating this bond provides a more uniform distribution of the nanoparticles throughout the substrate, which improves the performance characteristics of the material.

Disclosed is a hydrogel preparation method using crosslinking structure control by electron beam irradiation and a hydrogel prepared by the same, and the hydrogel preparation method includes: (A) mixing two or more natural polysaccharides and a solvent at room temperature to prepare a preliminary hydrogel composition; (B) heating the preliminary hydrogel composition to a predetermined temperature or higher to cause the preliminary hydrogel composition to be loosened linearly with respect to a chain-coil structure of the natural polysaccharides, resulting in uniform mixing; (C) lowering the temperature of the preliminary hydrogel composition to room temperature to gel the preliminary hydrogel composition into a hydrogel, and allowing the two or more natural polysaccharides to form a mesh structure by chain entanglement to form an Interpenetrating Polymer Network (IPN) structure; and (D) selectively irradiating the hydrogel with a high-energy electron beam to control a crosslinking structure by using chain scission reaction in the IPN structure of the hydrogel. According to the present invention, it is possible to prepare a hydrogel composed of only two or more kinds of natural polysaccharides, and increase functionality, such as moisturizing effect, while maintaining sufficient physical strength by controlling the crosslinking structure by using a chain scission reaction through high-energy electron beam irradiation, it is possible to use excellent functionality, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, and in particular, it is possible to adjust a mesh size to provide a natural polysaccharide hydrogel which enables the moisture or active substance entrapped in the natural polysaccharides to escape to the outside and be well delivered to the desired area.

The present disclosure relates to a barrier composition comprising a modified or unmodified starch, a plasticizer, and an MFC, and to a method for producing the barrier composition and the use thereof, such as in a multi-layer structure comprising the barrier composition and a carrier layer. Methods for producing a multi-layer structure comprising a barrier composition are also disclosed, and can be applied in order to obtain an article that comprises the multi-layer structure.

The present invention provides water-soluble films for preparing beverages comprising one or more tea, herbal or fruit extracts and a water-soluble polymer. Methods of preparing water-soluble films for preparing a beverage comprising: (i) combining (a) one or more tea, herbal or fruit extracts, (b) a water-soluble polymer, and optionally, (c) a plasticizer, in water to form a tea, herbal or fruit extract composition; (b) optionally, heating the tea, herbal or fruit extract composition to a temperature in the range of about 25° C. to about 100° C.; (iii) forming a layer of the tea, herbal or fruit extract composition on a surface; and (iv) drying the layer of the tea, herbal or fruit extract composition to form a water-soluble film.

The invention relates to a hydrogel product comprising glycosaminoglycan molecules as the swellable polymer, wherein the glycosaminoglycan molecules are covalently crosslinked via crosslinks comprising a spacer group selected from the group consisting of di-, tri-, tetra-, and oligosaccharides.

The present invention relates to the use of an amine compound comprising at least one, preferably at least two amine functions, wherein the amine functions are primary or secondary amines, to reduce the level of furfural and/or hydroxymethylfurfural in a carbohydrate-based binder or binder composition and/or escaping in the course of preparation, cross-linking and/or curing of carbohydrate-based binders. Preferably, the carbohydrate-based binder is obtained from a carbohydrate-based binder composition comprising a carbohydrate component and a cross-linker and possibly reaction product of carbohydrate component and cross-linker, wherein the cross-linker is selected from ammonium salts of inorganic acid, carboxylic acids, salts, ester or anhydride derivatives thereof, and/or combinations thereof.

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of reducing leaching from a fiber-containing composite. The method may include forming an aqueous dispersion of fibers. The method may further include applying a binder composition to the aqueous dispersion of fibers to form a binder-fiber mixture. The binder composition may include a carbohydrate, a nitrogen-containing compound, and a catalyst that catalyzes the reaction between the carbohydrate and the nitrogen-containing compound. The catalyst may be water soluble before curing but water insoluble after curing. In addition, the method may include curing the binder-fiber mixture to form the fiber-containing composite.

Provided are superabsorbent materials composed of one or more water-soluble polysaccharides, such as gelling polysaccharides and gelling-compatible polysaccharides, and one or more insoluble fibers. The disclosed superabsorbent materials have a porous network structure and highly stable gelling properties as well as high absorption ratio and volume expansion capacity upon hydration or rehydration. Also provided are methods for preparing such superabsorbent materials and uses thereof.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.