Disclosed is a cold-water soluble starch and a process for preparing same. Generally, the process comprises providing a hydroxyalkyl starch and applying a shearing force to the starch in an extruder in the presence of moisture, the force and the moisture each being sufficient to gelatinize at least substantially all of the granules of the starch to thereby form a sheared starch. The starch is heated to its gelatinization temperature after the starch has passed partially through the barrel of the extruder, with the moisture being maintained at a level sufficiently high to allow gelatinization but sufficiency low to protect the starch from becoming too sticky to extrude. The extruded starch product thus formed may be used in connection with a number of film-forming, coating, and other applications.

The present invention provides a method of producing a polymer hydrogel comprising the steps of: (1) preparing an aqueous solution of a water soluble polysaccharide derivative and a polycarboxylic acid; (2) optionally agitating the solution, for example, by stirring; (3) isolating a polysaccharide derivative/polycarboxylic acid composite from the solution; and (4) heating the polysaccharide derivative/polycarboxylic acid composite at a temperature of at least about 80 C., thereby cross-linking the polysaccharide with the polycarboxylic acid. The invention also provides polymer hydrogels produced by the methods of the invention.

A method for preparing a thermoplastic composition comprising grafted cellulose and optionally grafted hemicelluloses is disclosed. The method comprises providing a composition comprising cellulose and optionally hemicelluloses; dissolving the cellulose and optionally the hemicelluloses of the composition at least partially, thereby obtaining a solution comprising the solubilized cellulose and optionally the solubilized hemicelluloses; extruding the cellulose and optionally the hemicelluloses into a shape, such as a filament, a bead, a 3D object, or a molded product; and treating the shape with a cyclic ester monomer, such that the cyclic ester monomer reacts with the cellulose and optionally the hemicelluloses contained in the shape, thereby grafting the cellulose and optionally the hemicelluloses with the cyclic ester monomer at least partially, thereby obtaining the thermoplastic composition.

The disclosure relates to thermally expandable microspheres comprising a polymeric shell surrounding a blowing agent-containing hollow core, the polymer shell comprising a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least about 125 C. The disclosure also relates to a method for preparing such thermally expandable microspheres, comprising mixing an aqueous phase that optionally comprises an emulsifier with an organic phase that comprises an organic solvent, a blowing agent and a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose having a Tg of at about least 125 C., to form a microsphere dispersion.

A thermally conductive composition that includes: a matrix having a cross-linked structure; and a filler dispersed in the matrix. The thermal conductivity of the filler is greater than or equal to the thermal conductivity of the matrix. The matrix includes a cellulose derivative in which at least one of hydroxy groups of alkylated cellulose are at least partially substituted with alkanoyl groups and at least one selected from acryloyl groups and methacryloyl groups.