An artificial flower, plant, or other botanical is produced from an aqueous agar-based solidifying mixture. The artificial botanical may be colored as desired by adding one or more colorants. The artificial botanical may also be scented by adding a perfume, odorant, or other scent. Because the artificial botanical is produced using the aqueous agar-based solidifying mixture, no animal-based gelatin products are used. The artificial botanical may thus also be edible and satisfies vegan diets. The artificial botanical may thus also be flavored by adding a flavoring, such as fruit, concentrate, or sweetener. The artificial botanical may be all-natural and edible by adding mica powder as the colorant and by adding glycerin as the flavoring.

A fire-protecting insulation product has air-laid mineral wool fibres and a binder. The binder is the result of curing a binder composition comprising at least one hydrocolloid. The product further comprises a particulate endothermic material.

Compostable seaweed-based compositions, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the seaweed-based composition comprises (i) a phycocolloid including agar, alginate, carrageenan, and/or unprocessed seaweed, (ii) a polymer comprising thermoplastic starch (TPS), polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyesteramide (PEA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and/or polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and (iii) an additive, wherein the phycocolloid comprises no more than 90 wt % of the seaweed-based composition, the biopolymer comprises no more than 80 wt % of the seaweed-based composition, and the additive comprises no more than 50 wt % of the seaweed-based composition.

The invention relates to a mineral wool product comprising mineral fibers bonded by a cured binder wherein the binder in its uncured state comprises at least one protein and at least one enzyme.

The invention relates to an aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers comprising at least one hydrocolloid.

Provided are superabsorbent materials composed of agar, and one or more water-soluble natural polysaccharides, and dietary compositions containing such superabsorbent materials. The disclosed superabsorbent materials have various food and therapeutic applications and can be used as loading vehicles for nutrients and therapeutic agents. Also provided are methods for preparing such superabsorbent materials.