Provided herein is a joint compound having a composition to allow tools to easily clean up, comprising water, at least one inert filler, and a binder comprising a sulfonated starch, and a method of preparing the joint compound.

Degraded hydroxyalkylated starches and methods of preparing the same from waxy, normal, or modified starches are provided. The starches can be prepared by several approaches that involve acid or enzyme degrading either before or after starch modification with an alkylene oxide. The modified and degraded starches exhibit improved swelling characteristics, solution stability of cooked starch, improved film-forming properties and/or improved coating performance. In addition, the degraded hydroxyalkylated starches can be used as a fat replacement in foods, in film-forming compositions, in coating compositions, and to encapsulate other materials.

Degraded hydroxyalkylated starches and methods of preparing the same from waxy, normal, or modified starches are provided. The starches can be prepared by several approaches that involve acid or enzyme degrading either before or after starch modification with an alkylene oxide. The modified and degraded starches exhibit improved swelling characteristics, solution stability of cooked starch, improved film-forming properties and/or improved coating performance. In addition, the degraded hydroxyalkylated starches can be used as a fat replacement in foods, in film-forming compositions, in coating compositions, and to encapsulate other materials.

A method of reducing the amount propylene chlorohydrin produced in a reaction to make a hydroxypropylated/crosslinked starch comprising removing residual propylene oxide from alkaline slurry. The residual propylene oxide is removed by the dewatering the alkaline slurry or by washing the starch in slurry at a pH of around 10. The starch is then neutralized in an acid solution and recovered from the second slurry and may or may not be washed, depending on whether the slurry while at pH around 10 to make a hydroxypropylated/crosslinked starch having less than 1 ppm propylene chlorohydrin.

A method of reducing the amount propylene chlorohydrin produced in a reaction to make a hydroxypropylated/crosslinked starch comprising removing residual propylene oxide from alkaline slurry. The residual propylene oxide is removed by the dewatering the alkaline slurry or by washing the starch in slurry at a pH of around 10. The starch is then neutralized in an acid solution and recovered from the second slurry and may or may not be washed, depending on whether the slurry while at pH around 10 to make a hydroxypropylated/crosslinked starch having less than 1 ppm propylene chlorohydrin.

A preparation method of the starch-containing microsphere includes the steps of first reacting starch with a low concentration of epichlorohydrin, and then reacting the resultant product with a surfactant, followed by final crosslinking to give microspheres. The starch-containing microspheres thus prepared are polydisperse starch-containing microspheres with a uniform particle size distribution, with the particle size being in a range of 0.1-500 m.

A preparation method of the starch-containing microsphere includes the steps of first reacting starch with a low concentration of epichlorohydrin, and then reacting the resultant product with a surfactant, followed by final crosslinking to give microspheres. The starch-containing microspheres thus prepared are polydisperse starch-containing microspheres with a uniform particle size distribution, with the particle size being in a range of 0.1-500 m.

A graft copolymer and a preparation method and use thereof. The method for preparing a graft copolymer includes: dissolving an N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinone-substituted flavan-3-ol (EPSF) and a starch in a polar organic solvent, to obtain a raw material solution; and mixing the raw material solution with ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide to obtain a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to a grafting reaction, to obtain the graft copolymer. The graft copolymer has a structural formula represented by formula I or formula II,

##STR00001##

A graft copolymer and a preparation method and use thereof. The method for preparing a graft copolymer includes: dissolving an N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinone-substituted flavan-3-ol (EPSF) and a starch in a polar organic solvent, to obtain a raw material solution; and mixing the raw material solution with ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide to obtain a mixture, and subjecting the mixture to a grafting reaction, to obtain the graft copolymer. The graft copolymer has a structural formula represented by formula I or formula II,

##STR00001##

The present invention relates specifically to starch products and starch compositions useful for thickening aqueous liquids, for example, for use by people suffering from dysphagia. In one aspect, the invention provides a pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch, having a level of hydroxypropylation in the range of about 1% to about 10%; an RVA viscosity in the range of about 400 cP to about 3500 cP; wherein the pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch is readily dispersible in milk. Another aspect provides a provides a pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch, having a level of hydroxypropylation in the range of about 1% to about 10%; and an RVA viscosity in the range of about 400 cP to about 3500 cP; and less than about 80%> of the surface protein of the corresponding native starch.