The present invention provides a nanocomposite hydrogel and a preparation method thereof, and relates to the field of nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite hydrogel is prepared by mixing completely gelatinized short amylose with an aqueous gelatin solution having a mass concentration of 8%-14%, and then cooling. The present invention utilizes the nanoparticles formed by in-situ self-assembly of the short amylose in the aqueous gelatin solution as a reinforcing agent, and the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the hydrogel to form a stable crystallization system, such that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits optimal mechanical properties in terms of viscoelasticity, hardness, compressive stress, etc. The preparation process of the present invention is green and environmentally friendly, simple and efficient, and can be widely applied to the fields of food, cosmetics and medicine.

Disclosed herein are composite materials comprising amylose, cellulose nanofibres or cellulose nanocrystals, and a plasticiser. The amylose is of high purity, specifically containing little or no amylopectin. The cellulose nanofibres or cellulose nanocrystals act to reinforce the disclosed composite materials. Also disclosed are methods of producing such composite materials, and their use.

An insoluble foam composite material is formed by a mixture combining an anionic polysaccharide, a cationic polysaccharide, a solvent, and a plasticizer. In particular, the composite material can be prepared by heating, freezing and lyophilizing the mixture to produce, for example, insoluble porous foam-like composites.

Extruded starch foams are well known as biodegradable alternatives to foamed polystyrene packaging materials. Extruded foams of unmodified starch replacing 1% to 20% of the starch with kraft lignin were prepared. At 10% lignin, there are no deleterious effects on foam density, morphology, compressive strength, or resiliency as compared to a starch extruded foam, yet the foam retains its integrity after immersion for 24 hours in water. At 20% lignin there is a decrease in compressive strength and resiliency. Addition of cellulose fibers restore the mechanical properties but with an increase in density.

The present invention provides a nanocomposite hydrogel and a preparation method thereof, and relates to the field of nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite hydrogel is prepared by mixing completely gelatinized short amylose with an aqueous gelatin solution having a mass concentration of 8%-14%, and then cooling. The present invention utilizes the nanoparticles formed by in-situ self-assembly of the short amylose in the aqueous gelatin solution as a reinforcing agent, and the nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the hydrogel to form a stable crystallization system, such that the prepared nanocomposite hydrogel exhibits optimal mechanical properties in terms of viscoelasticity, hardness, compressive stress, etc. The preparation process of the present invention is green and environmentally friendly, simple and efficient, and can be widely applied to the fields of food, cosmetics and medicine.

The present invention relates to coated particles in which vegetable wax is provided on the surface of starch particles. The coated particles have an average particle diameter d.sub.1 of 0.5 to 20 ?m and a maximum particle diameter d.sub.2 being less than 30 ?m and less than 4.0 times the average particle diameter d.sub.1. The vegetable wax is contained in an amount of 0.5 to 10.0 wt % in the coated particles. Accordingly, particles having excellent feel characteristics and water repellency can be achieved with a natural material having excellent biodegradability. A method for producing coated particles includes: a step of preparing a dispersion that contains 1 to 20 wt % of starch particles; a step of adding vegetable wax to the dispersion and heating and cooling the mixture to precipitate the vegetable wax on the surface of the starch particles; and a step of subjecting this dispersion to solid-liquid separation to obtain coated particles as a solid.

A soil stabilizing composition formed from a first part comprising a first polymer that comprises an acrylate monomer and a second polymer that comprises an acrylamide monomer, wherein first polymer and second polymer directly cross-link. The soil stabilizing composition is also formed from a second part comprising polysaccharide and calcium hydroxide. and a simple carboxylic acid. The first part and the second part are mixed in a composition solvent. The soil stabilizing composition is advantageously able to provide stability to a soil substrate.