High-technology materials based on modified polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides are abundantly available from farm, forest, and microbial resources. They are used in myriad applications. It has been established in the authors' laboratory that their performance is enhanced considerably on purification, grafting by polyacrylamide (PAM), and subsequent hydrolysis as well as cationization. The most significant performance is enhanced in flocculation where it has been found that the modified polysaccharides outperform existing flocculants in national and international markets. Similar effects are observed in their performance in turbulent drag reduction (DR), percolation, and rheology. The present article outlines the details of materials, mechanisms, and practical applications of these novel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]