Industrial Gums

Book excerpt: Industrial Gums: Polysaccharides and their Derivatives, Second Edition covers the biochemical approaches to the modification and production of natural synthetic gums. This book is organized into two main parts encompassing 31 chapters. The first part deals with natural gums, including seaweed extracts, plant exudates and extracts, seed gums, and animal extracts. Considerable chapters in this part discuss the preparation, structure, derivatives, biosynthesis, and economics of these natural gums. The second part explores the industrial production, structure, and properties of synthetic gums, such as scleroglucan, dextrans, and starch and cellulose derivatives. Scientists, research workers, and manufacturers of both natural and synthetically prepared gums will find this book invaluable.