Process for preparation of starch ethers

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING STARCH-ETHER COMPOUNDS COMPRISING REACTING A SOLUTION OF ALKALI METAL STARCH WITH AN ETHERIFYING SUBSTANCE ADAPTED TO FORM A REACTION PRODUCT COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL SUBSTANCE AND THE CORRESPONDING STARCH-ETHER, TREATING SAID REACTION PRODUCT WITH AN ACIDIC SUBSTANCE TO NEUTRALIZE ANY EXCESS ALKALI PRESENT AND TO EFFECT A PH OF FROM ABOUT 7 TO ABOUT 9 WHILE MAINTAINING A TERMPERTURE DURING NEUTRALIZATION OF FROM ABOUT ROOM TEMPERATURE TO ABOUT 50* C., FLOCCULATING THE SAID STARCHETHER AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 60* C. TO ABOUT 90* C. BY ADDING A SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SOLUTION OF AN INORGANIC SALT AT SUBSTANTIALLY ITS BOILING POINT, SEPARATING THE FLOCULATED STARCH-ETHER FROM THE HOT MOTHER LIQUOR BY CONVENTIONAL MEANS, AIR-DRYING THE SEPARATED FLOCCULENT MATERIAL TO A MOISTURE CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 15% MOISTURE, DISINTEGRATING SAID AIR-DRIED FLOCCULENT MATERIAL INTO A PLUVERIZED SALT FRACTION AND A GRANULAR STARCH-ETHER FRACTION AND SEPARATING SAID PULVERIZED SALT FRACTION FROM SAID GRANULAR STARCHETHER FRACTION.