Process for alginic acid sulfate production

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF PRODUCING AN ALGINIC ACID SULFATE COMPOSITION HAVING A RESTRICTED CONTENT OF VERY HIGH-POLYMER AND VERY LOW-POLYMER MOLECULAR SPECIES, IN WHICH PROCESS ALGINIC ACID IS SULFATED, THE IMPROVED STEPS WHICH COMPRISE: PRIOR TO SULFATION PARTIALLY DEPOLYMERIZING ALGINIC ACID BY EXPOSING IT TO A LIQUID DEPOLYMERIZING MEDIUM CONTAINING AT LEAST A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE APPROXIMATE RANGE 25*-115* C. FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE VISCOSITY OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SODIUM SALT THEREOF, ISOLATING THE PARTIALLY DEPOLYMERIZED ALGINIC ACID, SULFATING THE SO ISOLATED ALGINIC ACID TO FORM A FULFATE ESTER, FORMING A WATER-SOLUBLE SALT OF THE ESTER, AND FRACTIONING THE SALT BY SELECTIVE PRECIPITATION FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION BY MEANS OF A NEUTRAL OXYGEN-CONTAINING ORGANIC LIQUID PRECIPITANT MISCIBLE WITH WATER, DISCARDING A FIRST FRACTIONAL PRECIPITATE AND COLLECTING A MIDDLE FRACTION, WHEREBY A SALT IS OBTAINED HAVING A RESTRICTED CONTENT OF VERY HIGH-POLYMER AND VERY LOWPOLYMER MOLECULAR SPECIES, A HIGH BLOOD-ANTICOAGULANT EFFECT AND LOW TOXICITY.