Degraded starch polyoxyalkylene ether compositions and process for producing the same

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A DEGRADED STARCH POLYOXYALKYLINE ETHER COMPOSITION CONTAINING POLYHYDROXYL GROUPS COMPRISING HEATING UNMODIFIED GRANULAR STARCH WITH ABOUT FROM 1 TO 2 MOLE EQUIVALENTS, BASED ON THE STARCH, OF A POLYOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, AND GLYCEROL, IN THE PRESENCE OF ABOUT FROM 0.1 PERCENT TO 1.5 PERCENT, BASED ON THE POLYOL, OF AN ACID CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFURIC ACID, HYDROCHLORIC ACID, PHOSPHORIC ACID, AND AN ARYL SULFONIC ACID, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT FROM 120*C. TO 140*C. FOR ABOUT FROM 30 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR, AND UNDER NON-HYDROLYTIC CONDITIONS, TO EFFECT DEGRADATION AND TRANSGLYCOSIDATION OF THE STARCH, HEATING THE RESULTING DEGRADED AND TRANSGLYCOSIDATED STARCH MIXTURE IN THE SAID TEMPERATURE RANGE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR AT REDUCED PRESSURE TO REMOVE ANY UNREACTED POLYOL FROM THE MIXTURE, ADDING A CATALYTIC EXCESS OF ALKALI TO THE RESULTING ANHYDROUS, DEGRADED, AND TRANSGLYCOSIDATED STARCH MIXTURE TO NEUTRALIZE THE ACID AND TERMINATE THE REACTION PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF MORE THAN A TRACE OF REDUCING SUGARS AND TO CATALYZE THE SUBSEQUENT ETHERIFICATION REACTION, AND, IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN, ETHERIFYING THE DEGRADED AND TRANSGLYCOSIDATED STARCH MIXTURE WITH AN ALKYLENE OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT FROM 130*C. TO 180*C. UNTIL ABOUT FROM 4 TO 7 MOLE EQUIVALENTS OF THE ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVE REACTED TO PRODUCE A DEGRADED AND TRANSGLYCOSIDATED STARCH POLYOXYALKYLENE ETHER COMPOSITION HAVING AN AVERAGE HYDROXYL NUMBER OF ABOUT FROM 75 TO 600.