Abstract: A starch product which comprises gelatinized starch sulphamate and gelatinized starch phosphate is useful as a binder, particularly for coal briquettes. The product may be made by mixing preformed starch sulphamate and preformed starch phosphate but may also be prepared by heating gelatinized starch, gelatinized starch and a gelatinous starch sulphamate or gelatinized starch, and a gelatinized starch phosphate with, respectively a sulphamate and a phosphate, a phosphate or a sulphamate. Briquettes made from coal and the starch product having good bonding strength and carbonize with a clear flame.

Abstract: A process for the production of a glass or other mineral fibre composition in which glass or other mineral fibre is melted, the molten glass or mineral is forced through a plurality of openings to produce fibres, the hot fibres are sprayed with a water disperion of a binder and the fibres are dried at an elevated temperature, the binder comprising a gelatinized starch sulphamate product and a hydrophobic agent such as a silicone. The gelatinized starch sulphamate may be preformed by reacting a starch with a sulphamate salt or may be formed in situ by spraying onto the hot fibres a water dispersion of pregelatinized starch and a sulphamate salt. In this latter case part of the pregelatinized starch may be replaced by native starch.