Abstract: A composition containing sugar microcrystals is disclosed. Essentially, the crystals are uniform unbroken single crystals with a regular geometrical shape and a grain size following a Gaussian distribution of which the median is of around 20-220 .mu.m, while the coefficient of variation is of around 20-50%, particularly 30-45%, 35-45% or 30-40%. The term "sugar" designates mono-, di- and oligosaccharides, as well as the polyols obtained by their reduction.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for preparing saccharide monomers comprising at least one polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate group whereby the saccharide used in the process is selected from mono-, di- and tri-saccharides, in particular from non-reducing mono-, di- and tri-saccharides. The process comprises reacting the saccharide in an aqueous medium with an esterifying reagent containing the polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate group in the presence of a base while maintaining the pH of the reaction medium to a value within the range of 7 to 11 during the entire reaction time. The invention furthermore concerns saccharide monomers comprising at least one polymerizable acrylate or methacrylate group with a controlled degree of substitution.

Abstract: A process for increasing the bleaching efficiency of an inorganic persalt or hydrogen peroxide by adding to said persalt or H.sub.2 O.sub.2 an activating agent. The activating agent is an acetylated gluconic acid derivative, such as N-methyl-N-acetyl pentaacetyl gluconamide, N-methyl-N-acetyl pentaacetyl gluconamide or tetraacetyl gluconolactone. The invention also relates to the acetylated gluconic acid derivatives themselves.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for increasing the bleaching efficiency of an inorganic persalt and to bleaching and/or detergent compositions suitable for removing stains from textiles or from other products such as paper, cellulose, cork, hair etc. These bleaching and/or detergent and/or anti-incrusting compositions comprise an inorganic persalt and an activating agent comprising an acetylated mixture of sorbitol and mannitol wherein the molar ratio between the bleaching activator and the persalt is usually from 10:90 to 50:50. The bleaching activator having an acetylation degree ranging from 1 to 6 and the weight ratio of sorbitol to mannitol in the mixture is within the range of from 2.5:1 to 4:1.

Abstract: Described is a process for increasing the bleaching efficiency of an inorganic persalt (peroxide) by adding to said persalt (peroxide) an activating agent comprising acetylated sucrose, the average acetylation degree of said acetylated sucrose being from 4.5 to 7.0.