Abstract: Samples of commercial cellulose having high crystallinity (>80%) and a degree of polymerization of approximately 1500 were pretreated enzymatically under various conditions with commercial endoglucanases, before the chemical conversion to substituted cellulose derivatives was carried out. The enzymatically pretreated cellulose samples exhibited a significantly higher substitution, up to 222% higher, in comparison with control samples which had been treated with buffer without enzyme. The increase in substitution during the chemical reaction could be observed in the presence of various amounts of alkali, but fell as the amounts of alkali decreased. At the same degree of substitution of the cellulose derivative, the use of cellulose pretreated with endoglucanase significantly reduced the amount of alkali required by 60%, as compared with the use of cellulose pretreated only with buffer.

Abstract: Thermoplastic and compostable cellulose ether esters with 2-hydroxycarboxylic acids as acid components and mixed esters which, in addition to 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid groups, have further mono-, dicarboxylic acid or carbamate groups.

Abstract: The present invention relates to thermoplastic and biodegradable polysaccharide esters/polysaccharide ether esters, which are characterised in that they can be represented by the general structure ##STR1## wherein Polysaccharide-O represents the substituted OH groups of a polymeric saccharide unit and wherein A is a linear polyether chain of the following structureA=(E--O)nwherein E signifies a linear aliphatic or aromatic branched or unbranched chain having 2 to 11 C atoms, n is an integer equal to or greater than 0 and both B and D are a maleic acid addition product of the following structure ##STR2## wherein F is an aliphatic, saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated carbon skeleton, which may optionally be provided with further substituents and wherein C can be a hydrogen atom, one or more substituents from the group dihydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl, hydroxybutyl, methyl, ethyl, benzyl, dihydroxypropyl, carboxyalkyl, sulphoalkyl or cyanoethyl.

Abstract: The present invention provides thermoplastically workable and completely biodegradable moulding compositions, a process for the preparation thereof and the use thereof as biodegradable materials for the production of, for example, injection-moulded parts, films, fibres or coatings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel thermoplastic, biodegradable polysaccharide ether esters, such as for example cellulose ether esters or starch ether esters, and to the production of such graft copolymers from polysaccharides, epoxides and dicarboxylic acid anhydrides and to the use thereof, for example as moldings, films or coatings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel thermoplastic, water-insoluble cellulose hydroxyalkyl hydroxycarboxylic acid esters of the general structureCell--O--Rwhere Cell--O is the substituted OH group of a polymeric cellulose unit and R is either a monomeric and/or polymeric hydroxyalkylether hydroxycarboxylic acid ester of the structure X:X=--A--B--in which A is a linear polyether chain:A=(--D--O--).sub.nin which D signifies a linear aliphatic branched or unbranched chain with 2 to 11 C atoms and n is a whole number equal to or greater than 1, and B is a linear polyester chain: ##STR1## in which E signifies a linear aliphatic branched or unbranched chain with 2 to 5 C atoms and m is a whole number equal to or greater than 1, or R is equal to A or B or X and a combination thereof in any ratio, or R is equal to H (hydrogen) according to the degree of substitution per anhydroglucose unit (max. 3) with A, B or X, and a process for their production and use of these cellulose derivatives as biodegradable mouldings.

Abstract: The substituted polyheterocycles containing recurring structural units corresponding to the formula ##STR1## in which X is an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or N-H, show good solubility in mixtures of methanesulfonic acid and methylene chloride or trifluoroacetic acid and methylene chloride. They may be used for the production of mixtures with thermoplastic polymers.