| abstract |
A cross-linking agent for macromolecular polysaccharide materials consisting essentially of a chelating composition formed from (1) an organic polyelectrolyte ligand component, and (2) a component of a metal of the first series of the transition elements of the Periodic Table. This cross-linking agent has been found to provide enhanced rheological properties without obtaining metal ion overtreatment characteristics. In a preferred form, said cross-linking agent also includes a compound containing a metal from Group II of the Periodic Table. The cross-linked materials may be utilized in textile sizing agents, paints, drilling fluids, and the like. |