fiber and the sodium chloroacetate a sodium hydroxide modified cellulose is prepared by mixing the cellulose with an appropriate amount of sodium hydroxide in a mixer capable of intimately contacting the sodium hydroxide with the reduced fiber material once the sodium hydroxide is fully incorporated into the caustic modified fiber the mixture is heated to a temperature greater than ambient but typically not greater than about 100 u00b0 c and the heated material is reacted with a sodium chloroacetate solution added in sufficient quantity to result in a ds from about 0 01 to about 6 the cellulose is reacted with the chloroacetate solution for a period of time sufficient to produce the fiber modification typically less than 16 hours the surface modified fibers are then washed with water and diluted acetic acid until the ph of the resulting affluent is about 6 to about 7 5 the carboxyl content of the fiber can then be determined to ensure that the fiber remains in soluble sheet forming material modified fibers can then be mixed with a cationic additive or mixtures of cationic additives depending on the goal of the preparation the cationic additives can be a wet strength resin a debonding agent a softening agent a dewatering agent a sizing agent or any other additive than can provide a property or attribute to the sheet formed subsequently such materials can beneficially be used.