disposing of whitewater application_number US 2743908 A description poly vinyl alcohols having an average molecular weight between 13 000 and 100 000 preferably between 13 000 and 500 000 are preferred a degree of hydrolysis of 70 to 99 preferably 72 89 a quaternized salt is prepared by reacting a polyvinyl alcohol with a quaternary salt of a dialkylamino ethyl acrylate in the presence of a catalyst such as a persulfate or peroxide preferred salts are chloride and sulfate ammonium persulfate is the preferred catalyst the effective molecular weight of pva can be raised significantly by the addition of borate ions due to extensive cross linking borated pva are preferred embodiments of this invention hydroxy cellulose especially carbon methyl cellulose are also cross linked by borate which can be used to adjust effective molecular weights and viscosity mixtures of cationized pva and hydroxyl celluloses are included within the scope of the invention specific amounts used depend upon the ratio of alcohol precursors and their relative molecular weights the cationized pva may be produced as an aqueous suspension which is adjusted to a water content of 20 80 by weight the cationized pva improves dispersion of fibers when wet chop is added to whitewater due to polar nature of the sized fibers the.