materials is in preparation of biodegradable plastics no use of these materials as a paper additive has been found other miscellaneous graft copolymers are known saponified starch g poly vinyl acetate has been patented as a sizing agent for cotton rayon and polyester yarns prokofeva et al russian patent 451731 1975 graft copolymers have been saponified to convert starch g poly vinyl acetate copolymers into starch g poly vinyl acetate copolymers as with the thermoplastic g starch copolymers most of these materials have been evaluated as polymeric materials in their own right and not as additives for paper carboxymethyl cellulose methylcellulose alginate and animal glues are superior film formers these materials are typically applied via surface application and not added in the wet end of the process to improve dry strength the products are relatively expensive and although they can be used alone they are typically employed in conjunction with starches or other materials gums and mucilages use in papermaking dates back to ancient china these mucilages were obtained from various plant roots and stems and were used primarily as deflocculating and suspending agents for the long fibered pulps as papermaking evolved other advantages of using these materials became obvious including the ability of these materials to hold the wet fiber mat together during the drying process as papermaking evolved to using shorter and shorter fibers these gums found increased use as a.