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This book covers production of hydrocolloid (water-soluble polymer) beads, including techniques to change and to estimate their physical and chemical properties. Covers uses of beads in agriculture, biotechnology, environmental studies, medicine and food.

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Beads made from Egyptian faience have been excavated from grave deposits (c. 4000-3100 BC), together with beads of glazed steatite (a soft rock) and of se- precious stones such as turquoise, carnelian, quartz, and lapis lazuli. Information on these and many more ancient beads used for ornaments and jewelry, ritual ceremonies, as art artifacts and gifts for amorous women throughout history, and descriptions of the raw materials (e. g. , glass, bone, precious and other stones) and manufacturing technologies used for their production can be located in many references. Many books are devoted to the description of beads that are not of water-soluble polymer origin, techniques for their production, their art, value, and distribution, re?ecting the wealth of information existing in this ?eld of science and art. On the other hand, there are no books fully devoted to the fascinating topic of hydrocolloid (polymeric) beads and their unique applications. A few books c- tain scattered chapters and details on such topics, while emphasizing the possibility of locating fragments of information elsewhere; however, again, there is no book that is solely devoted to hydrocolloid beads and their versatile applications. In the meantime, the use of water-soluble hydrocolloid beads is on the rise in many ?elds, making a book that covers both past and novel applications of such beads, as well as their properties and ways in which to manipulate them, crucial.

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Physical Properties of Beads and Their Estimation.- Bead Formation, Strengthening, and Modification.- Methods and Mathematical Models for the Drying of Polymeric Beads.- Food and Biotechnological Applications for Polymeric Beads and Carriers.- Medicinal Applications of Hydrocolloid Beads.- Dry Bead Formation, Structure, Properties, and Applications.- Liquid-Core Beads and Their Applications in Food, Biotechnology, and Other Fields.- Beads as Drug Carriers.- Beads and Special Applications of Polymers for Agricultural Uses.- Beads for Environmental Applications.

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