Patent ID: 6919447

Claim:
A method of making a carboxylated carbohydrate product which comprises: oxidizing a carbohydrate compound by reacting the carbohydrate in an aqueous system with a sufficient amount of a primary oxidant selected from the group consisting of hindered heterocyclic oxammonium salts in which the carbon atoms adjacent the oxammonium nitrogen lack .alpha.-hydrogen substitution, the corresponding amines, hydroxylamines, and nitroxides of these oxammonium salts, and mixtures thereof, in which the nitroxide is 2,2,2′,2′,6,6,6′,6′octa-methyl-4,4′-bipiperidinyl-1,1′-dioxy di-radical, and a secondary oxidant selected from chlorine dioxide and latent sources of chlorine dioxide in a sufficient amount to induce an increase in carboxyl substitution in the carbohydrate of at least 2 meq/100 g.