Preparation of hydrolyzed polymer deposited on cellulosic material and the resulting product

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF TREATING CELLULOSIC MATERIALS HAVING ION EXCHANGE CAPACITY RESULTING FROM ION EXCHANGE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS THEREIN, WHICH COMPRISES (A) CHEMICALLY FIXING A MATERIAL, ADAPTED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PART OF A CATALYST FOR EFFECTING POLYMERIZATION OF AN OLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER WITHIN THE CELLULOSIC MATERIAL BY ION EXCHANGE REACTON WITH AT LEAST PART OF SAID ION EXCHANGE GROUPS, (B) TREATING SAID CELLULOSIC MATERIAL AND CHEMICALLY FIXED MATERIAL, IN ANY ORDER, WITH AN OLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED MONOMER CONTAINING HYDROLYZABLE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS AND WITH ANYTHING ADDITIONAL REQUIRED TO RENDER SAID CHEMICALLY FIXED MATERIAL CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE TO POLYMERIZE SAID MONOMER AND DEPOSIT THE RESULTING GUEST POLYMER WITHIN SAID CELLULOSIC MATERIAL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES HYDROLYZING AT LEAST PART OF THE HYDROLYZABLE FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN THE DEPOSITED GUEST POLYMER BY TREATMENT WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A BASE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDES AND QUATERNARY AMMONIUM HYDROXIDES.