Preface

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 semiprecious 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, reflecting the wealth of information existing in this field 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 contain 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 fields, 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. The aim in writing this volume was to present, in an easy-to-follow sequence, a description of bead production methods and of techniques which can be used to estimate, and modify, their physical and chemical properties. This book offers a full description of not only traditional and recent developments and applications of beads in the fields of agriculture, biotechnology, environmental studies, medicine, and food, but also topics which have never been covered in the literature, making it of the utmost importance to industry and academia.