Aqueous triammonium citrate-dextrose binders were prepared according to the following procedure: Aqueous solutions (25%) of triammonium citrate (81.9 g citric acid, 203.7 g water, and 114.4 g of a 19% percent solution of ammonia) and dextrose monohydrate (50.0 g of dextrose monohydrate in 150.0 g water) were combined at room temperature in the following proportions by volume: 1:24, 1:12, 1:8, 1:6, 1:5, 1:4, and 1:3, where the relative volume of triammonium citrate is listed as “1.” For example, 10 mL of aqueous triammonium citrate mixed with 50 mL of aqueous dextrose monohydrate afforded a “1:5” solution, wherein the mass ratio of triammonium citrate to dextrose monohydrate is about 1:5, the molar ratio of triammonium citrate to dextrose monohydrate is about 1:6, and the ratio of the number of molar equivalents of acid salt groups, present on triammonium citrate, to the number of molar equivalents of hydroxyl groups, present on dextrose monohydrate, is about 0.10:1. The resulting solutions were stirred at room temperature for several minutes, at which time 2-g samples were removed and thermally cured as described in Example 2.
