Molded article comprising polysaccharide

A compression molding process for making a compression-molded article, the process comprising:

• (a) combining a polysaccharide in the form of a powder and a plasticizer, and optionally starch, to form a mixture, and
• (b) heating the mixture to a temperature of about 140° C. to about 220° C. while applying a pressure of about 0.5 MPa to about 25 MPa;
• wherein the polysaccharide comprises
• (i) that consists essentially of poly alpha-1,3-glucan and optionally further comprising starch;
• (ii) a graft copolymer that comprises:
• (A) a backbone comprising dextran with a weight-average molecular weight of at least about 100000 Daltons, and
• (B) a poly alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprising at least about 95% alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages;
• or
• (iii) a poly alpha-1,3-glucan ester compound represented by Structure I:
• wherein
• (A) n is at least 6,
• (B) each R is independently an —H or a first group comprising —CO—Cx—COOH, wherein the —Cx— portion of said first group comprises a chain of 2 to 18 carbon atoms, and
• (C) the poly alpha-1,3-glucan ester compound has a degree of substitution with the first group of about 0.001 to about 1.5.