Methods of producing glycan polymers

A method of making a glycan polymer preparation having a mean degree of polymerization (DP) of at least 3 comprising:

• A) providing a reaction mixture comprising:
• i) one or more glycan units at an aqueous concentration of at least 0.30 kg/kg and
• ii) an effective amount of an acid catalyst to form a glycosidic bond between two glycan units;
• B) subjecting the reaction mixture of step A) to conditions that result in the evolution of H2O at a rate of at least 6 g of evolved H2O/kg input glycan/hour, wherein said conditions are achieved by controlling (a) the temperature or (b) pressure of the reaction mixture or both (a) and (b),
• wherein the temperature is selected from between 100 and 160° C. at atmospheric pressure or equivalent temperature ranges at other pressures, and wherein the pressure is selected from between 0.01 and 30 psi, and quenching at least twice with water;
• C) acquiring a value for a property of the glycan polymer preparation and further processing the glycan polymer preparation if a predetermined value of the property is met, wherein the property comprises a glycan polymer preparation property chosen from:
• degree of branching (DB), degree of polymerization (DP), alpha- to beta glycosidic bond ratio, number of distinct glycosidic bonds, glycosidic bond distribution, or final solubility limit in water of the glycan polymer preparation, and
• D) responsive to the determination that the glycan polymer preparation meets the predetermined value for the property, formulating the glycan polymer preparation into a crystalline solid or powder and adding an excipient, anti-caking agent, or flowability agent to the glycan polymer preparation, thereby making a glycan polymer preparation with a mean DP of at least 3, wherein the mass of the glycan polymer preparation is at least 10 kg.