Methylolated mono- and oligosaccharides

.alpha.-C-Methylolated glucose.

.alpha.-C-Methylolated arabinose.

.alpha.,.alpha.'-C-Trimethylolated fructose.

.alpha.-C-Methylolated maltose.

.alpha.-C-Methylolated lactose.

.alpha.-C-Methylolated cellobiose.

.alpha.,.alpha.'-C-Methylolated invert sugar.

A liquid mixture comprising

• (a) 95 to 5% by weight of a derivative of a reducing sugar other than ribose, said reducing sugar having a molecular weight of from 120 to 2000, said derivative having at least one methylol group which branches the carbon structure of the reducing sugar in the .alpha.-position, the .alpha.'-position or both the .alpha.- and .alpha.'-positions to the carbonyl group or cyclohemiacetal group of the reducing sugar;
• and
• (b) 5 to 95% by weight of a member selected from the group consisting of glucose, succharose, and mixtures thereof.

A liquid mixture comprising

• (a) 99 to 5% by weight of a derivative of a reducing sugar other than ribose, said reducing sugar having the molecular weight of from 120 to 2000, said derivative having at least one methylol group which branches the carbon structure of the reducing sugar in the .alpha.-position, the .alpha.'-position or both the .alpha.- and .alpha.'-positions to the carbonyl group or cyclohemiacetal group of the reducing sugar;
• and
• (b) 1 to 95% by weight of a member selected from the group consisting of alkylphosphites, aminoplast monomers, phenoplast monomers, low molecular alehydes and ketones, which have at least one methylol group in the .alpha.-position to the carbonyl group, and mixtures thereof.

A process for the preparation of sugar derivatives comprising reacting a reducing sugar, said reducing sugar having a molecular weight of from 120 to 2000, with from 0.05 to 10 mol of formaldehyde based on the equivalents of the hydrogen atoms in the .alpha.- and .alpha.'-position to the carbonyl group or cyclohemiacetal group of the reducing sugar, at a pH of from 7.4 to 11 and a temperature of from 40.degree. to 110.degree. C.