A cationic moiety, N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHPTAC), was incorporated onto chitosan in an aqueous alkaline solution. Thus, Modified chitosan was prepared. A series of modified chitosans with different molecular weights and charge densities were synthesized through the alteration of the molar ratio of CHPTAC to chitosan in the reaction mixture. The synthesized modified chitosans were thereafter characterized by a variety of physicochemical characterization techniques to confirm that modification did take place. Furthermore, the feasibility of applying modified chitosans as flocculants was assessed, and they were compared with the native chitosan in model colloidal suspensions of kaolin and iron-ore powder. The results indicated that the unmodified chitosan itself was a good flocculating agent. The flocculation performance of the chitosan could be altered by the incorporation of the CHPTAC moiety. Studies showed that not all the modified chitosans had superior flocculation performance versus the native chitosan. Among the different grades, the modified chitosan with a moderate molecular weight and a moderate charge density showed the best flocculation performance in both model suspensions. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 2592-2600, 2010