Abstract: There is disclosed a process for producing an acrylamide polymer which comprises polymerizing acrylamide monomer alone or a monomer mixture composed of 50 mole % or more of acrylamide monomer and a monomer capable of copolymerizing with acrylamide monomer in the presence of an azo series polymerization initiator and 0.1% by weight or more of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole or a salt thereof based on the weight of the monomer in an aqueous medium having a pH of 6 or higher at a temperature range of 5 to 100.degree. C., and then drying the resulting material.

Abstract: A process for treating R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof or a mixture of benzaldehyde or a derivative thereof, and; hydrogen cyanide, with a microorganism belonging to the genus Rhodococcus sp. HT29-7 (FERM BP-3857) in an almost neutral or basic aqueous medium to thereby directly produce a predominant amount of R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof, whereby the racemic R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof or benzaldehyde or a derivative thereof and hydrogen cyanide can be directly converted into R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof at a ratio of about 80 to 100% and at an optical purity of almost 100%.sub.ee without performing any optical resolution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of obtaining optically active 2-phenylpropionic acid and 2-phenylpropionamide such as S-(+)-2-phenylpropionic acid, R-(-)-2-phenylpropionamide, and R-(-)-2-phenylpropionic acid from S-2-phenylpropionitrile or R,S-2-phenylpropionamide using a bacterium belonging to Rhodococcus equi.Optically active 2-phenylpropionic acid and 2-phenylpropionamide are recovered in high yield and in quantities according to the method of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated circular plasmid of about 2.6 kb derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus whose restriction sites compises two SacI sites, one BamII site, one PvuI site, one ScaI site, one SphI site and one XhoI site. In addition, the present invention provides an isolated circular plasmid of about 7.6 kb derived from a bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus whose restriction sites compises one SphI site, two KpnI sites, one BglII site, and three SacI sites. The vectors of the invention can be suitable for Rhodococcus hosts and usefull in industry.

Abstract: A process for preparing glycine from glycinonitrile by reacting glycinonitrile with a hydrolase produced by a microorganism, wherein the microorganism is a member of a genus selected from the group consisting of Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Caseobacter, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, Alcaliqenes, and Streptomyces. The process involves no by-production, and the microorganism has high hydrolizing activity to convert glycinonitrile to glycine.

Abstract: A process for preparing an optically active lactic acid comprising subjecting DL-lactonitrile or acetaldehyde and prussic acid to the action of a microorganism belonging to the genus Enterobacter, Arthrobacter, Caseobacter, Brevibacterium, Aureobacterium, Escherichia, Micrococcus, Streptomyces, Flavobacterium, Aeromonas, Nocardia, Mycoplana, Cellulomonas, Erwinia, Candida, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Bacillus, Alcaligenes, Corynebacterium, Microbacterium or Obsumbacterium, or treated microbial cells thereof, which the microorganism is capable of stereospecifically hydrolyzing a nitrile in a polar solvent. D-Lactic acid or L-lactic acid can be produced directly in a predominant proportion from the starting materials.

Abstract: Processed foods made of iodine-enriched wheat flour contain 0.05 mg to 40 mg of iodine per 100 g of wheat flour. The iodine is provided by blending small quantities of residues of extracts from sea weeds in the Laminaria group into wheat flour used for the production of such processed foods as bread, cakes, cookies, noodles, and the like. It is possible to intake essential iodine easily without any sense of incongruity.

Abstract: A process for the predominantly producing R(-)-mandelic acid or a derivative thereof which comprises subjecting (i) R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof, or (ii) a mixture of prussic acid and benzaldehyde or a derivative of benzaldehyde to the action of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of the genus Aureobacterium, Pseudomonas, Caseobacter, Alcaligenes, Acinetobacter, Brevibacterium, Nocardia, and Bacillus or treated cells thereof, which the microorganism is capable of stereospecifically hydrolyzing a nitrile group of the R,S-mandelonitrile or a derivative thereof, in a neutral or basic aqueous reaction system to produce the R(-)-mandelic acid.

Abstract: A method for producing N-methylolacrylamide which comprises reacting acrylamide with formaldehyde or paraformaldehyde in an aqueous solvent in the presence of (A) a basic compound and at least one member selected from the group consisting of a salt of Mo-containing acid and a salt of W-containing acid, or (B) a quaternary ammonium hydroxide compound, is provided by the present invention. According to the method of the present invention, N-methylolacrylamide having few by-products is obtained in high yields.

Abstract: A process for producing an L-amino acid from the corresponding DL- and/or L-amino acid amide represented by the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having one to 4 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, by action of an enzyme having hydrolytic activity to L-amino acid amides which is produced by Enterobacter cloacae or Pseudomonas sp.

Abstract: A process for the production of a modified H-mordenite which comprises bringing an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal-type mordenite into contact with SiCl.sub.4 under a heating condition and then converting the treated mordenite into an H-type via ion exchange, a catalyst comprising the modified H-mordenite and a process for the production of methylamines using the use of the catalyst.

Abstract: A process for the production of a 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyronitrile which comprises reacting an epihalohydrin with a halohydrin-halide-lyase originating from a microorganism selected from the group consisting of: Corynebacterium sp. N-2354 FERM BP-2726 and Microbacterium sp. N-4701 FERM BP-2644 in the presence of an alkali cyanide to thereby convert the epihalohydrin into the 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyronitrile and collecting the product thus formed is disclosed. According to this process, a 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyronitrile which is highly useful in the syntheses of various medicines and physiologically active substances can be easily and efficiently produced from an inexpensive starting material.

Abstract: A process for preparing silica having a low silanol content which comprises heating amorphous silica in an atmosphere of a low partial pressure of water vapor to maintain the amorphous silica at a temperature in a range of from 600.degree. to 1000.degree. C. at a first heating step and then maintain at a temperature of 1200.degree. C. or more at a second heating step. The silica having a low silanol content obtained according to the present invention is advantageously used as a raw material for quartz glass, particularly as a raw material for preparing crucibles used to pull up silicon single crystals.

Abstract: A radical-curing polyvinyl alcohol derivative is disclosed, which is obtained by reacting an anion-modified polyvinyl alcohol prepared by saponification of a copolymer comprising vinyl acetate and an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or a derivative thereof with a glycidyl-containing vinyl compound in water or in a mixed solvent of water and a lower alcohol under acidic conditions, and which is useful as an image-forming material which is curable upon light irradiation and developable with water.

Abstract: A water-in-oil emulsion of a cationic polymer suitable for inversion, comprising a continuous phase comprising a hydrophobic liquid, a discontinuous phase comprising a water-soluble cationic polymer, and a surface active agent system for inventing the emulsion in water, the system comprising a mixture of at least one alkyl phosphate represented by formula (I) or (II) and at least one other surface active agent compatible with the at least one alkyl phosphate: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms; X and Y, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an ammonium group, or an alkanolamino group; and n1 represents 0 or an integer of from 1 to 4; ##STR2## wherein R.sub.2 and R.sub.

Abstract: A process for the production of amides utilizing microorganisms is described, which comprises subjecting nitriles having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms to the action of a microorganism belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, and genus Arthrobacter or the genus Microbacterium having an ability to hydrate the nitriles to form the corresponding amides in an aqueous medium.

Abstract: A process for the production of a 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyronitrile which comprises reacting a 1,3-dihalo-2-propanol with a dehalogenating enzyme originating from a Corynebacterium or a Microbacterium in the presence of an alkali cyanide to thereby convert the 1,3-dihalo-2-propanol into the 4-halo-3-hydroyxbutyronitrile and collecting the product thus formed is disclosed. According to this process, a 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyronitrile which is highly useful in the syntheses of various medicines and physiologically active substances can be easily and efficiently produced from an inexpensive starting material.

Abstract: A process for conducting long-term ammoxidation of propylene in the presence of a metal oxide catalyst for ammoxidation of propylene at a temperature of from 300.degree. C. to 500.degree. C. to produce acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide, wherein in the process each of (A) elemental phosphorus or a phosphorus compound and (B) elemental tellurium or a tellurium compound is added as a regenerating agent at least once to the ammoxidation reaction system in accordance with the progress of the reaction, the regenerating agent (A) being added when the yields of both of acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide are reduced, and the regenerating agent (B) is chosen when the yield of acrylonitrile is reduced and the yield of hydrogen cyanide is unchanged or increased, to thereby maintain high levels of yields of acrylonitrile and hydrogen cyanide.

Abstract: An iron-antimony oxide catalyst for use in the production of hydrogen cyanide by the vapor phase catalytic ammoxidation of methanol, and a process for the production of hydrogen cyanide in the presence of said improved catalyst are disclosed. This improved iron-antimony oxide catalyst is represented by the following formula:Fe.sub.a Cu.sub.b Sb.sub.c V.sub.d Mo.sub.e W.sub.f P.sub.g Q.sub.h R.sub.i S.sub.j O.sub.k (SiO.sub.2).sub.lwhereinQ is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Zn, La, Ce, Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Bi, U and Sn;R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B and Te;S is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca and Ba; anda, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k and l each represents the atomic ratio of the elements in the formula for which they are subscript whereinfor a=10,b=0.

Abstract: A process for preparing an optically active (R)-(-)-3-halo-1,2-propanediol comprising reacting an epihalohydrin with an epihalohydrin hydratase originating from a microorganism. For example, the microorganism belongs to the genus Corynebacterium or the genus Microbacterium. Epihalohydrins which can be used include epichlorohydrin and epibromohydrin. The reaction can be carried out at a temperature of from 5.degree. to 50.degree. C. and a pH of from 4 to 10.