Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth×4 cm in width×4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

Abstract: Provided are dried cellulose fibers that are satisfactory dispersible in a resin when the cellulose fibers are mixed with the resin and can improve physical properties such as tensile elastic modulus and tensile strength of a resin composite, a cellulose fiber-resin composite including the cellulose fibers, and a molded article. The dried cellulose fibers include cellulose fibers, the cellulose fiber-resin composite includes the dried cellulose fibers, and the molded article is formed from the cellulose fiber-resin composite. The cellulose fibers have an average fiber diameter of 0.1 ?m more and 20 ?m or less and have a hemicellulose content of 50% or less in constituent sugar components. The dried cellulose fibers have a water content of 10% by mass or less.

Abstract: Dry solids of anionically modified cellulose nanofibers with good redispersion are provided by incorporating 5 to 300% by mass of a water-soluble polymer relative to the anionically modified cellulose nanofibers during the preparation of the dry solids of anionically modified cellulose nanofibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a chitin oligomer, including subjecting chitin-containing biomass to partial hydrolysis while pulverizing the chitin-containing biomass with a pulverization apparatus in the co-presence of water and an acid catalyst selected from phosphoric acid, nitrous acid, and an organic acid (Method 1); a method of producing N-acetylglucosamine, including hydrolyzing a chitin oligomer obtained by the Method 1 by adding water thereto, followed by heating (Method 2); and a method of producing a 1-O-alkyl-N-acetylglucosamine, including alcoholyzing a chitin oligomer by adding an alcohol thereto (Method 3).

Abstract: A method for producing a microbial cellulose pulp for the production of viscose dope, the method comprising the step of: exposing a microbial cellulose to a volume of water to form the microbial cellulose pulp for the production of viscose dope, wherein the cellulose concentration in the microbial cellulose pulp is less than 0.040 g of cellulose per mL of pulp.

Abstract: A composite material is formed by combining an expandable polymer having a charge with another polymer having an opposite charge to produce. In particular, the composite material can be prepared by combining the polymers with a medium such as and water, and expanding the mixture using a treatment that expands the mixture to produce, for example, insoluble porous foam-like composites.

Abstract: The present application discloses regioselectively substituted cellulose esters, films made from the regioselectively substituted cellulose esters and methods for making the same. The regioselectively substituted cellulose esters are synthesized using trifluoroacetic anhydride and cellulose with various acyl donors or acyl donor precursors.

Abstract: Carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibers in which the cellulose type I crystallinity is 60% or higher, the aspect ratio is 350 or lower, and the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 660 nm when the carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibers are made into an aqueous dispersion having a solids fraction of 1% (w/v) is 60% or higher.

Abstract: An object is to provide an acid-type carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber in which the viscosity is not excessively high at the time of preparing a dispersion liquid and the introduced carboxymethyl group is desalted to convert the acid type, and the acid-type carboxymethylated cellulose nanofiber has 0.01 to 0.50 of the degree of substitution with carboxymethyl group per glucose unit, wherein the B-type viscosity in an aqueous dispersion with a concentration of 0.95 to 1.05% by mass is 1000 mPa·s or more under the condition of 60 rpm and 20° C., and 7000 mPa·s or more under the condition of 6 rpm and 20° C.

Abstract: A method for controlling discharges of nitrogen compounds in the production of cellulose carbamate (CCA). Microcrystalline cellulose is produced from chemical pulp produced at a pulp mill, such that the chemical pulp is subjected to acid hydrolysis at an elevated temperature to form microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and hydrolysate, and the MCC is reacted with urea to produce cellulose carbamate whereby ammonia is released. The microcrystalline cellulose production and the cellulose carbamate production are integrated into the pulp mill having a flue gas system such that carbon dioxide from the flue gases is reacted with released ammonia to produce urea, which is used in the carbamate production.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide an acid type carboxylated cellulose nanofiber having a high viscosity in a low shear region, or to provide an acid type carboxylated cellulose nanofiber having a very short fiber length, and the acid type carboxylated cellulose nanofiber has a carboxy group at least in part of a constituent unit constituting a cellulose molecular chain, wherein a viscosity of water dispersion with a content from 0.95 to 1.05% by mass is 400 Pa·s or higher at a shear velocity from 0.003 to 0.01 s?1 at 30° C., or an average fiber length is from 50 to 500 nm and a ratio of fibers having a fiber length of 300 nm or shorter is 50% or higher.

Abstract: The invention relates to a low molecular weight sulfate chondroitin and a preparation method thereof. A low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate with the average molecular weight of less than 1000 Dalton can be obtained by a production process of chondroitin sulfate lyase degradation, deproteinization, filtration and sterilization and drying using macromolecular sulfate chondroitin as a raw material. The low molecular weight Chondroitin sulfate has a narrow molecular weight distribution range, the ratio of chondroitin sulfate disaccharide is 43˜60% and the ratio of chondroitin sulfate tetrasaccharide is 30˜45%, the sum of chondroitin sulfate disaccharide and chondroitin sulfate tetrasaccharide is more than 87%, the total oligosaccharide content of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate is more than 97% and the protein content is less than 0.

Abstract: A cellulose resin wherein a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group of cellulose is substituted with a long-chain component which is a linear saturated aliphatic acyl group having 14 or more carbon atoms and a short-chain component which is an acyl group (propionyl group) having 3 carbon atoms, the degree of substitution with the long-chain component (DSLo) and the degree of substitution with the short-chain component (DSSh) satisfy the following conditional expressions (1) and (2): DSLo+DSSh?2.1??(1) 4?DSSh/DSLo?12??(2), the Izod impact strength is 5.0 kJ/m2 or more, and the MFR (melt flow rate at 200° C. and under a load of 5 kg) is 10 g/10 min or more.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for rapid gelation of a silk fibroin solution under physiological conditions. The method comprises steps of: (1) weighing NapFF solid powder into a glass vial and adding ultrapure water; (2) adding a NaOH solution, dissolving and heating for 1-2 min at 70° C. to form a transparent solution; (3) slowly adding a HCl solution and stirring until the pH is 7.2-7.5; (4) adding a silk fibroin solution; (5) adding ultrapure water to set the volume to 200 ?L; and (6) standing horizontally, and observing the gelation process by tilting and inverting the glass vial. In the invention a low concentration of silk fibroin solution can be induced to rapidly gelate in a short time. The silk fibroin gel can be degraded by proteolytic hydrolysis in human body, has no toxic side effects, has good biocompatibility, and thus can be used as a good biomaterial.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for removing a divalent metal cation from a macromolecular compound having an anionic functional group and containing the divalent metal cation, including (1) suspending a macromolecular compound having an anionic functional group and containing a divalent metal cation in a solution in which an electrolyte that releases an alkali metal ion is dissolved at a concentration at which the macromolecular compound is salted out, and (2) performing, in the obtained suspension, an ion exchange reaction to exchange the divalent metal cation contained in the macromolecular compound with the alkali metal ion.

Abstract: A process for producing an oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel is disclosed, wherein the process comprises oxidizing cellulose pulp fibers in the presence of hypochlorite as an oxidant and a heterocyclic nitroxyl radical as a catalyst; and disintegrating the oxidized cellulose pulp fibers to obtain a nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel; wherein all steps of the process after oxidizing are performed under aseptic conditions. An oxidized nanofibrillar cellulose hydrogel and a system for producing the same are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a hemicellulose-product and a holocellulose-product from a carbohydrate-rich material, including spend coffee grounds, are described. Hemicellulose-products and holocellulose-products produced according to these methods are also described.

Abstract: Provided are a hyaluronic acid composition having excellent viscoelasticity and being easily injectable, and a preparation method thereof.

Abstract: Sulfate ester modified cellulose nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in the range of 1 nm to 500 nm, and having sulfate ester modified hydroxyl groups on surfaces of the cellulose nanofibers. A method of producing cellulose nanofibers that are nanosized, that have a high crystallinity degree, and that have large aspect ratios, the method being a chemical method that does not require any physical pulverization, that is energy-saving, and that can be performed under mild reaction conditions. A method of producing modified cellulose nanofibers including modifying the surfaces of the cellulose nanofibers through esterification or urethanization. A method of producing cellulose nanofibers includes impregnating cellulose with a fibrillation solution containing dimethylsulfoxide, at least one carboxylic acid anhydride selected from acetic anhydride and propionic anhydride, and sulfuric acid to fibrillate the cellulose.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods of treating cellulosic materials with compositions that allow greater retention of inorganic particles on cellulosic substrates. The methods as disclosed provide combining saccharide fatty acid esters (SFAE) with such inorganic particles and applying such combinations on cellulosic materials to eliminate or reduce the use of retention aids or binders for filler in the paper making process. Compositions comprising such combinations of SFAE and inorganic particles are also disclosed.