Abstract: Composite materials contain fibers from natural sources and polyamides, wherein the polyamides have a softening point below 220° C., and a heat deflection temperature above 50° C. The polyamides consist of a) 30 to 70 mol % dimeric fatty acids, b) 30 to 70 mol % aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, c) 70 to 98 mol % aliphatic diamines, d) up to 25 mol % cycloaliphatic diamines e) up to 20 mol % polyether diamines, wherein aliphatic dicarboxylic acids are selected from linear, non-branched C10 to C18 dicarboxylic acids, and wherein the weighted average number of C-atoms is between 11.5 to 14.5, and the sum of mol % for acids and amine each add to 100.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel cationized microfibrillated plant fiber and a method for manufacturing the same. A cationic microfibrillated plant fiber that is cationically modified with a quaternary-ammonium-group-containing compound, and that has an average diameter of 4 to 200 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing chitin nanofibers, which includes the steps of deproteinizing a material derived from a chitin-containing organism by an alkali treatment, deashing a deproteinized integument by an acid treatment, optionally treating the deashed integument under acidic conditions, and then subjecting to a fiber-loosening treatment. The present invention also provides chitin nanofibers obtained by the method, and a composite material and a coating composition each containing the same. The present invention provides a method for producing chitosan nanofibers, which includes, in addition to the above steps, a deacetylation step and chitosan nanofibers obtained by the method, and a composite material and a coating composition each containing the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stabilized drying catalyst (‘drier’) for enhancing or accelerating oxidative air-drying of an alkyd-based composition, comprising an inclusion complex of a cyclodextrin and a metal salt of formula (Mx+)k(Rk?)?, wherein M is a transition or rare earth metal cation with charge x and R is an anion with charge k. The present invention preserves the catalytic activity of a drier, particularly upon addition to an alkyd composition, thus providing a method for stabilizing the drying time of the alkyd composition. A process for preparing the stabilized drier is also provided.

Abstract: A cellulose resin produced by binding cardanol or a derivative thereof to cellulose or a derivative thereof with the use of a cellulose hydroxy group of the cellulose or a derivative thereof and the phenolic hydroxy group of the cardanol or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of nano-fibrillar cellulose gels by providing cellulose fibers and at least one filler and/or pigment; combining the cellulose fibers and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and fibrillating the cellulose fibers in the presence of the at least one filler and/or pigment until a gel is formed, as well as the nano-fibrillar cellulose gel obtained by this process and uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of suspensions of nano-fibrillar cellulose by providing cellulose fibers and at least one filler and/or pigment; combining the cellulose fibers and the at least one filler and/or pigment; and fibrillating the cellulose fibers in the presence of at least one filler and/or pigment, as well as the suspensions of nano-fibrillar cellulose obtained by this process and their uses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wood material product and a method for producing wood material products from particles containing lignocellulose and adhesives containing formaldehydes, which are intermixed and fed to a forming process after mixing. A zeolite is added to the mixture of adhesives and particles containing lignocellulose.

Abstract: A substrate for biochips which has a high probe loading amounts and a uniform immobilization density, and which further has a high detection sensitivity and a high reproducibility by preventing a non-specific adsorption of proteins, when used as a substrate for biochips for immobilizing probes composed of biologically relevant substances such as proteins and nucleic acids, is disclosed. Amino groups can be bound to the surface of the substrate uniformly, at a high density and stably by covalently immobilizing an amino group-containing polymer on the surface of the substrate. The probe immobilization rate is high and immobilizing density was uniform by immobilizing a probe composed of a biologically relevant substance such as a protein or nucleic acid by utilizing the amino groups. Further, detection sensitivity and reproducibility are high by inhibiting non-specific adsorption of proteins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polymer material with several advantageous properties. The polymer material has a low degree of swelling in water, it is biodegradable, it has extremely low permeability to gasses such as CO2 and it has a high strength. The polymer material is useful for a number of purposes, such as for preparing containers for food or beverages. The polymer material is prepared from a prepolymerization mixture comprising grafted plant derived material and monomers and/or cross-linkers.

Abstract: A curable aqueous composition that includes a first polymer that includes carboxyl groups, and a second component that includes a second water insoluble polymer and a stabilizer. The second component includes functional groups that react with the carboxyl groups of the first polymer during cure, is free from carboxylic acid groups, or a combination thereof. The composition, when dry, exhibits a first Tg of at least 10° C. and a second Tg of at least 50° C.

Abstract: A method for the production neutral triblock all-conjugated copolymers by palladium-catalyzed chain-growth polymerization, and methods to convert these copolymers into all-conjugated triblock polyelectrolytes with well-controlled molecular weight and polydispersity. A device is provided which incorporates such all-conjugated triblock polyelectrolytes as an electron injection layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are molecular and polymeric compounds having desirable properties as semiconducting materials. Such compounds can exhibit desirable electronic properties and possess processing advantages including solution-processability and/or good stability. Organic transistor and photovoltaic devices incorporating the present compounds as the active layer exhibit good device performance.

Abstract: A diol from which a resin material having high processability and a high refractive index can be manufactured, a polycarbonate resin and a polyester resin which is a polymer of the diol, and a molded article and an optical element formed of the polymer. The diol is represented by the general formula (1) shown below; the polycarbonate resin and the polyester resin are polymers thereof; and the molded article and the optical element are formed of the polymers, wherein R1 and R2 each independently denote one of a hydrogen atom and an alkyl group having 1 or more and 6 or less carbon atoms; Q denotes one of an oxyethylene group, a thioethylene group and a single bond.

Abstract: A biodegradable plastic is provided by mixing starch; a biodegradation promoter, such as humic and/or fulvic acid; oil, such as white mineral oil; polypropylene; and a hydrogenated styrene isoprene/butadiene block copolymer. An environmentally friendly cable is provided by extruding the biodegradable plastic with wiring therein. An environmentally friendly headset includes the environmentally friendly cable, and may also includes one or more speaker sets and a microphone assembly, each also made, at least in part, with biodegradable material.

Abstract: The present invention provides amorphous maleimide-bismaleimide hybrid mixtures and methods for synthesizing such mixtures by condensation of diamine compounds with maleic anhydride along with one or more additional anhydrides. The invention provides a route to get passed the high melting point and the solubility issues of bismaleimide resins, yet to still obtain the good thermo-mechanical properties of these valuable molecules.

Abstract: A method for preparing pimaric acid type resin acids includes the following steps: step (1) adding refined resin acid, turpentine, or rosin along with maleic anhydride at a mass ratio of 1:0.3-1.5 into a reaction bottle, dissolving the ingredients into a C1-C10 lower fatty acid solvent, the mass ratio of the C1-C10 low fatty acid to refined resin acid is 0.05-30:1, then carrying out additional reaction by heating directly or with assistance of a microwave, subsequently cooling, crystallizing, filtering, and washing; and step (2) combining the filtrates collected in step (1), stripping the solvent by vacuum distillation to obtain pimaric acid type resin acid coarse product, dissolving the resulting coarse product in NaOH aqueous solution to prepare aqueous solution of pimaric acid type resin acid salt, adjusting the pH level to 6-14 with a mineral acid or an organic acid while stirring, and either directly purifying or acidifying followed by purifying, the resulting precipitation to obtain the final product.

Abstract: Polymer composites are provided, and more particularly, polymer composites of ground date pits disposed in a polymer matrix. The composites can be formed by a process of preparing reinforced polymer composites having a fibril melt fracture surface, including blending a mixture of date pit particulate with a thermoplastic polymer; melting the mixture; and forcing the melt through a die to produce the polymer composite having a fibril containing surface.

Abstract: An inorganic board is formed of an aluminosilicate setting material, a wooden reinforcing material and an aggregating agent. The wooden reinforcing material is covered by the aggregating agent, and this agent is covered by the aluminosilicate setting material. A method of manufacturing the inorganic board has the steps of covering a wooden reinforcing material with an aggregating agent; producing a starting material mixture by mixing the thus-obtained wooden reinforcing material with an aluminosilicate powder, an alkali metal hydroxide and water glass; and molding and curing the thus-obtained starting material mixture.

Abstract: An additive comprising a phosphazene compound that has at least two reactive functional groups and at least one capping functional group bonded to phosphorus atoms of the phosphazene compound. One of the at least two reactive functional groups is configured to react with cellulose and the other of the at least two reactive functional groups is configured to react with a resin, such as an amine resin or a polycarboxylic acid resin. The at least one capping functional group is selected from the group consisting of a short chain ether group, an alkoxy group, and an aryloxy group. Also disclosed are an additive-resin admixture, a method of treating a wood product, and a wood product.