Abstract: A method for producing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is provided which can efficiently and quantitatively producing FDCA under mild conditions, without employing an expensive catalyst and with a reduced energy consumption. A furan ring compound having two functional groups selected from a hydroxymethyl group, a formyl group and a carboxyl group in the 2- and 5-positions of the furan ring, is oxidized with a metal permanganate in an alkaline environment to produce furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid. Advantageously, the alkaline environment contains at least one of alkali metal hydroxides and alkali earth metal hydroxides, and the oxidation is performed at a temperature of from 1 to 50° C. by adding the permanganate metal salt to the alkaline aqueous solution containing the furan ring compound.

Abstract: A method for producing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is provided which can efficiently and quantitatively producing FDCA under mild conditions, without employing an expensive catalyst and with a reduced energy consumption. A furan ring compound having two functional groups selected from a hydroxymethyl group, a formyl group and a carboxyl group in the 2- and 5-positions of the furan ring, is oxidized with a metal permanganate in an alkaline environment to produce furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid. Advantageously, the alkaline environment contains at least one of alkali metal hydroxides and alkali earth metal hydroxides, and the oxidation is performed at a temperature of from 1 to 50° C. by adding the permanganate metal salt to the alkaline aqueous solution containing the furan ring compound.

Abstract: By allowing cellulose and a base to coexist in water at a reaction temperature of not less than 150° C. but less than 400° C. at a pressure of 5 MPa or more, the cellulose is directly degraded into lactic acid. The weight ratio of the base relative to the cellulose is within the range from 0.5 to 8.

Abstract: A porous absorbent can be formed using recycling materials, which makes it possible to provide at lower costs an excellent capability of absorbing ink or the like, as well as an excellent handling performance. The porous absorbent contains at least virgin fiber, old paper fiber of waste newspaper, and hemp fiber, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such porous absorbent for absorbing waste ink discharged from the recording head thereof.

Abstract: A porous absorbent can be formed using recycling materials, which makes it possible to provide at lower costs an excellent capability of absorbing ink or the like, as well as an excellent handling performance. The porous absorbent contains at least virgin fiber, old paper fiber of waste newspaper, and hemp fiber, and an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with such porous absorbent for absorbing waste ink discharged from the recording head thereof.