Abstract: An organic material production system includes: a pretreatment device (12) that pulverizes a biomass material (11); a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus (14) that hydrothermally decomposes a pulverized biomass (13) by causing it to countercurrently contact with hot compressed water (15), elutes lignin components and hemicellulose components into the hot compressed water (15), and separates the lignin components and the hemicellulose components from a biomass solid residue; a first enzymatic hydrolysis device (19-1) that treats cellulose in a biomass solid residue (17), discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus, with an enzyme (18) to enzymatically hydrolyze it to a sugar solution containing hexose; a fermenter (21) that produces ethanol by fermentation using a sugar solution (20) obtained by the first enzymatic hydrolysis device (19-1); and a refiner 25 that refines an alcohol fermentation liquid (22), so as to separate it into ethanol (23) and a residue (24).

Abstract: A method for preparing a carbon microparticle from an organic raw material having lignin as a main constituent, wherein an aqueous solution with 5% total concentration of lignin and sodium hydroxide (the proportion in mass is 1:0.5) is spray-dried to prepare a complex microparticle. This complex microparticle is heat-processed under nitrogen atmosphere at 600° C. for one hour and cooled. Thereafter, this is washed with water and further dried to prepare a hollow carbon microparticle such as those shown in FIG. 2 (b). The prepared carbon microparticle is light-weight and has an equivalent specific surface area to commercially available activated charcoal.

Abstract: Elastic and ultra-lightweight hollow carbon fine particles and a method for producing such hollow carbon fine particles are to be provided. In the method, fine droplets are formed from a mixed solution containing a water soluble organic substance and lithium carbonate; composite fine particles of the water soluble organic substance and the lithium carbonate are prepared by drying the fine droplets formed from the mixed solution; and the composite fine particles are decomposed at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 900° C.

Abstract: A method for preparing a carbon microparticle from an organic raw material having lignin as a main constituent, wherein an aqueous solution with 5% total concentration of lignin and sodium hydroxide (the proportion in mass is 1:0.5) is spray-dried to prepare a complex microparticle. This complex microparticle is heat-processed under nitrogen atmosphere at 600° C. for one hour and cooled. Thereafter, this is washed with water and further dried to prepare a hollow carbon microparticle such as those shown in FIG. 2(b). The prepared carbon microparticle is light-weight and has an equivalent specific surface area to commercially available activated charcoal.

Abstract: Elastic and ultra-lightweight hollow carbon fine particles and a method for producing such hollow carbon fine particles are to be provided. In the method, fine droplets are formed from a mixed solution containing a water soluble organic substance and lithium carbonate; composite fine particles of the water soluble organic substance and the lithium carbonate are prepared by drying the fine droplets formed from the mixed solution; and the composite fine particles are decomposed at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 900° C.

Abstract: An organic material production system includes: a pretreatment device (12) that pulverizes a biomass material (11); a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus (14) that hydrothermally decomposes a pulverized biomass (13) by causing it to countercurrently contact with hot compressed water (15), elutes lignin components and hemicellulose components into the hot compressed water (15), and separates the lignin components and the hemicellulose components from a biomass solid residue; a first enzymatic hydrolysis device (19-1) that treats cellulose in a biomass solid residue (17), discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus, with an enzyme (18) to enzymatically hydrolyze it to a sugar solution containing hexose; a fermenter (21) that produces ethanol by fermentation using a sugar solution (20) obtained by the first enzymatic hydrolysis device (19-1); and a refiner 25 that refines an alcohol fermentation liquid (22), so as to separate it into ethanol (23) and a residue (24).

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preparing a carbon microparticle from an organic raw material having lignin as a main constituent, and a carbon microparticle obtained thereby. An aqueous solution with 5% total concentration of lignin and sodium hydroxide (the proportion in mass is 1:0.5) is spray-dried to prepare a complex microparticle. This is heat-processed under nitrogen atmosphere at 600° C. for one hour and let to cool. Thereafter, this is washed with water and further dried to prepare a hollow carbon microparticle such as those shown in FIG. 2 (b). The prepared carbon microparticle is light-weight and has an equivalent specific surface area to commercially available activated charcoal.

Abstract: A novel plant germination inhibitor that without any hazardous effects on cultivated crop and without the danger of environmental pollution, can exert high efficacy with an extremely small dosage. There is provided a plant germination inhibitor comprising as an active ingredient a pigment produced in woody parts by fungi of the chlorosplenium aeruginosum genus or a pigment contained in cells of fungi of the chlorosplenium aeruginosum genus. Through the application of this plant germination inhibitor to a plant growth area during the germination period of the plant, the germination of the plant can be inhibited and the formation of rootstock tissue can be inhibited to thereby enable control of plant tissue formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an economical method for the preparation of chondroitin sulfates A and C useful as an effective ingredient of medicaments from fish scales as a waste material discharged from fishery in large quantities. Fish scales are enzymatically decomposed in an aqueous medium in the presence of a protease to isolate the chondroitin sulfate compounds and by-product polypeptides followed by removal of the by-product polypeptides from the aqueous solution by a cation-exchange treatment and then the aqueous solution of the chondroitin sulfate compounds is subjected to fractional precipitation by the addition of ethyl alcohol as the precipitant.

Abstract: Disclosed is an efficient and economical method for the preparation of N-glycolyl neuraminic acid in a high purity from an inexpensive abundant source material. The method comprises dispersing body tissues of an echinodermatous marine animal Cucumaria echinata in an aqueous medium, preferably, using a dry powder of the tissues prepared in advance, in which the tissues are proteolytically decomposed to isolate N-glycolyl neuraminic acid in the form of an aqueous solution containing polypeptides as a by-product, followed by separation of N-glycolyl neuraminic acid from the aqueous solution by removing the polypeptides and purification of the compound in a process utilizing an ion-exchange treatments.