Abstract: A water-soluble hydroxyethyl cellulose is produced by reacting ethylene oxide with an alkali cellulose such that an average additional molar number of ethylene oxide per glucose unit of the alkali cellulose is 0.1 to 1.0 mol to prepare hydroxyethyl cellulose, and mechanically pulverizing the prepared hydroxyethyl cellulose. According to this producing method, it is possible to produce a water-soluble hydroxyethyl cellulose from an alkali cellulose with the usage of ethylene oxide reduced. In addition, the water-soluble hydroxyethyl cellulose produced by this producing method has a loss tangent (tan ?) of a 2% by mass aqueous solution of less than 1.0 in a frequency range of 0.1 to 100 rad/s in general, and exhibits a gel physical property.

Abstract: The present invention provides antibacterial zeolite exhibiting a less discoloring action, obtained by treating the surface of zeolite supporting an antibacterial metal with 0.5 to 20% by weight, based on said zeolite, of a composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a hydrolyzable silane and/or oligomer thereof which comprises 10 to 100% by weight of a hydrolyzable silane and/or oligomer thereof having an aryl group; (B) 1 to 1000 parts by weight of an organopolysiloxane having a basic nitrogen atom; and (C) 0.2 to 250 parts by weight of an acid which is soluble in water and which can form a salt with the aforesaid (B). The present antibacterial zeolite exhibits a remarkably less action of discoloring an organic polymer which contains the antibacterial zeolite when the polymer blend is placed under the influence of heat or the sunshine.