A method for manufacturing a cellulose derivative includes a step of preparing a low crystalline cellulose having a degree of crystallinity of 70% or less and a step of derivatizing the low crystalline cellulose described above.

A non-aqueous silver precursor composition is composed of (a) one or more cellulosic polymers; (b) reducible silver ions that are present at a weight ratio to the one or more cellulosic polymers of 5:1 to 50:1; (c) an organic solvent that has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 100 C. and up to but less than 500 C.; and (d) a nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of at least 15 and up to and including 25 at 25 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of each cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) each organic solvent. In addition, the (d) nitrogenous base is present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of (b) reducible silver ions.

A non-aqueous silver precursor composition is composed of (a) one or more cellulosic polymers; (b) reducible silver ions that are present at a weight ratio to the one or more cellulosic polymers of 5:1 to 50:1; (c) an organic solvent that has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 100 C. and up to but less than 500 C.; and (d) a nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of at least 15 and up to and including 25 at 25 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of each cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) each organic solvent. In addition, the (d) nitrogenous base is present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of (b) reducible silver ions.

A resin composition contains cellulose acrylate having a weight-average molecular-weight of 30,000-90,000 and an olefin-(meth)acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer in which the mass ratio Ma/Mb of the contained amount Ma of structural units represented by formula (a) to the contained amount Mb of structural units represented by formula (b) in the copolymer is 4-10. In the formula, R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or methyl group, and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

The surface hydrophobization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by carboxylic acids, biodiesel, or plant oils was conducted via there herein disclosed green process using an one-pot synthetic method. In the process, an aqueous lactic acid syrup served as a solvent to provide a stable and well-dispersed water suspension of CNCs and participated in esterification reactions to produce an intermediate product of polylactic acid (PLA) oligomer grafted CNCs (CNC-g-PLA). This solvent and intermediate product system allows for an in situ solvent exchange from water to lactic acid without prior drying of the CNCs and a subsequent efficient esterification reaction of CNCs with carboxylic acids or esters having a long hydrocarbon chain (FAs). Another advantage of the disclosed process is the ability to reuse the reagents in the subsequent reaction in order to reduce the production cost. Grafting of renewable materials on the surface of CNCs was developed by polyesterification that is capable of being environmentally friendly and mass-produced without any organic solvents or toxic reagents.

A non-aqueous silver precursor composition is composed of (a) one or more cellulosic polymers; (b) reducible silver ions that are present at a weight ratio to the one or more cellulosic polymers of 5:1 to 50:1; (c) an organic solvent that has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 100 C. and up to but less than 500 C.; and (d) a nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of at least 15 and up to and including 25 at 25 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of each cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) each organic solvent. In addition, the (d) nitrogenous base is present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of (b) reducible silver ions.

A non-aqueous silver precursor composition is composed of (a) one or more cellulosic polymers; (b) reducible silver ions that are present at a weight ratio to the one or more cellulosic polymers of 5:1 to 50:1; (c) an organic solvent that has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of at least 100 C. and up to but less than 500 C.; and (d) a nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of at least 15 and up to and including 25 at 25 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of each cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) each organic solvent. In addition, the (d) nitrogenous base is present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of (b) reducible silver ions.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing nanocellulose comprising the steps of: a) providing a cellulose-containing material wherein the cellulose-containing material contains less than 20 wt. % water, b) contacting the cellulose-containing material with oxalic acid dihydrate, and heating above the melting point of the oxalic acid dihydrate, to obtain cellulose oxalates, c) washing the mixture, d) preparing a suspension comprising the washed material from step c) and e) recovering nanocellulose from the suspension. The present invention relates also to a method of manufacturing nanocellulose intermediate which comprises the above described steps a)-c). The methods disclosed in the present invention are quick, simple, and direct. Pulp can be used as raw material. A considerable amount of free carboxyl groups are introduced. A high yield can be obtained. The methods are inexpensive.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing nanocellulose comprising the steps of: a) providing a cellulose-containing material wherein the cellulose-containing material contains less than 20 wt. % water, b) contacting the cellulose-containing material with oxalic acid dihydrate, and heating above the melting point of the oxalic acid dihydrate, to obtain cellulose oxalates, c) washing the mixture, d) preparing a suspension comprising the washed material from step c) and e) recovering nanocellulose from the suspension. The present invention relates also to a method of manufacturing nanocellulose intermediate which comprises the above described steps a)-c). The methods disclosed in the present invention are quick, simple, and direct. Pulp can be used as raw material. A considerable amount of free carboxyl groups are introduced. A high yield can be obtained. The methods are inexpensive.

A cellulosic material contains a cellulose derivative, and the cellulose derivative contains an ionic moiety as a chemical structure common to an ionic liquid. It is preferred that the ionic moiety has an imidazolium salt structure. It is also preferred that the ionic moiety is introduced into a repeating unit of a polymer chain having a repeating structure introduced into a cellulose backbone structure of the cellulose derivative.