A process for recovering an esterified cellulose ether from a reaction product mixture obtained from a reaction of (a) a cellulose ether with (b) an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid anhydride or a di- or tricarboxylic acid anhydride or a combination of an aliphatic monocarboxylic acid anhydride and a di- or tricarboxylic acid anhydride, comprises the steps of (i) contacting the reaction product mixture with an aqueous liquid and precipitating the esterified cellulose ether from the reaction product mixture, and (ii) isolating the precipitated esterified cellulose ether from the mixture obtained in step (i). Tackiness of the esterified cellulose ether can be reduced when a cellulose ether is added before or in step (i) to the reaction product mixture, to the aqueous liquid or a combination thereof.

Provided are HPMCAS powder having high solubility when dissolved in a solvent and being capable of suppressing generation of undissolved materials; and a method for producing the powder. More specifically, provided is hypromellose acetate succinate powder having an average ratio of L to D of from 2.0 to 3.0, wherein L and D mean maximum and minimum diameters of each particle, respectively. Also provided is a method for producing a hypromellose acetate succinate, comprising the steps of: dissolving hypromellose powder in a solvent, esterifying the dissolved hypromellose with succinic anhydride and acetic anhydride in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture, and mixing the reaction mixture with water to precipitate hypromellose acetate succinate, wherein the reaction mixture just before being mixed with the water has a viscosity of from 100 to 200 Pa.Math.s.

Provided are HPMCAS powder having high solubility when dissolved in a solvent and being capable of suppressing generation of undissolved materials; and a method for producing the powder. More specifically, provided is hypromellose acetate succinate powder having an average ratio of L to D of from 2.0 to 3.0, wherein L and D mean maximum and minimum diameters of each particle, respectively. Also provided is a method for producing a hypromellose acetate succinate, comprising the steps of: dissolving hypromellose powder in a solvent, esterifying the dissolved hypromellose with succinic anhydride and acetic anhydride in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a reaction mixture, and mixing the reaction mixture with water to precipitate hypromellose acetate succinate, wherein the reaction mixture just before being mixed with the water has a viscosity of from 100 to 200 Pa.Math.s.

Disclosed are a method for preparing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) grains and HPMCAS grains. The disclosed method for preparing HPMCAS grains comprises: a step of esterifying hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), acetic anhydride, and succinic anhydride in a reaction medium in the presence of a catalyst so as to obtain a reaction solution containing HPMCAS (esterification step); and a step of continuously or intermittently putting the reaction solution into water so as to form grains (granulating step).

Disclosed are a method for preparing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) grains and HPMCAS grains. The disclosed method for preparing HPMCAS grains comprises: a step of esterifying hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), acetic anhydride, and succinic anhydride in a reaction medium in the presence of a catalyst so as to obtain a reaction solution containing HPMCAS (esterification step); and a step of continuously or intermittently putting the reaction solution into water so as to form grains (granulating step).

There is provided a method for producing hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), the method not requiring any special device and facilitating removal of impurities. More specifically, there is provided a method for producing HPMCAS, including an esterification step of esterifying hypromellose with an acetylating agent and a succinoylating agent in the presence of an aliphatic carboxylic acid to obtain a reaction product solution containing HPMCAS; a precipitation step of precipitating the HPMCAS by mixing the reaction product solution with water to obtain a suspension of the precipitated HPMCAS; a neutralization step of neutralizing the suspension with a basic substance to obtain a neutralized suspension; and a washing step of washing the HPMCAS contained in the neutralized suspension to obtain the washed HPMCAS.

There is provided a method for producing hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP), the method not requiring any special device, and facilitating removal of impurities. More specifically, there is provided a method for producing HPMCP, including an esterification step of esterifying hypromellose with a carboxybenzoylating agent in the presence of an aliphatic carboxylic acid to obtain a reaction product solution containing HPMCP; a precipitation step of precipitating the HPMCP by mixing the reaction product solution with water to obtain a suspension of the precipitated HPMCP; a neutralization step of neutralizing the suspension with a basic substance to obtain a neutralized suspension; and a washing step of washing the HPMCP contained in the neutralized suspension to obtain the washed HPMCP.

An esterified cellulose ether is provided wherein the ester groups are phthalyl groups, the degree of substitution of phthalyl groups is from 0.02 to 0.18, the degree of neutralization of phthalyl groups is not more than 0.75, and the esterified cellulose ether has a solubility in water of at least 2.0 weight percent at 2 C.

An esterified cellulose ether is provided wherein the ester groups are phthalyl groups, the degree of substitution of phthalyl groups is from 0.02 to 0.18, the degree of neutralization of phthalyl groups is not more than 0.75, and the esterified cellulose ether has a solubility in water of at least 2.0 weight percent at 2 C.

Esterified cellulose ethers which have i) as ester groups aliphatic monovalent acyl groups or groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA or a combination of aliphatic monovalent acyl groups and groups of the formula C(O)RCOOA, wherein R is a divalent aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group and A is hydrogen or a cation, and ii) a content of not more than 0.85 weight percent acetone-insoluble esterified cellulose ether particles, when the esterified cellulose ether is present in a mixture of 12.5 weight parts of esterified cellulose ether and 87.5 weight parts of acetone at 21 C., the weight percent acetone-insoluble esterified cellulose ether particles being based on the total weight of the esterified cellulose ether, wherein iii) not more than 14 percent of the acetone-insoluble esterified cellulose ether particles have a particle size of more than 90 micrometers.