An oil repellent agent including a modified natural product having at least one hydroxyl group, wherein a hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group is replaced with an R group represented by —Y—Z, wherein Y represents a direct bond, —C(═O)—, —C(═O)—NR′— or —C(═S)—NR′—, where R′ represents a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl group); and Z represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms and optionally having a substituent or a polysiloxane. The natural material is a natural product other than starch and preferably is a monosaccharide, a polysaccharide, glycerin or polyglycerin. Also disclosed is a textile product to which the oil-resistant agent is attached, an oil-resistant paper and a method of treating paper with the oil-resistant agent.

The invention relates to cellulose esters, the ester groups of which are at least partially containing phosphorus and are based on unsaturated carboxylic acids and reactive phosphorus components, wherein the latter are preferably phosphorus derivatives of sugar alcohols or of tartaric acid derivatives. The invention also relates to methods for preparing novel phosphorus-containing cellulose esters and to their use as flame retardants for plastics.

Provided is a lithium ion battery whose manufacturing process is simple and which has high energy density and heat resistance. A lithium ion battery capable of storing and releasing lithium ions, and being provided with a separator between a positive electrode and a negative electrode having irreversible capacity at the initial charge/discharge, and having a structure in which void portions in the separator are filled with a nonaqueous electrolytic solution including lithium ions, wherein a positive electrode active material contained in the positive electrode has a first charge-discharge efficiency of 80% to 90% when charged/discharged using metal Li as an counter electrode; a negative electrode active material contained in the negative electrode includes a mixed material of a silicon compound and a carbon material; in the negative electrode, lithium corresponding to an irreversible capacity at the initial charge/discharge is not doped; a capacity ratio of the negative electrode to the positive electrode at the initial electric charge capacity of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is 0.95 or more and 1 or less; the positive electrode binder contained in the positive electrode is an aqueous binder; the negative electrode binder contained in the negative electrode is a polyimide; and the nonaqueous electrolyte contains lithium bis(oxalate) borate.

A method of producing a cellulose nonwoven fabric, a cellulose nonwoven fabric produced thereby, and a secondary ion battery including the same, wherein the method includes passing a cellulose suspension with microbial cellulose and a water-soluble cellulose disintegrating agent in a medium through an orifice of a high-pressure homogenizer to obtain a cellulose dispersion and removing the medium from the obtained cellulose dispersion to form the nonwoven fabric.

A method of producing a cellulose nonwoven fabric, a cellulose nonwoven fabric produced thereby, and a secondary ion battery including the same, wherein the method includes passing a cellulose suspension with microbial cellulose and a water-soluble cellulose disintegrating agent in a medium through an orifice of a high-pressure homogenizer to obtain a cellulose dispersion and removing the medium from the obtained cellulose dispersion to form the nonwoven fabric.

Regioselectively substituted cellulose esters having a plurality of aryl-acyl substituents and a plurality of alkyl-acyl substituents are disclosed along with methods for making the same. Such cellulose esters may be suitable for use in optical films, such as optical films having certain Nz values, −A optical films, and/or +C optical films. Optical films prepared employing such cellulose esters have a variety of commercial applications, such as, for example, as compensation films in liquid crystal displays and/or waveplates in creating circular polarized light used in 3-D technology.

A fat-binding composition contains an inclusion complex with a host molecule and a guest molecule. The guest molecule includes one or more amino acids, vitamins, flavorants or related compounds, rutin, betanin, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof. The fat-binding composition may be in the form of a tablet or powder, for example, and may be incorporated into a food or beverage product. If in the form of a powder or tablet, the composition may optionally contain a carbonation-forming component and may be dissolved in carbonated or non-carbonated water. The fat-binding composition may also be employed in a method for binding fat ingested by an animal which includes having the animal ingest the composition, or a food or beverage product containing the same.

An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): (1) 0≦Re(550)≦10; (2) −25≦Rth(550)≦25; and (3) |I|+|II|+|III|+|IV|>0.5 (nm),
with definitions: I=Re(450)−Re(550); II=Re(650)−Re(550); III=Rth(450)−Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)−Rth(550),
wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.

An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): (1) 0≦Re(550)≦10; (2) −25≦Rth(550)≦25; and (3) |I|+|II|+|III|+|IV|>0.5 (nm),
with definitions: I=Re(450)−Re(550); II=Re(650)−Re(550); III=Rth(450)−Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)−Rth(550),
wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.

A method for preparing stably dispersed cellulose nanofibers comprises the following steps: 1) mixing cellulose and an organic solvent, the percentage of the cellulose being 1% to 15% in weight; 2) adding an esterification agent into the resultant mixture of step 1), the molar ratio of the esterification agent to the cellulose being from 1:0.1 to 4; and 3) physically breaking the resultant mixture of step 2) until a suspension liquid with stably dispersed cellulose nanofibers of 2-1000 nm in diameter and 10-100 μm in length is obtained, an esterification reaction of hydroxyl group(s) on the surface of cellulose fibers occurring at the time of the breaking. Also disclosed are dispersed cellulose nanofibers with improved compatibility to the matrix than the untreated cellulose and an improved strength of the composite materials.