Provided is a method of producing a structure for producing a casting, including: a process (I) of obtaining a slurry composition containing an organic fiber, an inorganic fiber, a thermosetting resin, and water; a process (II) of obtaining a fiber laminate by subjecting the slurry composition to papermaking; and a process (III) of dehydrating the fiber laminate and thereafter drying the resultant, in which the process (I) includes a process (I-1) of beating a mixture containing the organic fiber and water, a process (I-2) of mixing the mixture obtained in the process (I-1) and water, and a process (I-3) of mixing the mixture obtained in the process (I-2) and the inorganic fiber, the thermosetting resin is mixed in at least any of the process (I-1), the process (I-2), and the process (I-3), and an average fiber length of the inorganic fiber in the structure for producing a casting is 1 mm or longer and 5 mm or shorter.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing microfibrillated polysaccharide, preferably microfibrillated cellulose. The invention also relates to microfibrillated cellulose obtainable by the method and use of the microfibrillated cellulose. The method of manufacturing microfibrillated cellulose comprises the following steps: a) Providing a hemicellulose containing pulp, b) Providing wood degrading enzymes c) Mixing pulp and enzymes d) Keeping the mixture in a continuous, flowing system of essentially cylindrical geometry (for example in a plug-flow reactor), e) Conveying the mixture to one or more mixing zones for recirculating and homogenizing the mixture, and f) Harvesting microfibrillated cellulose with a relatively narrow size distribution during the recirculation.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing microfibrillated polysaccharide, preferably microfibrillated cellulose. The invention also relates to microfibrillated cellulose obtainable by the method and use of the microfibrillated cellulose. The method of manufacturing microfibrillated cellulose comprises the following steps: a) Providing a hemicellulose containing pulp, b) Providing wood degrading enzymes c) Mixing pulp and enzymes d) Keeping the mixture in a continuous, flowing system of essentially cylindrical geometry (for example in a plug-flow reactor), e) Conveying the mixture to one or more mixing zones for recirculating and homogenizing the mixture, and f) Harvesting microfibrillated cellulose with a relatively narrow size distribution during the recirculation.

Provided is toilet paper which is excellent in thickness feeling and water disintegrability, has sufficient softness, gives a sense of security for human bodies during use, and is environmentally friendly.

Toilet paper has three or four plies. The basis weight is 12.5 to 15.5 g/m.sup.2 per ply. 80 to 100 mass % of fiber is softwood kraft pulp that is subjected to oxygen pulping and is not bleached with chlorine. The toilet paper contains a cationic fatty acid amide-based softener, and has a paper thickness of 120 to 150 μm per ply, a paper thickness of 400 to 600 μm as a whole of the toilet paper, and a water disintegrability of 10 seconds or less.

In order to absorb a small amount of liquid, to prevent an absorbent article from being disintegrated by the absorbed liquid, and to prevent piping of a toilet from being clogged even if the absorbent article is flushed into a flush toilet, the absorbent article includes a pulp layer containing a crushed pulp or fibers mainly containing a crushed pulp, and the pulp layer has a water repellent surface layer portion formed by applying a water repellent agent to at least one surface layer portion.

In order to absorb a small amount of liquid, to prevent an absorbent article from being disintegrated by the absorbed liquid, and to prevent piping of a toilet from being clogged even if the absorbent article is flushed into a flush toilet, the absorbent article includes a pulp layer containing a crushed pulp or fibers mainly containing a crushed pulp, and the pulp layer has a water repellent surface layer portion formed by applying a water repellent agent to at least one surface layer portion.

Methods of forming crosslinked cellulose include mixing a crosslinking agent with cellulose mat fiber fragments composed of hydrogen-bonded cellulose fibers and having a solids content of about 45-95% to form a substantially homogenous mixture of non-crosslinked, individualized cellulose fibers, drying the resulting mixture to 85-100% solids, then curing the dried mixture under conditions effective to crosslink the cellulose fibers. Some of such methods may include fragmenting a cellulose fiber mat to form the mat fragments. Systems include a mixing unit (such as a high-consistency mixer) configured to form, from the mat fragments and a crosslinking agent, a substantially homogenous mixture of non-crosslinked, individualized cellulose fibers and crosslinking agent, at ambient conditions, a drying unit to dry the substantially homogenous mixture to a consistency of 85-100%, and a curing unit and to cure the crosslinking agent to form dried and cured crosslinked cellulose fibers.

Methods of forming crosslinked cellulose include mixing a crosslinking agent with cellulose mat fiber fragments composed of hydrogen-bonded cellulose fibers and having a solids content of about 45-95% to form a substantially homogenous mixture of non-crosslinked, individualized cellulose fibers, drying the resulting mixture to 85-100% solids, then curing the dried mixture under conditions effective to crosslink the cellulose fibers. Some of such methods may include fragmenting a cellulose fiber mat to form the mat fragments. Systems include a mixing unit (such as a high-consistency mixer) configured to form, from the mat fragments and a crosslinking agent, a substantially homogenous mixture of non-crosslinked, individualized cellulose fibers and crosslinking agent, at ambient conditions, a drying unit to dry the substantially homogenous mixture to a consistency of 85-100%, and a curing unit and to cure the crosslinking agent to form dried and cured crosslinked cellulose fibers.

The present invention provides compositions comprising cellulose fibers and cellulose ester fibers and wet laid articles made from the compositions, as well as wet laid processes to produce these compositions. More specifically, the present invention provided compositions comprising cellulose fibers and cellulose acetate fibers and wet laid articles made from these compositions as well as wet laid processes to produce these compositions. The present invention also relates to developing a composition, process, wet laid product, or articles exhibiting any one of many desired benefits. This invention also relates to a biodegradable bag.

Provided is a fibrillated chemically modified cellulose fiber, which has a type-I cellulose crystallinity of at least 50%, an anionic charge density of 0.10-2.00 meq/g, and an average fiber diameter of greater than 500 nm. Also, provided is a fibrillated chemically modified cellulose fiber, wherein the value (A/B) obtained by dividing the viscosity A measured at a shear rate of 0.01/sec by the viscosity B measured at a shear rate of 1000/sec in an aqueous dispersion having a solid content of 1 mass % is at least 100. These fibers have high water retention and high thixotropy.