The present invention provides a novel method for producing carboxymethylated cellulose, the method making it possible to economically obtain a high-transparency cellulose nanofiber dispersion. In the carboxymethylation of cellulose, mercerization is carried out in a solvent comprising mainly water, and then carboxymethylation is carried out in a mixed solvent of water and an organic solvent. A nanofiber dispersion of high-transparency carboxymethylated cellulose can be obtained by defibrating the resulting carboxymethylated cellulose.

A composition obtained by combining virgin cellulose fibers, cellulose ester (CE) staple fibers having a denier per filament (DPF) of less than 3, and water, and water. The CE staple fibers can also have a short cut length of less than 6 mm and can be crimped. The compositions, when co-refined, are useful to make wet laid products such as paper, cardboard, and filters that have improved water drainage, air permeability, tensile strength, bulk, burst strength, or stiffness, or a combination of these properties.

A composition obtained by combining virgin cellulose fibers, cellulose ester (CE) staple fibers having a denier per filament (DPF) of less than 3, and water, and water. The CE staple fibers can also have a short cut length of less than 6 mm and can be crimped. The compositions, when co-refined, are useful to make wet laid products such as paper, cardboard, and filters that have improved water drainage, air permeability, tensile strength, bulk, burst strength, or stiffness, or a combination of these properties.

Grafted, crosslinked cellulosic materials include cellulose fibers and polymer chains composed of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated acid group-containing monomer (such as acrylic acid) grafted thereto, in which one or more of said cellulose fibers and said polymer chains are crosslinked (such as by intra-fiber chain-to-chain crosslinks). Some of such materials are characterized by a wet bulk of about 10.0-17.0 cm3/g, an IPRP value of about 1000 to 7700 cm2/MPa.Math.sec, and/or a MAP value of about 7.0 to 38 cm H2O. Methods for producing such materials may include grafting polymer chains from a cellulosic substrate, followed by treating the grafted material with a crosslinking agent adapted to effect crosslinking of one or more of the cellulosic substrate or the polymer chains. Example crosslinking mechanisms include esterfication reactions, ionic reactions, and radical reactions, and example crosslinking agents include pentaerythritol, homopolymers of the graft species monomer, and hyperbranched polymers.

Grafted, crosslinked cellulosic materials include cellulose fibers and polymer chains composed of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated acid group-containing monomer (such as acrylic acid) grafted thereto, in which one or more of said cellulose fibers and said polymer chains are crosslinked (such as by intra-fiber chain-to-chain crosslinks). Some of such materials are characterized by a wet bulk of about 10.0-17.0 cm3/g, an IPRP value of about 1000 to 7700 cm2/MPa.Math.sec, and/or a MAP value of about 7.0 to 38 cm H2O. Methods for producing such materials may include grafting polymer chains from a cellulosic substrate, followed by treating the grafted material with a crosslinking agent adapted to effect crosslinking of one or more of the cellulosic substrate or the polymer chains. Example crosslinking mechanisms include esterfication reactions, ionic reactions, and radical reactions, and example crosslinking agents include pentaerythritol, homopolymers of the graft species monomer, and hyperbranched polymers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cellulose-containing composition having excellent coating suitability, a production method thereof, and a film. According to the present invention, provided is a cellulose-containing composition comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 1000 nm or less and protein, wherein the protein includes an enzyme, the content of the protein is 1×10.sup.−3 parts by mass or less with respect to 1 part by mass of the cellulose fibers, and when the cellulose-containing composition having a solid concentration of 0.4% by mass is obtained, the viscosity of the cellulose-containing composition measured under conditions of 25° C. and a rotation number of 3 rpm is 10 mPa.Math.s or more and 11000 mPa.Math.s or less.

The invention relates to a process for producing a thermoformable and/or embossable particle/polymer composite using a substrate S based on shredded polymer-coated paper and a thermoplastic polymer P, therewith providing a new method of recycling/upcycling paper waste. Furthermore, a process for the manufacturing of a molded article obtained from the paper-based particle/polymer composite and its use as an element in buildings or in furniture are disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for producing a thermoformable and/or embossable particle/polymer composite using a substrate S based on shredded polymer-coated paper and a thermoplastic polymer P, therewith providing a new method of recycling/upcycling paper waste. Furthermore, a process for the manufacturing of a molded article obtained from the paper-based particle/polymer composite and its use as an element in buildings or in furniture are disclosed.

A fine cellulose fiber in which when the fine cellulose fiber is formed into a dispersion, the dispersion has very high light transmittance and viscosity, and a method for producing the fine cellulose fiber. The fine cellulose fiber has a fiber width of 1 to 200 nm. A part of hydroxy groups of the cellulose fiber are substituted with a predetermine functional group to introduce an ester of phosphorus-oxo acid, and the introduction amount of the functional group is more than 2.0 mmol per 1 g of the cellulose fiber. For producing the fine cellulose fiber, to cellulose fiber is added a solution having a pH of less than 3.0 and including an additive (A) containing at least one of a phosphorus-oxo acid and a phosphorus-oxo acid metal salt and an additive (B) containing at least one of urea and a urea derivative, and the mixture is heated to perform fibrillation.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing loaded paper pulp for use in the manufacture of paper or paper board. At least one process stream containing a plurality of unrefined pulp fibers and at least one process stream of at least one filler are combined in a refiner to form a loaded paper pulp composition having a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers that are loaded with particles of the at least one filler.