This invention concerns a novel method to produce thermosets such as epoxies and polyurethanes comprising nano-cellulose. The method comprises contacting primarily water-bourne dispersed nano-cellulose with liquid thermoset precursors, specifically epoxy or amine in the case of epoxies, or glycols or similar in the case of polyurethanes. Nano-cellulose transfers to the organic phase, and water is removed at temperatures below 100° C. Thereafter the organic phase comprising nano-cellulose can be mixed with the reactive counterpart to yield nano-composites with improved properties. The products can be used for composite articles, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and other end-uses. Preferred embodiments are described in detail.

What is provided is a method for producing a composite-particle composition including a first step of obtaining a dispersion liquid of fine fibers; a second step of coating a surface of liquid droplets of a polymerizable monomer or a polymer with the fine fibers in the dispersion liquid to stabilize the liquid droplets as an emulsion; a third step of polymerizing the liquid droplets of the polymerizable monomer or the polymer to obtain composite particles including the polymer coated with the fine fibers; and a fourth step of adsorbing a compound that forms an ionic bond in a pair with an ionic functional group of the fine fibers onto the fine fibers in the surface of the composite particles.

The present invention provides a composite resin composition capable of forming a film in which a cellulose nanofiber is dispersed uniformly in the resin. The present invention provides a composite resin composition containing an aqueous dispersion medium, a resin particle emulsified in the aqueous dispersion medium, and a cellulose nanofiber dispersed in the aqueous dispersion medium, wherein the resin particle contains at least one selected from the group consisting of a (meth)acrylic resin particle, a styrene-based resin particle, and a (meth)acrylonitrile-based resin particle, and when a sample obtained in such a way that a liquid obtained by diluting the composite resin composition with water in an amount that allows a non-volatile content of the composite resin composition to fall within a range of 0.01 to 0.1% by mass is dropped onto a base material for measurement and is dried is observed with an atomic force microscope, a structure such that the cellulose nanofiber is dispersed, and the resin particles cling in the form of particles to the cellulose nanofiber is observed.

A silicone emulsion composition capable of being formed into a coating film, which contains: (A) 100 parts by mass of an organopolysiloxane containing, per molecule, at least two groups each capable of binding to a silicon atom, wherein the at least two groups are independently selected from a hydroxyl group and an alkoxy group; (B) 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a surfactant; (C) 0.01 to 10 parts by mass of at least one substance selected from cellulose and a cellulose derivative; (D) 0.5 to 50 parts by mass of colloidal silica; and (E) 50 to 1,000 parts by mass of water.

Systems and methods are provided that involve a subcritical water reaction to recycle the cellulose and polyester components of waste cotton and cotton/polyester blend textiles that would otherwise be discarded or disposed of. Specifically, the disclosed methods provide for treatment of the waste textiles to produce advanced materials including cellulose and terephthalic acid (TPA) with a low environmental impact. The cellulose and TPA that are produced are of a high quality allowing for production of regenerated cellulose and regenerated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) suitable for fiber spinning and textile applications.

A cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin formed body that is a resin formed body having respective diffraction peaks observed at positions of a scattering vector s of 1.61±0.1 nm.sup.−1, 1.92±0.1 nm.sup.−1, and 3.86±0.1 nm.sup.−1 in a wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurement, and is characterized by having ΔT calculated by the following formula (1) of 40.0° C. or more; and a cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin formed body that is a resin formed body having the above diffraction peaks and is characterized by having ΔT.sub.m and ΔT.sub.c expressed by the following formulae (2) and (3) and satisfying ΔT.sub.m<ΔT.sub.c; and a producing method of these.

ΔT=T.sub.m(PP Cell)−T.sub.c(PP Cell)  (1)

ΔT.sub.m=T.sub.m(PP)−T.sub.m(PP Cell)  (2)

ΔT.sub.c=T.sub.c(PP)−T.sub.c(PP Cell)  (3)

A binder that is used for forming fiber-based items and that binds fibers contains a polyester and an aggregation inhibitor. The polyester contains a structural unit derived from polyethylene terephthalate, a structural unit derived from at least one polyvalent carboxylic acid, and a structural unit derived from at least one polyhydric alcohol including trimethylolpropane. The binder exhibits a viscosity coefficient higher than 3500 P at 150° C. in dynamic viscoelasticity measurement.

Method for manufacturing a composite material, comprising the following steps: a) plasticizing a binder in an extruder, wherein the binder comprises a polymer; b) providing a mixture of a cellulosic material and a hydrophobic agent dissolved and/or dispersed in a liquid carrier; c) mechanically shearing and drying the mixture in an extruder whereby liquid is at least partly extracted from the mixture or is not present in liquid form anymore; and d) blending the dried mixture with the plasticized binder.

Composite particles that are biodegradable and easy to handle while maintaining the characteristics of cellulose nanofibers, a method of producing composite particles, a dry powder containing the composite particles, and a skin application composition and a method of producing the skin application composition. A composite particle contains at least one type of particle and fine cellulose with which at least part of a surface of the particle is coated, wherein the particle and the fine cellulose are inseparable.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing at least one layer of a film wherein the method comprises the steps of; providing a first suspension comprising microfibrillated cellulose, providing a second suspension comprising microfibrillated dialdehyde cellulose, mixing the first suspension with the second suspension to form a mixture, applying said mixture to a substrate to form a fibrous web and drying said web to form at least one layer of said film. The present invention further relates to a film comprising said at least one layer.