The present invention provides a binder for positive electrode of lithium ion battery which is excellent in workability at the time of producing a positive electrode, is excellent in charge and discharge characteristics such as cycle characteristics and rate characteristics, and enables to possible to produce a positive electrode having an extended cycle life, as well as the present invention provides a slurry for forming positive electrode mixture layer of lithium ion battery, a positive electrode for lithium ion battery, and a lithium ion battery, using the same. As a binder for binding a positive electrode active material, a conductive aid and a current collector at a positive electrode of a lithium ion battery, by using one containing a polysaccharide introduced with at least one ion exchange group selected from the group consisting of sulfate groups and alkali metal sulfate groups, it is possible to provide a lithium ion battery with excellent charge and discharge characteristics and an extended cycle life.

Provided is a method for producing a chemically modified cellulose fiber with which fibrillation can be performed along with sulfation reaction. The method for producing a chemically modified cellulose fiber includes a step (a) of treating a cellulose fiber with sulfamic acid to allow a cellulose fine fiber which is a constituent of the cellulose fiber to react with the sulfamic acid, thereby substituting some of hydroxyl groups of cellulose with a substituent represented by a structural formula (1) below (where M represents a monovalent to trivalent cation), and a step (b) of performing fibrillation simultaneously with the step (a). ##STR00001##

A rapid testing mechanism for respiratory viral pathogens includes a filter material positioned to capture exhaled breath particles from a respiratory tract. At least a portion of the filter material includes a pathogen binding adsorptive reagent, wherein the pathogen binding adsorptive reagent is a sulfated cellulose membrane. When the exhaled breath particles pass through the filter material, the following occur: when the binding adsorptive reagent reacts, a positive test for respiratory viral pathogens is indicated by the filter material; and when the pathogen binding adsorptive reagent does not react, a negative test for respiratory viral pathogens is individuated by the filter material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth×4 cm in width×4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth×4 cm in width×4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth×4 cm in width×4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

It is an object of the present invention to provide fine fibrous cellulose capable of enhancing transparency and suppressing coloring, when the fine fibrous cellulose are processed into a dispersed solution or a sheet. The present invention relates to fine fibrous cellulose, in which the amount of substituents introduced is less than 0.5 mmol/g and the fiber width is 1 to 10 nm. Moreover, the present invention relates to a dispersed solution and a sheet, each of which comprises fine fibrous cellulose. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing fine fibrous cellulose, comprising: (A) removing at least a part of substituents from fine fibrous cellulose with a fiber width of 1000 nm or less having the substituents, and (B) performing a uniform dispersion treatment on the resulting fine fibrous cellulose after completion of the (A).

A scaffold for promoting cartilage formation is provided that includes a crosslinked electrospun fiber, wherein the crosslinked electrospun fiber consists essentially of crosslinked gelatin. The crosslinked electrospun fiber is generally crosslinked with a crosslinker, and the crosslinker may be diisosorbide bisepoxide. The crosslinked electrospun fiber may be crosslinked by adding a crosslinker to a solution of gelatin at a desired concentration. The electrospun fiber may advantageously remain intact for 18 days or longer upon being immersed in an aqueous solution. A composition for promoting cartilage formation is also provided that includes the disclosed scaffold and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). The disclosed scaffold may include a crosslinked electrospun fiber that includes gelatin and sodium cellulose sulfate (NaCS), e.g., in an amount of up to 5% by weight of the amount of gelatin. A method for promoting cartilage formation is also provided that includes administering to a subject in need thereof a disclosed composition for promoting cartilage formation in the subject.

A scaffold for promoting cartilage formation is provided that includes a crosslinked electrospun fiber, wherein the crosslinked electrospun fiber consists essentially of crosslinked gelatin. The crosslinked electrospun fiber is generally crosslinked with a crosslinker, and the crosslinker may be diisosorbide bisepoxide. The crosslinked electrospun fiber may be crosslinked by adding a crosslinker to a solution of gelatin at a desired concentration. The electrospun fiber may advantageously remain intact for 18 days or longer upon being immersed in an aqueous solution. A composition for promoting cartilage formation is also provided that includes the disclosed scaffold and a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). The disclosed scaffold may include a crosslinked electrospun fiber that includes gelatin and sodium cellulose sulfate (NaCS), e.g., in an amount of up to 5% by weight of the amount of gelatin. A method for promoting cartilage formation is also provided that includes administering to a subject in need thereof a disclosed composition for promoting cartilage formation in the subject.

The present invention relates to microfibrous cellulose capable of exhibiting an excellent dispersibility stability and an excellent coating suitability when added to paint.

To this end, the present invention provides fibrous cellulose having a fiber width of 1,000 nm or less and containing an ionic substituent. An amount of the ionic substituent in the fibrous cellulose is 0.10 mmol/g or more and 1.50 mmol/g or less. A polymerization degree of the fibrous cellulose is 150 or more and 515 or less. When the fibrous cellulose is dispersed in a dispersion solvent containing water and isopropanol to obtain a dispersion fluid having a 7:3 mass ratio of water and isopropanol and a viscosity of 2,500 mPa.Math.s at 23° C., and the dispersion fluid is stirred under predetermined stirring conditions, a viscosity change rate falls within ±50% as calculated by the following formula:

viscosity change rate (%)=(viscosity after stirring−viscosity before stirring)/viscosity before stirring×100