Provided is a nonaqueous binder for electrodes or separators, which is used in a lithium ion battery that has excellent cycle life characteristics at high temperatures. A nonaqueous binder for electrodes or separators of lithium ion batteries, which is obtained by complexing cellulose nanofibers and a thermoplastic fluororesin, and which is characterized in that the cellulose nanofibers have a fiber size (diameter) of from 0.002 m to 1 m (inclusive), a fiber length of from 0.5 m to 10 mm (inclusive), and an aspect ratio ((fiber length of cellulose nanofibers)/(fiber diameter of cellulose nanofibers)) of from 2 to 100,000 (inclusive).

Nanoparticles including a cellulosic polymer and a hydrophobic material and methods for forming them.

The retardation film according to the present invention is characterized by: including a polymer material that includes at least one cellulose derivative which includes specific monomer units: having an in-plane retardation Re(550) of 105-160 nm, reverse wavelength dispersion property, Re(450)/Re(550), of 0.80-0.89, and a thickness of 20-50 m; and containing inorganic particles. In particular, the present invention exhibits the effect of reducing the photoelastic coefficient.

The retardation film according to the present invention is characterized by: including a polymer material that includes at least one cellulose derivative which includes specific monomer units: having an in-plane retardation Re(550) of 105-160 nm, reverse wavelength dispersion property, Re(450)/Re(550), of 0.80-0.89, and a thickness of 20-50 m; and containing inorganic particles. In particular, the present invention exhibits the effect of reducing the photoelastic coefficient.

Provided is a composition for hot melt extrusion including a drug and hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) having a hydroxypropoxy molar substitution of 0.40 or more and a mole ratio of an acetyl group to a succinyl group of less than 1.6. Further, provided is a method for producing a hot melt extrudate including the step of hot melt-extruding a composition for hot melt extrusion including a drug and hypromellose acetate succinate having a molar hydroxypropoxy substitution of 0.40 or more and a mole ratio of an acetyl group to a succinyl group of less than 1.6, at a hot melt temperature of not lower than a melting temperature of the hypromellose acetate succinate or of not lower than a temperature at which both the hypromellose acetate succinate and the drug are melted.

Provided is a composition for hot melt extrusion including a drug and hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) having a hydroxypropoxy molar substitution of 0.40 or more and a mole ratio of an acetyl group to a succinyl group of less than 1.6. Further, provided is a method for producing a hot melt extrudate including the step of hot melt-extruding a composition for hot melt extrusion including a drug and hypromellose acetate succinate having a molar hydroxypropoxy substitution of 0.40 or more and a mole ratio of an acetyl group to a succinyl group of less than 1.6, at a hot melt temperature of not lower than a melting temperature of the hypromellose acetate succinate or of not lower than a temperature at which both the hypromellose acetate succinate and the drug are melted.

There is provided is a hydroxyalkyl alkyl cellulose exhibiting good flowability and high compressibility. More specifically, provided are a hydroxyalkyl alkyl cellulose having a volume-based average particle diameter, determined by dry laser diffractometry, of 50 to 100 m, and having, on a basis of a dynamic image analysis to divide all particles into fine particles, spherical particles and fibrous particles, a volume fraction of the fibrous particles consisting of long and short fibrous particles relative to all of the particles of 45 to 70%, and a volume fraction of the fine particles relative to all of the particles of less than 2.0%; a solid preparation including the hydroxyalkyl alkyl cellulose; and others.

There is provided a method for producing hypromellose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), the method not requiring any special device and facilitating removal of impurities. More specifically, there is provided a method for producing HPMCAS, including an esterification step of esterifying hypromellose with an acetylating agent and a succinoylating agent in the presence of an aliphatic carboxylic acid to obtain a reaction product solution containing HPMCAS; a precipitation step of precipitating the HPMCAS by mixing the reaction product solution with water to obtain a suspension of the precipitated HPMCAS; a neutralization step of neutralizing the suspension with a basic substance to obtain a neutralized suspension; and a washing step of washing the HPMCAS contained in the neutralized suspension to obtain the washed HPMCAS.

There is provided a method for producing hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP), the method not requiring any special device, and facilitating removal of impurities. More specifically, there is provided a method for producing HPMCP, including an esterification step of esterifying hypromellose with a carboxybenzoylating agent in the presence of an aliphatic carboxylic acid to obtain a reaction product solution containing HPMCP; a precipitation step of precipitating the HPMCP by mixing the reaction product solution with water to obtain a suspension of the precipitated HPMCP; a neutralization step of neutralizing the suspension with a basic substance to obtain a neutralized suspension; and a washing step of washing the HPMCP contained in the neutralized suspension to obtain the washed HPMCP.

An esterified cellulose ether is provided wherein the ester groups are phthalyl groups, the degree of substitution of phthalyl groups is from 0.02 to 0.18, the degree of neutralization of phthalyl groups is not more than 0.75, and the esterified cellulose ether has a solubility in water of at least 2.0 weight percent at 2 C.