Nanofiber that keep crystallinity are obtained from a cellulose material under light load. The nanofiber are obtained by treating a material containing cellulose with 4% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less of an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution to produce alkali cellulose, reacting the alkali cellulose with carbon disulfide to give cellulose xanthate, and defibrating the cellulose xanthate. Then, the xanthate is treated with acid or heat to be regenerated into cellulose nanofiber.

Nanofiber that keep crystallinity are obtained from a cellulose material under light load. The nanofiber are obtained by treating a material containing cellulose with 4% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less of an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution to produce alkali cellulose, reacting the alkali cellulose with carbon disulfide to give cellulose xanthate, and defibrating the cellulose xanthate. Then, the xanthate is treated with acid or heat to be regenerated into cellulose nanofiber.

Nanofiber that keep crystallinity are obtained from a cellulose material under light load. The nanofiber are obtained by treating a material containing cellulose with 4% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less of an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution to produce alkali cellulose, reacting the alkali cellulose with carbon disulfide to give cellulose xanthate, and defibrating the cellulose xanthate. Then, the xanthate is treated with acid or heat to be regenerated into cellulose nanofiber.

A method of modifying natural clay. The method including mixing an amount of Bentonite or Kaolinite clay with a hydrochloride hydrogen nitrate mixture and stirring to obtain a powder, treating the powder with a piranha solution to obtain second reaction mixture and stirring to obtain hydroxyl terminated clay. The method also included aminating hydroxyl terminated clay or grafting the vinyl. The method also includes isolating zwitterions and positive and negative ions of the aminated hydroxyl terminated clay. The method also includes polymerizing the vinyl grafted hydroxyl terminated clay.