The present invention aims to provide highly flowable granules comprising a complex fiber of a fiber with inorganic particles. Granules comprising a complex fiber of a fiber with inorganic particles are provided by the present invention. The granules of the present invention have a particle size of 0.1 to 10 mm and a water content of less than 60%.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit high electrical and thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties, making them suitable fillers for composites. Their effectiveness as a filler is affected by their state of aggregation. Novel ordered helical wrapping of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been achieved on single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This carbon nanotube composite not only thwarts CNT aggregation, but also may be successfully leveraged for applications such as electrical energy storage and mechanical reinforcement.

The present invention relates to surface-mineralized organic fibers comprising organic fibers having a length in the millimeter range, the surface of which is at least partially coated with finely divided alkaline earth carbonate nanoparticles by means of binders based on copolymers comprising as monomers one or more dicarboxylic acids and one or more monomers from the group of diamines, triamines, dialkanolamines or trialkanolamines and epichlorohydrin, a method for producing such surface-mineralized organic fibers, aqueous slurries thereof, their use in papermaking, in surface finishing of paper, plastic, cement and clay surfaces, in paints and varnishes and the use of the inventive binders for coating the organic fibers with nano alkaline earth carbonates.

The present invention aims to provide complex fibers of a cellulose fiber with inorganic particles exhibiting better drainage and retention when they are used as materials for forming sheets. In the complexes of the present invention, (1) the weight ratio B/A between the inorganic content (B) in the residue remaining on a 60-mesh sieve (having an opening of 250 μm) after an aqueous suspension of a complex fiber having a solids content of 0.1% is filtered through the sieve and the inorganic content (A) in the complex fiber before treatment is 0.3 or more; or (2) the weight ratio C/A between the inorganic content (C) in fractions corresponding to an effluent volume (L) of 16.00 to 18.50 and an elution time (sec) of 10.6 to 37.3 and the inorganic content (A) in the complex fiber before treatment is 0.3 or more when an aqueous suspension of the complex fiber having a solids content of 0.3% is classified using a fiber classification analyzer under the conditions of a flow rate of 5.7 L/min, a water temperature of 25±1° C., and a total effluent volume of 22 L.

The present invention aims to provide complex fibers comprising a cellulose fiber strongly covered by a lot of inorganic particles on its surface. In the present invention, an excellent complex fiber of a cellulose fiber with inorganic particles can be prepared on the basis of the value of (D50−D10)/D50 calculated from the particle size distribution of (a) or (b) below: (a) the filtrate obtained by filtering an aqueous suspension of the complex fiber at a solids content of 0.1% through a 60-mesh sieve (having an opening of 250 μm); or (b) the fraction corresponding to an effluent volume (L) of 18.51 to 19.50 and an efflux time (sec) of 37.4 to 48.0 when an aqueous suspension of the complex fiber at a solids content of 0.3% is classified using a fiber classification analyzer under the conditions of a flow rate of 5.7 L/min, a water temperature of 25±1° C., and a total effluent volume of 22 L.

The present invention aims to provide complex fibers comprising a cellulose fiber strongly covered by a lot of inorganic particles on its surface. In the present invention, an excellent complex fiber of a cellulose fiber with inorganic particles can be prepared on the basis of the value of (D50−D10)/D50 calculated from the particle size distribution of (a) or (b) below: (a) the filtrate obtained by filtering an aqueous suspension of the complex fiber at a solids content of 0.1% through a 60-mesh sieve (having an opening of 250 μm); or (b) the fraction corresponding to an effluent volume (L) of 18.51 to 19.50 and an efflux time (sec) of 37.4 to 48.0 when an aqueous suspension of the complex fiber at a solids content of 0.3% is classified using a fiber classification analyzer under the conditions of a flow rate of 5.7 L/min, a water temperature of 25±1° C., and a total effluent volume of 22 L.

The present invention provides a titanium oxide composite fiber in which titanium oxide is efficiently fixed in fiber, and a method for producing the titanium oxide composite fiber. A composite fiber of the present invention includes: fiber; titanium oxide; and an inorganic binder, at least part of the inorganic binder containing at least one inorganic compound selected from (i) an inorganic salt containing at least one of: at least one metal selected from magnesium, barium, aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc; and silicic acid and (ii) metal particles containing the at least one metal, the titanium oxide being firmly fixed to the fiber via the inorganic binder.

The present invention provides a method for reducing web break caused in preparing, by continuous paper making, a fiber sheet containing a high content of functional inorganic substance. The composite fiber sheet manufacturing method includes: generating composite fibers composed of cellulosic fibers and inorganic particles by synthesizing the inorganic particles in slurry containing the cellulosic fibers; and continuously generating a sheet by supplying composite-fiber-containing slurry including the composite fibers to a continuous paper machine. In the composite fiber generating step, at least one of (i) slurry containing cellulosic fibers having a length of 1.2 mm to 2.0 mm in an amount of 16% or more in terms of length-weighted fiber length distribution (%) and (ii) slurry containing cellulosic fibers having a length of 1.2 mm to 3.2 mm in an amount of 30% or more in terms of length-weighted fiber length distribution (%) is used.

The present invention provides a method for reducing web break caused in preparing, by continuous paper making, a fiber sheet containing a high content of functional inorganic substance. The composite fiber sheet manufacturing method includes: generating composite fibers composed of cellulosic fibers and inorganic particles by synthesizing the inorganic particles in slurry containing the cellulosic fibers; and continuously generating a sheet by supplying composite-fiber-containing slurry including the composite fibers to a continuous paper machine. In the composite fiber generating step, at least one of (i) slurry containing cellulosic fibers having a length of 1.2 mm to 2.0 mm in an amount of 16% or more in terms of length-weighted fiber length distribution (%) and (ii) slurry containing cellulosic fibers having a length of 1.2 mm to 3.2 mm in an amount of 30% or more in terms of length-weighted fiber length distribution (%) is used.

The present invention provides a titanium oxide composite fiber in which titanium oxide is efficiently fixed in fiber, and a method for producing the titanium oxide composite fiber. A composite fiber of the present invention includes: fiber; titanium oxide; and an inorganic binder, at least part of the inorganic binder containing at least one inorganic compound selected from (i) an inorganic salt containing at least one of: at least one metal selected from magnesium, barium, aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc; and silicic acid and (ii) metal particles containing the at least one metal, the titanium oxide being firmly fixed to the fiber via the inorganic binder.