Proceedings of the Takasaki Symposium on Radiation Application of Natural Polymers in Asia; October 1 and 2, 2001, JAERI, Takasaki, Japan

Functional Materials Laboratory I

This Takasaki symposium was held annually for radiation processing of natural polymers through research cooperation among Asian countries. The symposium includes the presentations of research outcomes on radiation processing of starches, silk proteins and marine carbohydrates. In starch and cellulose researches, radiation crosslinking of biodegradable polysaccharides was achieved by modifying it to be water-soluble paste. In silk protein researches, pulverization and water-solubilization of the irradiated silk proteins were reported. In marine carbohydrate researches, it was reported that radiation-degraded chitosan and alginate showed promotion effects for plant growth and enhancement of antibacterial properties. In addition, estimation of economic scale of radiation application in Japan and U.S. were introduced. Outcomes of this symposium should contribute the progress in radiation applications in south Asian and Japan. We had the 63 participants consisted of 16 foreign researchers and 60 from domestic organizations. This proceeding compiles the invited and contributed papers.