1. A method for synthesizing a composition comprising at least one acid ester stemming from biomass and an organic biosolvent, comprising:
esterifying at least one acid stemming from the biomass with at least one alcohol, in the presence of an acid catalyst and of the organic biosolvent, said organic biosolvent being selective of the ester formed relatively to the starting acid, and non-miscible with the alcoholic solution of acid stemming from the biomass.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ester formed has greater solubility in the organic biosolvent than in the alcoholstarting acid mixture.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcoholacid mixture comprises water.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent is selected from the group consisting of fatty acid esters of natural origin, glycerol ethers, and mixtures thereof.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent is selected from fatty acid esters of natural origin or mixtures thereof.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent is selected from aliphatic esters having a carbon chain with 12 to 22 carbon atoms.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent is selected from selected from the group consisting of fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters, and mixtures thereof.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent is selected from the group consisting of methyl or ethyl esters stemming from rape seed oil, palm oil, jatrofa oil, olive oil, sesame oil, ground nut oil, maize oil, poppy seed oil, safflower oil, soya bean oil, sunflower oil, used vegetable oils or animal oils, and mixtures thereof.
9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the biosolvent is selected from glycerol ethers with a fatty chain.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, methanol, propanol, butanol, and mixtures thereof.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acid stemming from the biomass is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, levulinic acid, behenic acid, gadoleic acid, succinic acid, aconitic acid, itaconic acid, glutaric acid, and mixtures thereof.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst is a homogeneous acid catalyst or a heterogeneous acid catalyst.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the catalyst is a sulfonic resin.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio between the alcohol and the acid is comprised between 1 and 5.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of catalyst is comprised between 0.1 and 10% by weight based on the acid or on the mixture of starting acids.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organic biosolvent{alcohol+acid stemming from the biomass} mixture mass ratio is greater than or equal to 1:1.
17. A composition comprising at least one ester of an acid stemming from the biomass and an organic biosolvent obtained by the method according to claim 1.
18. The method according to claim 9, wherein the biosolvent is selected from the group consisting of mono-, di- or tri-alkyl glycerol ethers comprising saturated or unsaturated C12-C22 alkyl chains.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprising a blank substrate and a film of phosphorus- or boron-containing cobalt alloy formed on the blank substrate by electroless plating, the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy having surface roughness Ra in the range of 0.05 nm to 1 nm.
2. The substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein a number of defects occurring on a surface of the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy and measuring 0.1 \u03bcm or more in diameter and 7 nm or more in depth is less than 5 per surface.
3. The substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein a number of projections occurring on the surface of the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy and measuring 0.1 \u03bcm or more in diameter and 7 \u03bcm or more in height is less than 5 per surface.
4. The substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy has a phosphorus content in the range of 1 mass % to 30 mass %.
5. The substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy has a boron content in the range of 0.1 mass % to 10 mass %.
6. The substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy has a thickness in the range of 0.1 \u03bcm to 5 \u03bcm.
7. A method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, comprising a step of forming on a blank substrate a film of phosphorus- or boron-containing cobalt alloy by electroless plating and a step of polishing a surface resulting from the step of forming the film by the plating.
8. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the polishing step removes the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy in a depth in the range of 0.15 \u03bcm to 10 \u03bcm and thins the electroless plated film of the cobalt alloy to a thickness in the range of 0.1 \u03bcm to 5 \u03bcm.
9. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the polishing step uses polishing liquid containing water and abrasive grains and further contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing agent, a chelating agent and a pH-adjusting agent.
10. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 9, wherein the polishing liquid has a pH value in the range of 3 to 9.5.
11. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the abrasive grains contained in the polishing liquid have a concentration in the range of 1 mass % to 30 mass %.
12. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the abrasive grains contained in the polishing liquid are SiO2 grains having an average particle diameter (D50) of 20 nm or less.
13. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the oxidizing agent contained in the polishing liquid is hydrogen peroxide.
14. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the chelating agent contained in the polishing liquid contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of EDTA, citric acid and succinic acid.
15. The method for the production of a substrate for use in a perpendicular magnetic recording medium according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the pH-adjusting agent contained in the polishing liquid contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of aqueous ammonia, water-soluble organic acid and salt thereof.