Abstract: A sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material that is useful as a solid acid catalyst for various reactions such as hydration of olefins and acidolysis reaction of hydroperoxide and also useful as a proton conductor material having excellent proton conductivity is provided. In addition, an economical and environmentally friendly method for producing methyl ethyl ketone is provided. A sulfonic acid group-containing carbonaceous material having high catalytic activities for various acid catalyst reactions and also having high proton conductivity can be obtained by carbonization and sulfonation of a phenolic resin.

Abstract: A laminated glass to be used as a front windshield glass of an automotive vehicle, forming part of a head-up display system for displaying an image of light representing driving information on the windshield glass. The laminated glass comprises inboard-side and outboard-side glass plates of the vehicle. An intermediate film is disposed between and in contact with the inboard-side and outboard-side glass plates. A polarization-direction changing film is disposed between the first and second glass plates and bonded to the outboard-side glass plate with an adhesive containing an ultraviolet ray absorbing agent. The polarization-direction changing film functions to rotate a plane of polarization of light to be incident thereon.

Abstract: There is provided a catalyst that is highly resistant to sulfur and nitrogen compounds and active for hydrogenation and shows a low hydrocracking rate and a long service life as well as a method of converting aromatic hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon oil containing sulfur and nitrogen compounds into saturated hydrocarbons by using such a catalyst. A method of hydrogenating aromatic hydrocarbons in hydrocarbon oil containing 80 wt % or more of a fraction having a boiling point of 170 to 390° C. and said aromatic hydrocarbons is characterized in that the hydrocarbon oil is brought into contact with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst containing clay minerals having principal ingredients of Si and Mg as carrier and at least one of the VIII-group metals of periodic table as active metal.

Abstract: As a compensator for use in an OCB mode liquid crystal display there is provided a compensating film capable of making color compensation and attaining such a viewing angle expansion as has not been attainable heretofore. A compensating film for a liquid crystal display, constituted by at least one layer of a compensating film to be used in an OCB mode liquid crystal display, the compensating film being formed by a discotic liquid crystalline material having a fixed orientation form of a discotic liquid crystal, the compensating film being disposed between a driving liquid crystal cell and a pair of upper and lower polarizing plates, and the orientation form being a hybrid orientation in which the angle between discotic liquid crystal directors near the upper interface of the film and the film plane and the angle between discotic liquid crystal directors near the lower interface of the film and film plane are different from each other.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there are provided a catalyst and a process for the preparation of polyolefins having a relatively wide molecular weight distribution, good particle properties, a narrow composition distribution in copolymerization and a high molecular weight and being less sticky. The catalyst is prepared by contacting the following constituents (1) to (4) with one another:(1) a compound represented by the general formula Me.sup.1 R.sup.1.sub.p (OR.sup.2).sub.q X.sub.4-p-q, where Me.sup.1 is Zr, Ti or Hf, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, p and q are each an integer in the ranges of 0.ltoreq.p.ltoreq.4 and 0.ltoreq.q.ltoreq.4 , provided 0.ltoreq.p+q.ltoreq.4;(2) a compound represented by the general formula Me.sup.2 R.sup.3.sub.m (OR.sup.4).sub.n X.sup.2.sub.z-m-n, where Me.sup.2 is a Group I-III element in the Periodic Table, R.sup.3 and R.sup.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline polymer film formed from a liquid crystalline polymer the orientation structure of which is smectic CA phase fixed. In this orientation structure the angle between C-director in the liquid crystalline polymer and the film plane is not zero. The liquid crystalline polymer film is useful in optical and dynamic applications.

Abstract: An olefin polymerization is conducted in the presence of a catalyst comprising a solid catalyst component and an organometallic compound, said solid catalyst component being prepared by reacting the following components [I], [II] and [III] with one another:[I] a reaction product obtained by reacting the following components (1), (2) and (3) with one another:(1) a silicon oxide and/or an aluminum oxide;(2) a reaction product obtained by the reaction of a magnesium halide and a compound represented by the general formula Me(OR).sub.n X.sub.z-n where Me represents an element of Groups I to IV in the Periodic Table, z represents the valence of the element Me, n is 0<n.ltoreq.z, X is a halogen atom and R is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and(3) a titanium compound represented by the general formula Ti(OR.sup.1).sub.m X.sub.4-m ; where R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom and m is 0.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display device of a TN type which is improved on a display contrast, gray scale characteristics and viewing angle characteristics of a display color. A liquid crystal cell of a TN type for drive is sandwiched by a pair of upper and lower polarizing plates and at least one compensating film which has an extinction axis angle of 5 to 90 degrees as an absolute value and an optical rotating angle of 0.

Abstract: This invention relates to a photoelectric transfer device which comprises a photoelectric transfer element, a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and an ultraviolet cut-off layer, said cholesteric liquid crystal layer being arranged between said photoelectric transfer element and said ultraviolet cut-off layer and said ultraviolet cut-off layer being arranged at the side for the incidence of light. According to this invention, there is provided a colorful photoelectric transfer device which is prepared at an inexpensive cost without a marked decrease in the generation efficiency of the photoelectric transfer element and is fit to be used over a prolonged period.

Abstract: There are provided liquid crystalline polyesters comprising 4'-hydroxy-4-stilbenecarboxylic acid type units, dicarboxylic acid units acting as a mesogen such as 4,4'-stilbenecarboxylic acid and catechol units as essential ingredients, and a liquid crystalline polyester composition comprising said polyesters and optically active liquid crystalline polyesters consisting essentially of 4,4'-stilbenedicarboxylic acid type units and aliphatic diol units having asymmetric carbons.

Abstract: An automatic transmission fluid composition is provided which has significantly higher coefficients of dynamic friction (.mu.d) and static friction (.mu.s) than those of the conventional automatic transmission fluid. In addition, the composition has a .mu.o/.mu.d ratio close to 1.0, and a small change with the passage of time in frictional properties. The automatic transmission fluid composition comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of an overbasic oil-soluble metal salt (a) prepared by use of an alkaline-earth metal borate, and 0.01 to 15% by weight of a compound (b) having a long-chain alkyl group and an amino group in the same molecular structure on the basis of the total amount of composition as essential components, the balance being lubricating base oil.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having improved and broadened viewing angle characteristics. The device includes a liquid crystal cell of the twisted nematic type for driving sandwiched by a pair of upper and lower polarizing plates in which at least one compensating film is inserted between the liquid crystal cell and the upper polarizing plate or between the liquid crystal cell and the lower polarizing plate. Alternatively, two compensating films are respectively inserted between the liquid crystal cell and the upper polarizing plate and between the liquid crystal cell and the lower polarizing plate. The compensating film consists essentially of a liquid crystalline polymer showing optically a positive uniaxiality, the liquid crystalline polymer being fixed in a nematic hybrid orientational order.

Abstract: A carbonaceous preform, which is free from such drawbacks as delamination and is superior in formability and mass productivity, can be obtained by a process comprising the steps of fixing a laminate of stacked carbon fibers with a fixing jig in the absence of a binder, impregnating the thus-fixed laminate with a molten carbonaceous pitch, and carbonizing the impregnated laminate in a non-oxidative gas atmosphere.

Abstract: As a compensator for use in an OCB mode liquid crystal display there is provided a compensating film capable of making color compensation and attaining such a viewing angle expansion as has not been attainable heretofore.A compensating film for a liquid crystal display, constituted by at least one layer of a compensating film to be used in an OCB mode liquid crystal display, the compensating film being formed by a discotic liquid crystalline material having a fixed orientation form of a discotic liquid crystal, the compensating film being disposed between a driving liquid crystal cell and a pair of upper and lower polarizing plates, and the orientation form being a hybrid orientation in which the angle between discotic liquid crystal directors near the upper interface of the film and the film plane and the angle between discotic liquid crystal directors near the lower interface of the film and film plane are different from each other.

Abstract: An electrorheological fluid comprising a lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer uniformly dissolved in a cyclic ketone solvent or a mixed solvent of a cyclic ketone solvent and at least one electrically insulating solvent selected from a hydrocarbon-based oil, an ester-based oil, and an ether-based oil.

Abstract: Bacterium belonging to a new genus, and a process for production of carotenoid pigment selected from the group consisting of astaxanthin, adonixanthin, .beta.-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin, comprising the steps of culturing a bacterium capable of producing at least one of the carotenoid pigments, and recovering an individual carotenoid pigments.The producer bacterium belongs to new genus.According to the present process various carotenoids can be produced in an industrial scale. By the present process (3S, 3'S)-astaxanthin can be produced in an almost 100% purity.

Abstract: A compensating film capable of compensating both twist structure based on a liquid crystal cell and refractive index anisotropy to diminish the visual angle dependence of a liquid crystal display is provided.The film is formed using a discotic liquid crystalline material and the orientation form of the discotic liquid crystal is a twisted orientation.

Abstract: Polyolefins exhibiting better particle properties are prepared by polymerizing an olefin or olefins in the presence of a catalyst comprising a solid catalyst component being prepared by the reaction of the following components ?I! and ?II!:?I! a reaction product obtained by reacting the following components (1), (2) and (3) with one another:(1) a silicon oxide and/or an aluminum oxide;(2) a reaction product obtained by the reaction of a magnesium halide and compound represented by the general formula Me(OR).sub.n X.sub.z-n wherein Me represents an element of Groups I to IV in the Periodic Table, z represents the valence of the element Me, n is 0<n.ltoreq.z, X is a halogen atom, and R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and(3) a titanium compound represented by the general formula Ti(OR).sub.n X.sub.4-n wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, and n is 0.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.

Abstract: An oil-soluble polyester having a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 1 000,000, which is a polycondensate prepared by polycondensing the following ingredients (A), (B) and (C):(A) a divalent higher carboxylic acid ingredient,(B) a divalent alcohol ingredient comprising a glycol represented by the following formula:HO--CH.sub.2 --CR.sup.1 R.sup.2 --CH.sub.2 --OHwherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent a alkyl group, and the sum of carbon numbers in R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is at least three, and(C) 0.1 to 15% by mole, based on the total of ingredients (A) and (B), of at least one multi-valent ingredient selected from a carboxylic acid with a valency of at least three and an alcohol with a valency of at least three. This oil-soluble polyester is useful as an additive for a lubricating oil.

Abstract: A light modulating material having an excellent energy saving effect as window materials and others which comprises as a main component member a laminate wherein a liquid crystalline material is placed over at least one light transmitting substrate, said laminate having properties of a light transmittance of not less than 50% at a wavelength of 400-750 nm at an overall temperature from not lower than 273K to not higher than 313K, a light transmittance of not less than 60% at a wavelength of 750-2000 nm at an overall temperature from not lower than 273K to low than 288K and a light transmittance of not more than 40% and a light reflectance of not less than 50% at a wavelength of 750-2000 nm at a wavelength of 750-2000 nm at an overall temperature from not lower than 298K to not higher than 313K.