Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition containing a pigment dispersed uniformly in a solvent and a block polymer having an ionic functional group, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus employing the ink composition. The composition comprises a pigment, a solvent and a polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal. The polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal is a block polymer of ABX type having A, B, and X segments, wherein A and B are respectively a block segment having a vinyl ether structure as the repeating unit, and X is a terminal segment having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or an base residue.

Abstract: A composition comprises a non-aqueous solvent containing reverse micelle particles formed of block polymers having amphipathic properties. A particle composition and a composition wherein particles are dispersed, which exhibits excellent dispersion properties and can form superbly uniform particles, is provided. Further, display elements, a recording method, and recording apparatus, which employ the composition having excellent dispersion properties and forming superbly uniform particles, are provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimulus responsive composition, which includes a polymer complex that a polymer including repeated units of polyvinyl ether structure is chemically bonded to a functional substance, and a solvent. It is desirable that a solvent is water and that the polymer in the composition contains a polyvinyl ether structure. The present invention also relates to an ink composition including the above composition, an image forming method and image forming device using the above composition, and recording medium contains a stimulating material or composition which stimulates the above composition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image recording process for recording an image on a recording medium, which comprises the step of recording the image on the recording medium with an ink, and applying a liquid composition comprising an amphiphilic block copolymer and a solvent to at least one of a region in which the image has been recorded with the ink and a region in which no image is recorded with the ink.

Abstract: A block polymer comprised of a polyalkenyl ether main chain comprises a first block segment having hydrophobicity; a second block segment having an upper limit hydration temperature exceeding 70° C.; and a third block segment having an ionic property. A polymer-containing composition comprises the block polymer, a solvent or a dispersing medium, and a functional substance. An ink composition comprises the polymer-containing composition wherein the functional substance is colorant. A liquid application method comprises the steps of preparing the polymer-containing composition; and applying the polymer-containing composition to a medium. A liquid application apparatus comprises a liquid application means which makes energy act on the polymer-containing composition to apply the composition; and a drive means which drives the liquid application means. The polymer compound is capable of satisfactorily dispersing a functional substance in a solvent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimulus responsive composition, which includes a polymer complex that a polymer including repeated units of polyvinyl ether structure is chemically bonded to a functional substance, and a solvent. It is desirable that a solvent is water and that the polymer in the composition contains a polyvinyl ether structure. The present invention also relates to an ink composition including the above composition, an image forming method and image forming device using the above composition, and recording medium contains a stimulating material or composition which stimulates the above composition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing a three-dimensionally structured material, which comprises the steps of preparing a liquid composition comprising a block polymer and a liquid medium, and imparting a stimulus to the liquid composition to modify the block polymer, thereby forming the three-dimensionally structured material.

Abstract: A polymer compound of a block polymer containing at least three block segments each having a repeating unit structure comprising a polyalkenyl ether structure comprises a repeating unit structure having a silyl ether side chain represented by the formula (1) in at least one block segment of the block polymer and a repeating unit structure containing one kind or two or more kinds of either a side chain having an ionic functional group represented by the formula (2) or an ester-type functional group obtained by esterifying the ionic functional group in at least one other block segment.

Abstract: A composition containing a polymer compound and medium being a solvent or a binder resin, wherein the polymer compound comprises monomer units represented by the general formula (1): wherein A is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms, which may be substituted; m is an integer of 0 to 30, and; B is a single bond or alkylene, which may be substituted; D is an aromatic ring structure; n is an integer of 1 to 10, and R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, which may be substituted, an aromatic ring structure, or a mono- or poly-valent metal cation.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition containing a pigment dispersed uniformly in a solvent and a block polymer having an ionic functional group, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus employing the ink composition. The composition comprises a pigment, a solvent and a polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal. The polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal is a block polymer of ABX type having A, B, and X segments, wherein A and B are respectively a block segment having a vinyl ether structure as the repeating unit, and X is a terminal segment having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or an base residue.

Abstract: A polymer having a specific repeating structural unit having in the side chain at least one selected from a sulfonic acid, a sulfonic acid ester and a sulfonic acid salt and a specific repeating structural unit having in the side chain at least one selected from a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic acid ester and a carboxylic acid salt.

Abstract: A block copolymer comprises three block segments of a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, and containing a polyalkenyl ether main chain, wherein the first segment is hydrophilic or hydrophobic, the second segment is hydrophobic, and the third segment is ionic; and at least one of the block segments has a structure represented by General Formula (1) below: —(CRaRb-CRc(OR1))—??(1) wherein Ra, Rb, and Rc are respectively H or CH3; R1 is selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl groups of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, —(CH(R2)—CH(R3)—O)l—R4, and —(CH2)m—(O)n—R4; l and m are an integer from 1 to 12; n is 0 or 1; R2 and R3 are H or CH3; R4 is selected from the group consisting of H, linear, branched or cyclic alkyl groups of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, -Ph, -Pyr, -Ph-Ph, -Ph-Pyr, —CHO, —CH2CHO, —CO—CH?CH2, —CO—C(CH3)?CH2, —CH2COOR5, -PhCOOR5, —CH2SO3R5, and -PhSO3R5; the hydrogen on the carbon atoms constituting R4 except R5 moiety may be replaced by a linear or branched alkyl gr

Abstract: The invention provides a block polymer compound enabling satisfactory dispersion of a colorant in a solvent, and an ink composition containing such block polymer compound. The block polymer compound of the invention is a block polymer compound having at least three block segments, comprising block segments A, B and C arranged in succession, wherein the block segment C is most solvent attractive while the block segment A is most solvent repulsive, and at least either one of the block segments includes an ionic group or an acidic group.

Abstract: A polymer composition including a functional material, the composition containing at least a block polymer encapsulating a material of a predetermined function and a solvent, wherein a property of the polymer in the composition is changed in response to a stimulus, whereby the block polymer encapsulating the material agglomerates together, or an ink composition usable as an inkjet ink containing at least a block polymer encapsulating a coloring material and a solvent, wherein a property of the polymer in the composition is changed in response to a stimulus, whereby the block polymer encapsulating the coloring material agglomerates together. The change of the property of the block polymer in response to a stimulus is a change from the lyophilic nature to the lyophobic nature, or the lyophilic nature to the lyophobic nature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimuli-responsive composition that comprises a polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. One embodiment of the present invention is a composition comprising a block polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. The present invention also relates to an ink composition containing the composition, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus using the composition, and a recording medium applying the composition. Further, the present invention relates to an ABC type block polymer compound wherein the polymer is an ABC type triblock polymer, and wherein at least one of the blocks in the triblock polymer changes in nature from solvophilic to solvophobic or from solvophobic to solvophilic in response to stimuli, and more preferably, the A component, then the B component, and finally the C component respond to the stimuli.

Abstract: A composition and a recording medium are disclosed including a polymer having as a repeating structural unit an alkenyl ether structure exhibiting cationic properties. Also disclosed is a recording medium/functional-substance dispersed composition set including a combination of the above recording medium and a functional-substance dispersed composition which exhibits anionic properties and contains an aqueous medium and a functional substance; and a liquid-applying method and a liquid-applying apparatus which make use of the set.

Abstract: An ink composition comprising at least a block polymer compound having a polyalkenyl ether main chain, a solvent and a pigment, wherein particles composed of the block polymer compound and the pigment have an average particle size of not more than 80 nm and the particles in the composition have a dispersion index of not more than 0.15.

Abstract: An ink composition contains particles having a solid coloring material substantially enclosed by a block polymer, and a solvent. The solid coloring material is enclosed in a micelle formed of the block polymer, and preferably 90 wt % or more of the solid coloring material are enclosed by the block polymer. The average particle size of the particles is 200 nm or less. A method for producing an ink composition includes forming the particles by insolubilizing the coloring material and the block polymer in a state of both being dissolved in a solution. The above described ink composition has an adequate dispersibility of the coloring material and is suitable for an ink composition for an ink-jet device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink comprising a coloring material, a resin and a solvent, wherein the resin is a block copolymer of a polyvinyl ether structure having a hydrophilic segment and a hydrophobic segment, and the hydrophilic segment of the block copolymer has a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 50,000 and an HLB value of 4 to 18.

Abstract: An ink composition at least including a colorant, a hydrophobic polymer, an amphiphilic block polymer and a solvent, in which the colorant and the hydrophobic polymer are enclosed in the amphiphilic block polymer and dispersed in the solvent.