Abstract: A stable modified metal oxide sol which contains from 2 to 50 wt %, as calculated as metal oxides, of particles (c) comprising colloidal particles (a) of a metal oxide having primary particle diameters of from 2 to 60 nm, as nuclei, and a coating material (b) consisting of colloidal particles of an acidic oxide coated on the surface of the particles (a), and which has primary particle diameters of from 2 to 100 nm.

Abstract: To provide a process for producing a stable modified sol to be used for a component of a hard coat agent to be applied to the surface of plastic lenses or for other applications. It is a sol containing modified metal oxide particles which have a particle size of from 4.5 to 60 nm and which comprise, as nuclei, colloidal particles (A) having a particle size of from 4 to 50 nm and comprising stannic oxide particles or composite particles of stannic oxide particles and zirconium oxide particles in a weight ratio of ZrO2:SnO2 being from 0:1 to 0.50:1, and, as applied on their surface, an alkylamine-containing Sb2O5 colloidal particles (B1), or composite colloidal particles (B2) of diantimony pentoxide and silicon dioxide, or tungsten oxide/stannic oxide/silicon dioxide composite colloid (B3), wherein the weight ratio of (B)/(A) is from 0.01 to 0.50 on the basis of the weight ratio of their metal oxides.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for removing volatile components in a polyarylene sulfide resin which is produced by subjecting a sulfur source and a dihalogenated aromatic compound to polymerization reaction in an aprotic organic solvent, comprising using an extruder which is equipped with front vent having an opening length in the range of 4D to 11D (D: screw diameter) and which has a distance between a terminal position of a screw in a kneading portion and the opening portion of the front vent being in the range of 4D to 15D. The process is capable of steadily and economically removing volatile components in the polyarylene sulfide resin without necessitating expensive machinery or equipment such as a dryer without plugging up the opening portion of a vent even in the case of degassing a PAS resin having a low molecular weight and further, thus enabling a long-term continuous stable running.

Abstract: It is to provide a sol useful as a component of a hard coating agent to be applied on the surface of a plastic lens or useful for other applications, and its production process. A sol containing modified metal oxide particles which comprise, as nuclei, colloidal particles (A) being stannic oxide particles or composite particles comprising stannic oxide particles and zirconium oxide particles, containing these oxides in a weight ratio of ZrO2:SnO2 of from 0:1 to 0.50:1 and having particle sizes of from 4 to 50 nm, and as a coating covering the surface of the nuclei, alkylamine-containing Sb2O5 colloidal particles, an oligomer thereof or a mixture thereof (B1), or composite colloidal particles comprising diantimony pentaoxide and silica, an oligomer thereof or a mixture thereof (B2), in a weight ratio of (B)/(A) of from 0.01 to 0.50 based on the weights of the metal oxides, and have particle sizes of from 4.5 to 60 nm. A coating composition containing a silicon-containing substance and the above particles.

Abstract: There is provided a stable sol comprising modified stannic oxide-zirconium oxide complex colloidal particles, wherein the particles are formed by coating as nuclei stannic oxide-zirconium oxide complex colloidal particles in which stannic oxide colloidal particles obtained by a reaction of metal tin, an organic acid and hydrogen peroxide is bonded to zirconium oxide colloidal particles with tungsten oxide-stannic oxide-silicon dioxide complex colloidal particles. The sol has a high refractive index and is improved in water resistance, moisture resistance and weather resistance, and can be used by mixing with a hard coating paint as a component for improving properties of a hard coating film applied on a plastic lens surface.

Abstract: A method of purifying a polyarylene sulfide, including washing a polyarylene sulfide with a wash liquid, separating the resulting mixture into a polymer phase (8) containing the polyarylene sulfide and a solution phase (9) containing the wash liquid, measuring a viscosity of the polymer phase (8) or a difference in viscosity between the polymer phase (8) and the solution phase (9) to detect the liquid level (10) of the polymer phase (8), and taking out the polymer phase (8). The viscosity of the polymer phase (8) or the difference in density between the polymer phase (8) and the solution phase (9) is measured with a vibratile process viscometer (7) or remote seal type differential pressure oscillator (6) having a liquid-contact portion (11) constituted of stainless steel, a hastelloy alloy, Ti or a Ti alloy, so that the liquid level (10) of the polymer phase (8) can be accurately detected.

Abstract: A process for producing an inorganic oxide organosol comprises the steps (A) and (B) of: (A) adding silicon alkoxide having two or more alkoxy groups bonded to a silicon atom or having one or more hydroxy groups bonded to a silicon atom and one or more alkoxy groups bonded to a silicon atom to a hydrophilic inorganic oxide sol containing a hydrophilic solvent having a boiling point (1 atm) of 100° C. or less in an amount of 25 to 100% by weight in a dispersion medium to treat surface of the inorganic oxide particles in the sol; and (B) replacing the dispersion medium of the surface treated inorganic oxide sol obtained in step (A) with a non-alcoholic organic solvent in the presence of a primary alcohol having 3 to 12 carbon atoms. The process gives an inorganic oxide organosol that has a good dispersibility and a low viscosity, is excellent in transparency, and shows a good compatibility with resin solutions.

Abstract: A sol comprising diantimony pentoxide particles having a primary particle size of from 2 to 50 nm and a Sb2O3/Sb2O5 weight ratio of at most 4 wt %.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for removing volatile components in a polyarylene sulfide resin which is produced by subjecting a sulfur source and a dihalogenated aromatic compound to polymerization reaction in an aprotic organic solvent, comprising using an extruder which is equipped with front vent having an opening length in the range of 4D to 11D (D: screw diameter) and which has a distance between a terminal position of a screw in a kneading portion and the opening portion of the front vent being in the range of 4D to 15D. The process is capable of steadily and economically removing volatile components in the polyarylene sulfide resin without necessitating expensive machinery or equipment such as a dryer without plugging up the opening portion of a vent even in the case of degassing a PAS resin having a low molecular weight and further, thus enabling a long-term continuous stable running.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for granulating a polyarylene sulfide-based resin which comprises extruding a molten polyarylene sulfide-based resin with an extruder through a die nozzle, thereafter taking off the resin in cooling water at a temperature in the range of 5 to 60° C. which flows down on a prescribed inclined surface, and cutting off the resin and pelletizing the same at a prescribed position on the downstream region. It is made possible by the above process to efficiently steadily produce micro-pellets and amorphous pellets of the polyarylene sulfide-based resin. Furthermore, in the case of preparing the compound of the pellets by compositing with a filler such as calcium carbonate, the stability of an extruder can be assured by the specific resin pellets.

Abstract: There are disclosed a process for producing a polyarylene sulfide through polymerization condensation of a sulfur source and a dihalogenated aromatic compound by using a polymerization vessel equipped with baffles that are asymmetrically arranged in the polymerization vessel or in the form of round bar, or by using a polymerization vessel equipped with an agitational blade which is devoid of a notch in the vicinity of the tip portion of the blade, and is in such a configuration as substantially equalizing the spacing between the tip portion thereof and the opposite bottom portion and/or end portion of the polymerization vessel all over the tip portion thereof; and an apparatus used for the process. The process and apparatus enables to form a uniform dispersion state of polymer phase in the vessel and to produce polyarylene sulfide having a high molecular weight.

Abstract: A stable modified metal oxide sol which contains from 2 to 50 wt %, as calculated as metal oxides, of particles (c) comprising colloidal particles (a) of a metal oxide having primary particle diameters of from 2 to 60 nm, as nuclei, and a coating material (b) consisting of colloidal particles of an acidic oxide coated on the surface of the particles (a), and which has primary particle diameters of from 2 to 100 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides heat-curable or UV-curable transparent hard coating materials suitable for forming a low refractive antireflection coating on a substrate such as a film or sheet to reduce reflection of external light or increase light transmittance. A UV-curable or heat-curable transparent hard coating material comprising a UV-curable resin having one or more (meth)acryloyl groups in one molecule or a heat-curable resin and silica-magnesium fluoride hydrate composite colloidal particles such that the transparent film obtained by curing said transparent hard coating material has a refractive index of 1.48 or less.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a diantimony pentoxide sol, characterized in that a diantimony pentoxide sol having a particle size of 5 to 30 nm is used as a nuclear sol and the sol is grown to an arbitrary particle size, preferably a particle size of 40 to 300 nm. The process comprises adding a hydrogen peroxide solution and diantimony trioxide into a sol comprising diantimony pentoxide particles as a raw material, and coating the diantimony pentoxide particles with a resulting antimony compound, preferably diantimony pentoxide. In the process, the coating is preferably carried out in such a manner that a particle size of particles in a sol as a raw material increases by a factor of 1.3 to 60.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a diantimony pentoxide sol, characterized in that a diantimony pentoxide sol having a particle size of 5 to 30 nm is used as a nuclear sol and the sol is grown to an arbitrary particle size, preferably a particle size of 40 to 300 nm. The process comprises adding a hydrogen peroxide solution and diantimony trioxide into a sol comprising diantimony pentoxide particles as a raw material, and coating the diantimony pentoxide particles with a resulting antimony compound, preferably diantimony pentoxide. In the process, the coating is preferably carried out in such a manner that a particle size of particles in a sol as a raw material increases by a factor of 1.3 to 60.

Abstract: A stable modified metal oxide sol which contains from 2 to 50 wt %, as calculated as metal oxides, of particles (c) comprising colloidal particles (a) of a metal oxide having primary particle diameters of from 2 to 60 nm, as nuclei, and a coating material (b) consisting of colloidal particles of an acidic oxide coated on the surface of the particles (a), and which has primary particle diameters of from 2 to 100 nm.

Abstract: There are disclosed a process for producing a polyarylene sulfide through polymerization condensation of a sulfur source and a dihalogenated aromatic compound by using a polymerization vessel equipped with baffles that are asymmetrically arranged in the polymerization vessel or in the form of round bar, or by using a polymerization vessel equipped with an agitational blade which is devoid of a notch in the vicinity of the tip portion of the blade, and is in such a configuration as substantially equalizing the spacing between the tip portion thereof and the opposite bottom portion and/or end portion of the polymerization vessel all over the tip portion thereof; and an apparatus used for the process. The process and apparatus enables to form a uniform dispersion state of polymer phase in the vessel and to produce polyarylene sulfide having a high molecular weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel modified stannic oxide—zirconium oxide complex sol and a preparation method thereof, particularly a stable sol which contains 2-50% by weight of total metal oxides comprising modified colloidal particles of a stannic oxide—zirconium oxide complex having a particle diameter having 4.5-60 nm, wherein the particles are formed by coating complex colloidal particles of a stannic oxide—zirconium oxide having a bonded structure of stannic oxide colloidal particles and zirconium oxide colloidal particles at a ZrO2/SnO2 ratio of 0.02-1.0 based on weights of these oxides and having a particle diameter of 4-50 nm as nuclei, with colloidal particles of a tungsten oxide—stannic oxide—silicon dioxide complex having such a constitution that a WO3/SnO2 weight ratio is 0.1-100, that a SiO2/SnO2 weight ratio is 0.1-100 and having a particle diameter of 2-7 nm, and preparation method thereof.

Abstract: An artificial retina chip in a camera unit of an image processor according to the present invention converts an input image taken by the camera unit to analog signals, and outputs an image signal differential between each dot in a sensor-cell array in the artificial retina chip and a specific standard dot, as an analog signal. A signal converter converts the analog signal to binary digit, and stores the converted signals. When converted signals for one input image are stored, the signal converter outputs the converted signal to an identification unit as a digital signal. Namely, the data output from the camera unit is represented by the analog signal indicating the image signal differential between the dots, and the data output from the signal converter is represented by binary digit which is converted from the analog signal. Accordingly, the amount of the transmitted data is decreased.

Abstract: An optical element having, on an optical substrate, a cured film formed of a coating agent containing (A) modified stannic oxide-zirconium oxide composite colloid particles as prepared by coating at least a part of the surfaces of stannic oxide-zirconium oxide composite colloid particles with stannic oxide-tungsten oxide-silicon oxide composite colloid particles, and (B) an organosilicon compound.