Abstract: A zinc borate having a particular crystallite size and containing very little sodium components and a method of preparing the same. The zinc borate has a particular chemical composition, has a crystallite size of not smaller than 40 nm as found from diffraction peaks of indexes of planes of (020), (101) and (200) in the X-ray diffraction image (Cu-k&agr;) and contains sodium components in amounts of not larger than 100 ppm as measured by the atomic absorptiometric method.

Abstract: A modified carrier carrying on at least a part of an inert carrier surface an oxide which is represented by the formula (1): XaYbZcOd (wherein X is at least an element selected from alkaline earth metals; Y is at least an element selected from Si, Al, Ti and Zr; Z is at least an element selected from Group IA elements and Group IIIb elements of the periodic table, B, Fe, Bi, Co, Ni and Mn; and O is oxygen; a, b, c and d denote the atomic ratios of X, Y, Z and O, respectively, where a=1, 0<b≦100, 0≦c≦10, and d is a numerical value determined by the extents of oxidation of the other elements) is provided. A catalyst formed with the use of this modified carrier carrying a complex oxide containing Mo and V is useful as a vapor-phase catalytic oxidation catalyst, and is particularly suitable as a catalyst for preparing acrylic acid through vapor phase catalytic oxidation of acrolein.

Abstract: A process is provided which can effectively inhibit occurrence of hot spots in reaction zones or heat accumulation at the hot spots, in the occasion of producing acrolein and acrylic acid through vapor phase oxidation of propylene in the presence of a catalyst using a fixed bed shell-and-tube reactor, said catalyst having a composition represented by a general formula (1): MoaWbBicFedAeBfCgDhEiOx (wherein A is at least an element selected from Co and Ni; B is at least an element selected from P, Te, As, B, Sb, Sn, Ce, Nb, Pb, Cr, Mn and Zn; C is alkali metal element; D is alkaline earth metal element; E is at least an element selected from Si, Al, Ti and Zr; and O is oxygen; a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i and x denote the atomic numbers of Mo, W, Bi, Fe, A, B, C, D, E and O, respectively, and where a is 12, b is 0-5, c is 0.1-10, d is 0.1-10, e is 1-20, fis 0-5, g is 0.001-3, h is 0-3, i is 0-30, and x is a numerical value which is determined depending on the extent of oxidation of each of the elements).

Abstract: A plastic lens, an optical molded article, a film or a sheet formed of a copolycarbonate resin comprising a structural unit (I) of the following general formula (I), and a structural unit (II) of the following formula (II), the structural unit (I) having a molar amount percentage of 15 to 85% on the basis of the total amount of the structural units (I) and (II). According to the present invention, there are provided a plastic lens, an optical molded article, and the like, which are excellent in physical properties such as transparency, thermal stability and impact resistance and are excellent in optical properties such as a balance between a refractive index and an Abbe's number and a photoelasticity constant.

Abstract: An ethylene copolymer composition comprising an ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer (A-1), which has a density, a melt flow rate (MFR), an amount of a n-decane-soluble portion in the specific ranges and whose melt tension (MT) at 190° C. and MFR satisfy the relation MT>2.2×MFR−0.84, and one (co)polymer selected from the group consisting of (B-1) a low-density polyethylene obtained by high-pressure radical polymerization, (B-2) a crystalline polyolefin and (B-3) an olefin type elastomer. Also disclosed is an ethylene copolymer composition comprising an ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer composition and the low-density polyethylene (B-1) obtained by high-pressure radical polymerization, said ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer (A-2) and (A-3) both having physical properties similar to those of the above ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer (A-1) and having intrinsic viscosities different from each other.

Abstract: Silica composite oxide particles comprising silica and a metal oxide other than silica, the content of the metal oxide other than silica being from 30 to 50 mol %, and a coefficient of variation in the particle diameter being not larger than 30%. The silica composite oxide particles contain metal oxides other than silica in an amount of not smaller than 30 mol %, which could not be produced thus far, and feature excellent spherical shape and excellent monodispersion property.

Abstract: The present invention is a thermoplastic polyhydroxypolyether resin having flame retardancy by itself represented by general formula (1), wherein phosphorus content is from 1% to 6% by weight, and weight-average molecular weight is from 10,000 to 200,000, and an insulation film produced therefrom.

Abstract: The present invention is a cosmetic composition comprising, component (A) and component (B), wherein, (A) is carboxylic acid ester of inulin and/or hydrolyzed inulin whose degree of substitution by acyl group is larger than 1, and (B) is cyclic silicone oil, and the present invention is the oily cosmetic compound further containing oleophilic component. More over, the present invention is the W/O type emulsified cosmetic composition prepared by further adding aqueous component and an emulsifier to above mentioned cosmetic compound. In the present invention, acyl group composing component (A) is desirable to be an acyl group of carbon number 14 to 22. Further, a part or all of acyl group composing component (A) is desirable to be palmiroyl group and/or stearoyl group. Furthermore, the above mentioned cosmetic composition can contain dextrin carboxylic acid ester whose degree of substitution by acyl group is 1.6 to 2.5.

Abstract: At the time of preparing polyphenylene ether resin, there can be separated and recovered efficiently an aromatic compound solvent, amines making an azeotrope with water (hereafter, referred to as ‘the amines’ for short.) and methanol.

Abstract: Lower alkenes of from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, such as propene, are produced by the vapor phase catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of lower alkane, such as propane, using a mixed metal oxide catalyst of formula (1) as decribed, containing manganese and at least one additional metal as essential elements, e.g., Mn1Sb0.15Ox, Mn1P0.2Ox, Mn1S0.15W0.05Cr0.1Ox. The lower alkene may be further oxidatively dehydrogenated using a mixed metal oxide catalyst of formula (1), especially formula (2), as described, to produce a mixture of unsaturated aldehyde and unsaturated acid. The unsaturated aldehyde may be further oxidatively dehydrogenated in the vapor phase in the presence of mixed metal oxide catalyst of formula (1), especially formula (3).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an O/W type aqueous dispersion which comprises mixing a radical polymerization type thermosetting resin and water together to uniformly disperse particles of the resin in the aqueous phase; the aqueous dispersion is stable and thixotropic and has excellent workability; moreover, as with a normal radical polymerization type thermosetting resin, the aqueous dispersion can be cured at ambient temperature or with heating in the presence of a curing agent and if necessary an accelerator, and the cured material obtained is a porous cured material having fine particles bound together and fine interconnected pores between the bound particles.

Abstract: A crystalline mixture solid composition comprising &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-mannitol (GPM), &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol (GPS-6) and a small amount of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-sorbitol (GPS-1) and a production process therefor. The above crystalline mixture solid composition is produced by mixing a hydrophilic solvent with a solid composition or aqueous solution comprising 50 to 80 wt % of GPM, 1 to 50 wt % of GPS-6 and 0.01 to 20 wt % of GPS-1, separating solid matter from a liquid, and removing water and the solvent from the solid matter and can be obtained as a thin scale crystal.

Abstract: A method for producing an aryl ether produced by bonding an aryloxy of hydroxyaryl with an organic group of organic halogen, which comprises reacting hydroxyaryl with organic halogen in gaseous carbon dioxide or supercritical carbon dioxide in the presence of base and catalytic amount of onium salt.

Abstract: A crystalline mixture solid composition which has almost no hygroscopicity, is easy to handle and dissolve and hardly worn by abrasion, and comprises &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-mannitol and &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol and may further comprise &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-sorbitol in a certain case is obtained in an extremely short period of time by a power-saving and labor-saving process with a small-scale apparatus. A composition which comprises 20 to 75 wt % of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-mannitol, 23 to 70 wt % of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol and 2 to 25 wt % of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,1-sorbitol and is in a crystalline mixture solid state or has a specific surface area of 0.07 to 0.1 m2/g, and a composition which comprises 30 to 75 wt % of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-l,1-mannitol, 25 to 70 wt % of &agr;-D-glucopyranosyl-1,6-sorbitol and has a specific surface area of 0.07 to 0.1 m2/g.

Abstract: A method for preparing methacrylic acid at high selectivities and high yields by catalytically vapor phase oxidizing isobutane is provided. In the method, a catalyst comprising (i) a sparingly water-soluble salt of a hetero poly acid and (ii) a composite oxide containing phosphorus, molybdenum and vanadium is used. Component (i) preferably has the element composition (but excluding oxygen) represented by the general formula AaBbMocWdVe (wherein A is a counter cation, for example cesium, B is the hetero atom of the hetero poly acid, for example silicon, and a, b, c, d and e represent an atomic ratio of the respective elements.), and component (ii) preferably has the element composition represented by the general formula PpMoqVrXsOt (wherein X is for example cesium, and p, q, r, s and t represent an atomic ratio of the respective elements.).

Abstract: A method of preparing a ceramic artificial crown by applying at least one kind of dental porcelain onto the surface of a ceramic core molded by heating and softening a ceramic material and putting it into a mold with the application of a pressure followed by firing; wherein said mold is the one formed by burning a wax pattern after having removed a crucible former from an assembly which makes it possible to efficiently prepare a fully ceramic artificial crown of a high quality in a short period of time.

Abstract: The present invention provides fiber and fiber products for topsheet of diapers and sanitary napkins having superior surface properties attained by a fiber-treating agent. The surface properties attained by the fiber-treating agent include decreased wet-back of excreted liquid through topsheet, which has been attained by modifying the structure of disposable diapers or sanitary napkins, improved durable hydrophilicity of topsheet and minimized time-dependent reduction of the durable hydrophilicity of topsheet.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1) useful as a chiral dopant, and use thereof, wherein each of X and Y is independently a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, R is (C2H5)2CHCH2C*H(CH3)— or Ph—C*H(CH3)—, A is —Ph(W)—COO—Ph—, —Ph—Ph—COO—, —Cy—COO—Ph—, —Ph(W)—OOC—Ph—COO—, —Ph(W)—OOC—Cy—COO—, —Ph(W)—OOC—Np—COO— or —Np—OOC—, in which Ph— is a phenyl group, —Ph— is a 1,4-phenylene group, —Ph(W)— is —Ph— or monofluoro substituted —Ph—, Cy— is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group and —Np— is a 2,6-naphthylene group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon.

Abstract: A method for obtaining high purity N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone satisfactory for use as an intermediate material for N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone from a reaction liquid formed of a reaction between y-butyrolactone and 2-aminoethanol, i.e., a liquid containing N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone, compounds having boiling points lower than that of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone and compounds having boiling points higher than that of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone. The method is characterized by distilling said reaction liquid using a distillation column, whereby obtaining a liquid containing the compounds having the lower boiling points than that of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone as a distillate liquid from the column top and a liquid containing compounds having boiling points higher than that of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyrrolidone as a bottom liquid.

Abstract: Novel chromene compounds having various substituents to exhibit a high color-developing sensitivity and a high density even when dispersed in a high-molecular matrix, and exhibiting a large fading rate, less color when deteriorated, and excellent light resistance in the photochromic properties; photochromic materials containing the chromene compounds; and use thereof.