Abstract: Disclosed is a method for stabilizing a crude oxy-methylene copolymer having thermally unstable terminal groups, which comprises subjecting a crude oxymethylene copolymer to heat treatment in the presence of at least one quaternary ammonium compound represented by the following formula (1): [R1R2R3R4N+]nX−n  (1) wherein each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represents an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group which is an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group substituted with at least one aryl group, or an alkylaryl group which is an aryl group substituted with at least one unsubstituted or substituted alkyl group; n is an integer of from 1 to 3; and X is a hydroxyl group or an acid residue. In this method, even by the addition of a very small amount of the quaternary ammonium compound, the decomposition rate of the unstable terminal groups can be remarkably increased, thereby facilitating the stabilization of the crude copolymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stabilized enzyme composition for use in clinical examination, comprising: (a) an enzyme component comprising at least two enzymes selected from the group consisting of alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase; (b) a stabilizer component comprising effective stabilizing amounts of an albumin, and at least one saccharide selected from the group consisting of trehalose and sorbitol; and (c) an aqueous medium having dissolved therein the components (a) and (b). The enzyme composition of the present invention is stable for a prolonged period of time not only under non-freeze refrigeration conditions, but also under freezing conditions or under conditions for non-freeze refrigeration after thawing of the frozen composition, as compared to the conventional enzymatic compositions.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane module comprising a module case and a hollow fiber membrane bundle comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, at least one end of the bundle being bonded to and fixed on the module case, wherein the bonding portions of the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the module case comprise a silicone type resin and in at least one of the bonding portions, a reinforcing rib for reinforcing the bonding portions is directly fixed on the module case. According to the hollow fiber membrane module of this invention, the membrane filtration treatment of water containing ozone over a long period of time and the repeating washing with water containing ozone are made possible.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aromatic copolymer comprising a plurality of aromatic copolymer chains, each comprising (A) recurring 2,6-diphenylphenol units and (B) phenolic comonomer units, each comonomer unit being independently selected from the group consisting of (i) an oxyphenylene monomer unit which is monosubstituted with a monovalent aromatic group or a halogen atom, (ii) an &agr;-oxynaphthylene monomer unit, (iii) a &bgr;-oxynaphthylene monomer unit, and (iv) an oxyphenylene monomer unit which is substituted with at least one aliphatic group, wherein the amounts of (A) and (B) are from 50 to 98% by weight and from 2 to 50% by weight, based on the weight of the aromatic copolymer, provided that, when (iv) is present as the comonomer unit, the amount of (iv) is 20% by weight or less, based on the weight of (B), and wherein the aromatic copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of from 1,000 to 3,000,000. A method for producing the aromatic copolymer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for molding a thermoplastic resin by filling a molten thermoplastic resin into a mold which comprises carrying out the molding of the resin while reducing the solidification temperature of the resin surface which contacts with the mold during the step of filling the resin. According to this molding method, the state of the mold surface can be faithfully transferred to molded articles.

Abstract: There are disclosed polyester fibers that are composed of at least 90% by weight of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and have a limiting viscosity of 0.4-2, being characterized by containing a phosphorus compound at 10-250 ppm in terms of weight of elemental phosphorus, containing no more than 3 wt % of cyclic dimers, containing no more than 2 wt % of bis(3-hydroxypropyl) ether copolymerized with the poly(trimethylene terephthalate), and having a birefringence of 0.03 or greater. The polyester fibers are poly(trimethylene terephthalate)-based fibers with excellent whiteness and tenacity, which are obtained by melt spinning of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) resin composition with improved whiteness, melt stability and spinning stability.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing ethylene and propylene from a hydrocarbon feedstock by catalytic conversion, which comprises contacting, in a reactor, a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising 20% by weight or more, based on the weight of the hydrocarbon feedstock, of at least one C4-C12 olefin with a zeolite-containing catalyst, wherein the zeolite in the zeolite-containing catalyst satisfies the following requirements: (1) the zeolite is an intermediate pore size zeolite having a pore size of from 5 to 6.5 Å, (2) the zeolite contains substantially no proton, (3) the zeolite contains at least one metal selected from the group consisting of metals belonging to Group IB of the Periodic Table, and (4) the zeolite has an SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of from 200 to 5,000, to effect a catalytic conversion reaction of the hydrocarbon feedstock, thereby obtaining a reaction mixture containing ethylene and propylene; and separating the ethylene and propylene from the reaction mixture.

Abstract: A roof rail in which a rail portion and a plurality of leg portions are integrally molded by use of a mold having a fixed or movable dam provided in a mold cavity, and which is formed of a polyamide resin composition containing a polyamide resin having a crystallization temperature of not higher than 210° C. and a glass transition temperature of not higher than 70° C. and glass fiber, wherein the difference in surface gloss between the surface of the rail portion and the surface of the leg portion is not higher than 5, and the difference in surface roughness between the surface of the rail portion and the surface of the leg portion is not larger than 0.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A porous hollow fiber polyvinylidene fluoride resin membrane, characterized in that the membrane has a unitary three-dimensional network structure entirely composed of a polyvinylidene fluoride resin and has an inside diameter of 1.5-5 mm and a wall thickness of 0.5-2 mm and in that the relationship between membrane bubble point and water flux per unit wall thickness is on or above the curve shown in FIG. 1.

Abstract: An object is to provide an air bag to protect passengers during collisions, which is lighter and can be compactly accommodated, which is sufficiently airtight, and which has durable strength in the sewn parts. The invention relates to a lightweight air bag, wherein the air bag main body is constituted of a base fabric composed of a woven fabric which has been made using a raw yarn of less than 150 denier and a cover factor of 2100 or more or a basis weight of 140 g/m2 or less, and the air bag main body is preferably constituted of a base fabric having 10 g/m2 or less of a heat resistant elastomer applied thereon, at least part of the sewn areas relating to the air bag main body, particularly where a reinforcing fabric is sewn around the inflator fitting hole, being sewn with a sewing thread having a specific yarn number count T and stitch number S (stitches/centimeter), as indicated by the following Formulas: 10<T≦60  (1A) 2≦T/S≦8  (1B)(1).

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel hybrid polymeric electrolyte formed of a closed-cell cellular polymer foam impregnated with a non-aqueous electrolytic liquid, which comprises a plurality of closed cells defined by cell walls constituting a continuous solid-phase matrix which is impregnated with the non-aqueous electrolytic liquid to form a continuous solid-phase domain, in which the plurality of closed cells are substantially filled with a non-aqueous electrolytic liquid to form a plurality of liquid phase domains which are dispersed in the above-mentioned continuous solid-phase domain. The hybrid polymeric electrolyte of the present invention has not only high ionic conductivity and high mechanical strength, but also has the ability to prevent the non-aqueous electrolytic liquid from leakage. The non-aqueous electrochemical device comprising the hybrid polymeric electrolyte of the present invention exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, and also retains electrolytic liquid well.

Abstract: A mesopore molecular sieve having a hydrocarbon group bonded directly to a silicon atom in the metal oxide skeleton constituting the molecular sieve, wherein the content of said hydrocarbon group is from 0.01 to 0.6 mol per mol of the metal oxide. Also disclosed is a process for producing a mesopore molecular sieve having a hydrocarbon atom bonded to a silicon atom in the molecular sieve skeleton, which comprises synthesizing the mesopore molecular sieve, in the presence of a template, from: a silane compound represented by the following formula (1): RnSiX(4−n)  (1) wherein R represents a hydrocarbon group selected from C1-16 hydrocarbon groups and hydrocarbon groups substituted with an N—, O-, S-, P- or halogen-containing group; n represents 1, 2 or 3; and X is selected from C1-6 alkoxy groups, aryloxy groups, a hydroxyl group and halogen atoms and a plurality of X may be the same or different; and a metal oxide and/or a precursor thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing an aromatic polycarbonate, which comprises reacting acetone with a phenol material, thereby producing bisphenol A, and polymerizing the resultant bisphenol A with diphenyl carbonate to produce an aromatic polycarbonate while producing phenol as a by-product, wherein the by-product phenol is recovered as a crude phenol product containing the by-product phenol as a main component and containing impurities, and the crude phenol product is used as at least a part of the phenol material for producing bisphenol A. According to the method of the present invention, a crude phenol product as such, containing, as a main component, a by-product phenol which is by-produced during the polymerization reaction for producing an aromatic polycarbonate, and containing impurities, can be utilized for producing an aromatic polycarbonate, without any purification or the like.

Abstract: A stabilizer for foods or a stabilizer for meat products, which is effective in preventing syneresis and improving water holding capacities, yield, texture, cloudiness and the like in foods, particularly meat products using livestock meat, fish and the like. The stabilizer is characterized in that it contains a composite which has 10 to 90% by weight of a fine cellulose and 10 to 90% by weight of a gelling agent, and that it provides, when dispersed in water, an average fine cellulose particle size of not more than 20 &mgr;m and a fraction of particles having a size of not less than 10 &mgr;m of not more than 70%. The incorporation of the stabilizer can provide a meat product composition which can prevent syneresis and is improved in water holding capacities, yield, texture and other properties.

Abstract: A black colored reinforced polyamide resin composition which comprises the following components (A) to (D): (A) a polyamide; (B) at least one inorganic filler selected from glass fiber, mica, talc, kaolin and wollastonite; (C) a carbon black; and (D) at least one copper-phthalocyanine derivative represented by the following general formula (I) and (II): CuPc-(—X—NR1R2)n  (I) CuPc-(—SO2—NR3R4)n  (II) wherein CuPc represents a substituted or unsubstituted copper-phthalocyanine residue, X represents —CH2—, —CH2—CH2—COO—C2H4— or —CH2—CH2—COO—C3H6—, R1, R2 and R3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an aryl group, an alkoxyalkyl group or a heterocyclic residue, R4 represents an alkylaryl group, an aryl group, an alkoxyalkyl group or a heterocyclic residue, wherein R1 and R2 or R3 and R4 may b

Abstract: A process for producing aromatic carbonates, which comprises transesterifying, in the presence of a metal-containing catalyst, a starting material selected from a dialkyl carbonate, an alkyl aryl carbonate and a mixture thereof with a reactant selected from an aromatic monohydroxy compound, an alkyl aryl carbonate and a mixture thereof, characterized in that: at least one type of catalyst-containing liquid is taken out, wherein the catalyst-containing liquid is selected from a portion of a high boiling point reaction mixture obtained by the above transesterification and containing the desired aromatic carbonate and the metal-containing catalyst, and a portion of a liquid catalyst fraction obtained by separating the desired aromatic carbonate from the high boiling point reaction mixture, wherein each portion contains (A) high boiling point substance having a boiling point higher than the boiling point of the produced aromatic carbonate and (B) the metal-containing catalyst; (C) a functional substance capable o

Abstract: There are disclosed polyester fibers that are composed of at least 90% by weight of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and have a limiting viscosity of 0.4-2, being characterized by containing a phosphorus compound at 10-250 ppm in terms of weight of elemental phosphorus, containing no more than 3 wt % of cyclic dimers, containing no more than 2 wt % of bis(3-hydroxypropyl) ether copolymerized with the poly(trimethylene terephthalate), and having a birefringence of 0.03 or greater.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous shaped article such as a polyurethaneurea fiber and a polyurethaneurea film having a birefringence index (&Dgr;n) of from at least 1.0×10−4 to 8.0×10−4 in a nontensile state, a crosslinking density at an elongation of 100% (N100) of at least 5.0×1026/m3, a crosslinking point density at an elongation of 400% (N400) of from 4.0×1026 to 3.0×1027/m3, and a crosslinking point density at the time of breakage (Nt) of at least 1.6×1027/m3, wherein the ratio of the crosslinking density at an elongation of 400% to that at an elongation of 100% (N400/N100) is from 0.9 to 1.3, and a process for producing the same. The present invention has made the continuous shaped article show an initial stress, a strength at break and an elongation at break which are sufficiently high, and a small rise in the stress in the medium elongation range.

Abstract: A hydrogenated block copolymer comprising: at least two polymer blocks A mainly comprising vinylaromatic hydrocarbon compound monomer units; and at least two polymer blocks B mainly comprising hydrogenated conjugated diene compound monomer units, in which at least 90% of the olefinically unsaturated double bonds contained in the unhydrogenated polymer block mainly comprising the conjugated diene compound monomer units is hydrogenated, wherein at least one of the terminal blocks is a polymer block B, the proportion of the terminal polymer block B in the hydrogenated block copolymer being 0.1% by weight or higher and lower than 9.1% by weight, and wherein the content of the vinylaromatic hydrocarbon compound units in the hydrogenated block copolymer is 12% by weight or higher and lower than 25% by weight. Also disclosed are a resin composition containing the hydrogenated block copolymer, and a molded article of the resin composition.

Abstract: A noble metal-supported article which comprises a carrier and a palladium-containing metal component supported on the carrier, which article has (A) a layer in which substantially no palladium is supported in the interior of the carrier and (B) a layer in which palladium is supported in the region from the outer surface to a depth of less than 100 &mgr;m of the carrier.