Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a binder resin for a toner which is excellent in fixing properties and offset resistance even when used in a high-speed copier and is also excellent in suitability for grindability, development durability and the like, and a toner for electrophotography. The binder resin for a toner comprises a resin which is obtained by mixing a vinyl polymer with a crosslinked resin obtained by reacting a vinyl polymer having a specific molecular weight and a specific content of a functional group with a crosslinking agent, and which has a specific gel portion. As a result, the above object has been achieved. A toner using the binder resin is excellent in performances including fixing properties and the like even when used in a high-speed copier. Even when continuously used for a long time in a copier, the toner gives electrophotographic prints with satisfactory reproduction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of increasing the absorption rate of peroxides into polymer particles used to fabricate electrical cable insulation. The method includes contacting the polymer particles with a peroxide compound and an additive under physical mixing conditions at a temperature that is above the melting point of the peroxide compound but below the softening point of the polymer particles for a period of time sufficient to allow he peroxide compound to absorb into the polymer particles. Preferably, the additive is squalane or another branched, hydrocarbon oil that substantially increases the rate at which the peroxide compound is absorbed into the polymer particles and improves the peroxide cure.

Abstract: An end-capped polybenzoxazole precursor having acid labile functional groups, positive working photosensitive compositions thereof and use of the compositions for producing heat resistant relief images on substrates.

Abstract: Provided is a lactic acid-based resin composition that comprises a lactic acid-based resin (component (A)), and an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer (component (B)) and/or an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer ionomer (component (C)). The lactic acid-based resin composition has good physical properties in melt and can be efficiently formed into films and laminates through casting or extrusion lamination. The paper laminates obtained through extrusion lamination with the resin composition have good moisture barrier property, and have the advantages of good antibacterial ability, good biodegradability and low combustion heat. And the moldings obtained from the resin composition of the invention have a characteristic which is excellent in impact strength. Further, the films and sheets formed of the resin composition have good low-temperature heat-sealability and hot-tack sealability, and the resin composition well serves as a sealant.

Abstract: A sulfur-containing compound has a structure represented by formula (1): (wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a reactive terminal group, a straight, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and a reactive terminal group or its thia derivative thereof, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group; Y represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a selenium atom, or a tellurium atom; R represents a substituted or unsubstituted bivalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, which may be thianated; n represents an integer of 0 to 3; X1 is substituted for any one of groups R2 to R7 of a partial structure represented by formula (2) in which the groups R2 to R7 other than the group substituted by X1 are independently a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and R1 is not a group having a (meth)acryl group when Y is an oxygen atom.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical material being excellent in balance between the heat resistance, Abbe number and refractive index by providing a compound represented by the general formula (1): in the formula, k and n representing integers of 0 to 2 and 0 to 1, respectively, with the proviso that k and n are not simultaneously zero, and k=0 meaning that —(CH2)k- is not included in the formula.

Abstract: In the technical field where a difunctional epoxy resin having increased molecular weight is used to impart flexibility or improving dielectric properties, the present invention has remarkably improved moisture resistance and water resistance when used to produce a cured epoxy resin article. The epoxy resin composition comprises a difunctional epoxy resin (A) having a structure wherein an aromatic hydrocarbon group (a1) having a bonding site in an aromatic nucleus and a hydrocarbon group (a2) having an ether bond or the other hydrocarbon group (a3) are bonded via an acetal bond (a4), and also has a structure wherein a glycidyloxy group is bonded to the aromatic hydrocarbon group (a1); and a curing agent (B) as essential component.

Abstract: The present invention provides a propylene polymer composition having excellent transparency, flexibility, heat resistance, scratch resistance and rubber elasticity with a good balance. The propylene polymer composition comprises 1 to 40 parts by weight of isotactic polypropylene (i) and 60 to 99 parts by weight of a propylene/ethylene/?-olefin copolymer (ii) which contains 45 to 89% by mol of a propylene component, 10 to 25% by mol of an ethylene component, and optionally, 0 to 30% by mol of constituent units (a) derived from an ?-olefin of 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A method for solution mining nahcolite, capable of extracting nahcolite from geological formations lean in nahcolite comprising injecting high pressure water (which may include recycled aqueous solution of bicarb and sodium carbonate) at a temperature of at least 250° F. into the formation, dissolving nahcolite in the hot water to form a production solution and recovering the production solution. The invention also includes the processing of the production solution to provide sodium carbonate and, optionally, sodium bicarbonate, comprising: decomposing the sodium bicarbonate portion of the hot aqueous production solution to form a hot aqueous solution of sodium carbonate; evaporating water from the hot aqueous solution comprising sodium carbonate to form a concentrated solution of sodium carbonate; producing sodium carbonate monohydrate from the concentrated solution of sodium carbonate by crystallization; and dewatering and calcining the sodium carbonate monohydrate to produce anhydrous sodium carbonate.

Abstract: A heat resistant negative working photosensitive composition that comprises (a) one or more polybenzoxazole precursor polymers (I): ?wherein x is an integer from about 10 to about 1000, y is an integer from 0 to about 900 and (x+y) is about less then 1000; Ar1 is a tetravalent aromatic group, a tetravalent heterocyclic group, or mixtures thereof; Ar2 is a divalent aromatic, a divalent heterocyclic, a divalent alicyclic, or a divalent aliphatic group that may contain silicon; Ar3 is a divalent aromatic group, a divalent aliphatic group, a divalent heterocyclic group, or mixtures thereof; Ar4 is Ar1 (OH)2 or Ar2; G is a monovalent organic group a carbonyl, carbonyloxy or sulfonyl group; (b) one or more photo-active compounds which release acid upon irradiation (PAGs); (c) one or more latent crosslinkers each of which contains at least two ˜N—(CH2OR)n units (n=1 or 2, wherein R is a linear or branched C1–C8 alkyl group); (d) at least one solvent, and (e) at least one dissolution rate modifier, with

Abstract: A process for preparing an acrylic-modified alkyd resin comprising the steps of: d) preparing a sulfonated alkyd resin product; e) preparing an acrylated fatty acid product; and f) reacting the product of step a) and the product of step b) under appropriate polymerization conditions, and for preparing a waterbome composition on the basis thereof as well as products obtainable by those processes.

Abstract: Method for gas liquefaction comprising cooling a feed gas by a first refrigeration system in a first heat exchange zone and withdrawing a substantially liquefied stream therefrom, further cooling the substantially liquefied stream by indirect heat exchange with one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams in a second heat exchange zone, and withdrawing therefrom a further cooled, substantially liquefied stream. At least one of the one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams is provided by compressing one or more refrigerant gases to provide a compressed refrigerant stream, cooling all or a portion of the compressed refrigerant stream in a third heat exchange zone to provide a cooled, compressed refrigerant stream, and work expanding the cooled, compressed refrigerant stream to provide one of the one or more work-expanded refrigerant streams.

Abstract: Compositions containing certain organic solvents and a fluorine source are capable of removing photoresist and etching residue.

Abstract: An organohydrosiloxane composition comprising: a) one or more organohydrosiloxane compounds, each having at least one [—HSiR—O—] unit, wherein R?C1–C18 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl, C1–C18 linear, branched, or cyclic alkoxy, or substituted or unsubstituted aryl, and b) an antioxidant compound shown in Formula (1) ?wherein the antioxidant compound is a phenolic compound and is present in a concentration from about 1 ppm to about 5,000 ppm and wherein R1 through R5 can each independently be H, OH, C1–C18 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl, C1–C18 linear, branched, or cyclic alkoxy or substituted or unsubstituted aryl. The compositions of present invention exhibit stability and significantly extend the shelf life of organohydrosiloxane products and allow greater flexibility in handling these products in chemical processes or semiconductor manufacturing. The resulting stabilization of siloxanes prevents the possibility of complete polymerization (i.e.

Abstract: Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain preferred embodiments, the process solution of the present invention may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of pattern collapse defects on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.

Abstract: An improved thermal swing adsorption process is set forth which addresses the problem of water ingress into the adsorbent by periodically heating the adsorbent to a temperature greater than the temperature used in the normal regeneration cycle.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a photo-curable resin composition which provides a sealing agent for a flat panel display with good moisture permeation resistance and excellent adhesion. The present inventors have conducted extensive studies to solve the above-described problems, and as a result, they have found a photo-curable resin composition which comprises a cationic photopolymerization initiator (A), a cationically polymerizable compound (B), a cyclic polyether compound (C) and another organic compound (D), wherein the amount of (B) is 1.0 to 99.9% by mass and the amount of (C) is 0.0 to 10.0% by mass, both based on the sum of (B), (C) and (D), and the sum (F) of the fluorine atoms in a fluorine-containing organic compound is 0.0 to 40.0% by mass, based on the sum of (B), (C) and (D), and wherein at least 1/1000 mass ratio of the (B) component is a compound containing an oxetanyl group, and both of the contents of (C) and (F) are not 0.0% by mass at the same time.

Abstract: In the technical field where a difunctional epoxy resin having increased molecular weight is used to impart flexibility or improving dielectric properties, the present invention has remarkably improved moisture resistance and water resistance when used to produce a cured epoxy resin article. The epoxy resin composition comprises a difunctional epoxy resin (A) having a structure wherein an aromatic hydrocarbon group (a1) having a bonding site in an aromatic nucleus and a hydrocarbon group (a2) having an ether bond or the other hydrocarbon group (a3) are bonded via an acetal bond (a4), and also has a structure wherein a glycidyloxy group is bonded to the aromatic hydrocarbon group (a1); and a curing agent (B) as essential component.

Abstract: A novel method has been found to produce 2,2?-anhydro-1-(?-L-arabinofuranosyl)thymine as a novel useful intermediate compound. A novel method has been further found to produce thymidine from 2,2?-anhydro-1-(?-L-arabinofuranosyl)thymine. A novel method has been further found to L-2?-deoxyribose derivatives as a useful synthetic intermediate through L-2,2?-anhydro-5,6-dihydrocyclouridine derivative. According to these methods, synthesis of various L-nucleic acid derivatives, synthesis of which has been difficult till now.

Abstract: A novel gluconate dehydratase derived from Achromobacter xylosoxidans and a gene encoding the gluconate dehydratase are provided. By reacting the gluconate dehydratase or a transformed cell containing the gene with an aldonic acid, the corresponding 2-keto-3-deoxyaldonic acid can be efficiently produced.