Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystalline compounds having a high voltage holding ratio and a low threshold voltage, little variation of these properties with temperature change, high &Dgr;n, and good compatibility with other liquid crystal materials particularly under a low temperature; liquid crystal compositions containing these crystalline compounds; and liquid crystal display devices made using these liquid crystal compositions.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula (1) is provided. This has broader temperature range of nematic phase, lower viscosity and higher miscibility with other liquid crystal compounds at low temperature than those of conventional liquid crystal compounds, and the compounds have high chemical stability. ##STR1## wherein H.sub.1 to H.sub.8 represent independently a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, provided that at least one of them is a halogen atom; R.sub.1 represents a moiety which is an alkyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms provided that one or more methylene groups (--CH.sub.2 --) which are not successive in the alkyl group are replaced with an oxygen atom (--O--) in the form of ether; Y.sub.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and one or more methylene groups in Y.sub.1 independently may be replaced with an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a dihydroxysilyl group, a dimethylsililene group, --CH.dbd.CH-- or --C.tbd.C--; X.sub.1 to X.sub.

Abstract: A flame-retardant thermosetting resin composition comprising a thermosetting resin and from 4 to 50% by weight, based on the composition, of (1) melamine-coated ammonium polyphosphate particles and/or (2) water-insoluble ammonium polyphosphate particles obtained by crosslinking the surface of melamine-coated ammonium polyphosphate particles with a compound having a functional group capable of reacting with an active hydrogen atom belonging to an amino group of a melamine molecule in the melamine coating is disclosed. Also disclosed is a process for producing water-insoluble ammonium polyphosphate particles comprising adhering or impregnating a crosslinking agent having a functional group capable of reacting with an active hydrogen atom belonging to an amino group of a melamine molecule to or into the surface of melamine-coated ammonium polyphosphate particles and allowing a melamine in the melamine coat and the crosslinking agent to react.

Abstract: A spinneret device for side-by-side, conjugate melt-blow spinning can correspond to combinations of various heterogeneous polymers for conjugate spinning and is uniform in the conjugate state such as conjugate ratio between single fibers, the proportion of the peripheral percentage of both the components in the fiber cross-section, etc. and has fineness, a large nozzle plate width and a superior productivity. The device is composed mainly of a spinning resin-feeding plate; a distributing plate; a separating plate provided with confluent grooves of conjugate components engraved at the bottom part of the plate, corresponding in number to the spinning nozzles; a nozzle plate; and a plate for controlling the clearance for a gas. Even when the viscosity unevenness, spinning temperature unevenness, etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides mutants mass-producing .epsilon.PL which are obtained by mutation treatment of a strain producing .epsilon.PL. For using the mutants, the mutants are cultured in a cultivated medium, .epsilon.PL is mass-produced and stored in the culture solution, and the stored .epsilon.PL is collected from the solution. For producing .epsilon.PL, a strain which produces .epsilon.PL is mutation-treated, the obtained mutant is cultivated in a culture medium to which L-lysine or L-lysine and one or more sugars are added, .epsilon.PL is mass-produced and stored in the culture solution, and the stored .epsilon.PL is collected from the solution.The mutants producing .epsilon.PL in large quantities are preferably the mutants which have tolerance to an analogue of L-lysine of Streptomyces albulus subsp. lysinopolymerus No. 346-D strain and chloramphenicol-treated mutant of the same bacteria.

Abstract: Silane coupling agents and a method of preparing the coupling agents are provided in which a silane coupling agent is prepared by reacting 2.3 to 4.0 mols of a haloalkylalkoxysilane with 1 mol of a diamine having N atoms to which 4 active hydrogen atoms are bound, by reacting 1.3 to 3.0 mols of a haloalkylalkoxysilane with 1 mol of a diamine having N atoms to which 3 active hydrogen atoms are bound and to which one alkylsilyl group is bound, or by reacting 0.3 to 2.0 mols of a haloalkylalkoxysilane with 1 mol of a diamine having N atoms to which 2 active hydrogen atoms are bound and to which 2 alkylsilyl groups are bound. In addition, a silane coupling agent may be prepared by reacting the diamine with a haloalkylalkoxysilane and a halomethylstyrene.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improvement of an active matrix type liquid crystal display device using a combination of a specific mixed liquid crystal and a specific polyimide orientation film.