Abstract: A nonaqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery, is formed from a polymer electrolyte comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 80 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 20 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with the vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g. The polymer electrolyte stably retains the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a large amount and has excellent strength in this state.

Abstract: A polyester-surfaced heat-shrinkable multilayer film exhibiting good printability and adaptability to various automatic packaging processes is provided, including an outer surface layer (a) comprising a polyester resin, an intermediate layer (b) comprising a polyamide resin and an inner surface layer (c) comprising a sealable resin. The film exhibits a heat-shrinkable stress at 50° C. of at most 3 MPa both in longitudinal direction and in transverse direction, and a hot water shrinkability at 90° C. of at least 20%.

Abstract: A thermoplastic resin composition is formed by mixing (A) 30-84.9 wt. % of a crystalline thermoplastic resin, (B) 15-65 wt. % of a graft copolymer obtained by graft-polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer onto a rubber trunk polymer having an alkylene oxide group and (C) 0.1-5 wt. % of an anionic surfactant. As a result, it is possible to obtain a non-black thermoplastic resin composition which shows an antistatic property at a level suitable for use as an ESD (electrical static dissipative) and can be colored into arbitrary hues.

Abstract: A carbonaceous electrode having improved capacities for doping and dedoping of a cell active substance, such as lithium, and suitable for a non-aqueous secondary battery, is constituted by a carbonaceous material obtained by carbonizing an aromatic condensation polymer formed by condensation of an aromatic compound having a phenolic hydroxy group and an aldehyde. The carbonaceous material is characterized by an atomic ratio H/C between hydrogen atoms and carbon atoms of below 0.1, a carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of at least 10 ml/g, and an X-ray scattering intensity ratio IW/ID of at least 0.25, wherein IW and ID represent scattering intensities as measured in a wet state and a dry state, respectively, at a parameter s=2·sin &thgr;/&lgr; of 0.5 nm−1, wherein &thgr; denotes a scattering angle and &lgr; denotes a wavelength of X-rays in X-ray small-angle scattering measurement.

Abstract: A polyamide resin-based heat-shrinkable multilayer film is caused to satisfy various properties required of a packaging material, especially a food packaging material, at high levels, and particularly exhibit a highest level of heat-shrinkability. The multilayer film comprises at least three layers including an outer surface layer (a) which comprises a polyester resin or a polyolefin resin; an intermediate layer (b) which comprises a mixture of 85-60 wt. % of an aliphatic polyamide resin, and 15-40 wt. % of an aromatic copolyamide resin which is a copolymer of aliphatic diamine/isophthalic acid and aliphatic diamine/terephthalic acid, and an inner surface layer (c) which essentially comprises a copolymer of ethylene and &agr;-olefin having a density below 0.915. The heat-shrinkable multilayer film has been biaxially stretched and then heat-treated to have hot-water shrinkabilities at 80° C.

Abstract: The optical material in accordance with the present invention contains a specific phosphonate monoester compound such as monoethyl 3-methoxy butyl phosphonate, and a metal ion such as a copper ion or rare-earth metal ion. They may be contained in a solvent or resin. The use of such a specific phosphonate monoester compound improves the compatibility with a resin, whereby the metal ion can favorably be dispersed into the resin. Consequently, spectral characteristics can be improved when the optical member is formed into a resin-made optical member.

Abstract: An anionic surfactant having a thermal weight loss initiation temperature of at least 250° C. is incorporated with a thermoplastic resin comprising a graft copolymer formed by graft-polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer onto a rubber trunk polymer obtained by emulsion polymerization using a carboxylic acid-type surfactant. As a result, it is possible to obtain an antistatic resin composition which can be effectively produced on an industrial scale and can provide a shaped product excellent in permanent antistatic property and free from haze or discoloration even when processed under severe processing conditions.

Abstract: A microcapsule (or microencapsulated product) having a uniform and smooth coating film and also an excellent performance of gradually liberating the content material is produced at a good particle size distribution while suppressing the occurrence of isolated or aggregated film material, aggregated microcapsules and isolated core material. The production process includes: a first coating step of mixing a water-soluble cationic amino resin and an anionic surfactant in the presence of a hydrophobic core material dispersed in an aqueous medium to coat the dispersed core material with a coacervate of the cationic amino resin and the anionic surfactant; and a second coating step of adding an amino resin prepolymer into an aqueous dispersion liquid containing the coated dispersed core material and polycondensating the amino resin prepolymer to further coat the coated dispersed core material with a polycondensate of the amino resin prepolymer.

Abstract: A flexible multilayer film suitable as a (food-)packaging material includes a first seal layer comprising principally a metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin, and a second seal layer comprising a copolymer of at least one oxygen-containing monomer and ethylene. The copolymer is set to have a crystal melting point lower than that of the metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin. The second seal layer may preferably have a thickness larger than that of the first seal layer. Because of the provision of the second seal layer adjacent to the first seal layer, the multilayer film is provided with an improved film-formability while retaining the good sealability of the metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a novel phosphate compound by which a copper ion can be dispersed in a high proportion in a synthetic resin, thereby providing excellent visible ray-transmitting property and performance that near infrared rays are absorbed with high efficiency, a preparation process thereof, a phosphate copper compound obtained from the phosphate compound and a preparation process thereof, and a near infrared ray-absorbing acrylic resin composition which has both excellent visible ray-transmitting property and near infrared rays absorption capability.

Abstract: The optical material in accordance with the present invention contains a specific phosphonate monoester compound such as monoethyl 3-methoxybutyl phosphonate, and a metal ion such as a copper ion or rare-earth metal ion. They may be contained in a solvent or resin. The use of such a specific phosphonate monoester compound improves the compatibility with a resin, whereby the metal ion can favorably be dispersed into the resin. Consequently, spectral characteristics can be improved when the optical member is formed into a resin-made optical member.

Abstract: N-(substituted or unsubstituted)-4-substituted-6-(substituted or unsubstituted) phenoxy-2-pyridine carboxamide or thiocarboxamide represented by the general formula (I) and a process for producing the compound. A herbicide containing as an effective ingredient N-(substituted or unsubstituted)-4-substituted-6-(substituted or unsubstituted) phenoxy-2-pyridine carboxamide or thiocarboxamide represented by the general formula (I).

Abstract: A carbonaceous electrode having improved capacities for doping and dedoping of a cell active substance, such as lithium, and suitable for a non-aqueous solvent secondary battery, is constituted by a carbonaceous material having a true density as measured by a butanol substitution method of at most 1.46 g/cm3, a true density as measured by a helium substitution method of at least 1.7 g/cm3, a hydrogen-to-carbon atomic ratio H/C of at most 0.15 as measured according to elementary analysis, a BET specific surface area of at most 50 m2/g as measured by nitrogen adsorption BET method, and a carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of at least 10 ml/g. The carbonaceous material is advantageously produced by carbonizing an organic material originated from bamboo genera of family Gramineae, particularly genus Pleioblastus or Bambusa, at 1000-1400° C. under a reduced pressure or under a flowing inert gas stream to provide an appropriate porous structure.

Abstract: An electrode-forming composition for providing an activated carbon electrode for an electric double layer capacitor is provide by blending activated carbon, a vinylidene fluoride polymer and a solvent including a plasticizer in addition to a good solvent for the vinylidene fluoride polymer. By applying the electrode-forming composition onto an electroconductive substrate, and selectively removing the solvent preferably by a combination of extraction of the plasticizer with a poor solvent for the vinylidene-fluoride polymer and evaporation of the solvent, it is possible to obtain an activated carbon electrode (polarizable electrode) that has an activated carbon electrode layer exhibiting good adhesion onto the electroconductive substrate and a good flexibility, and therefore has good processability. By using the activated carbon electrodes as polarizable electrodes, it is possible to provide an electric double layer capacitor having improved reliability.

Abstract: N-heterocyclicmethylpropylamine derivatives of formula (I): and acid addition salts thereof; wherein R1 represents hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, halogenated alkyl, alkoxy, halogenated alkoxy, hydroxyl, cyano, nitro, phenyl optionally having a substituent on a ring thereof or phenoxy; n represents an integer of 0-5; R2 represents a heterocycle containing at least one nitrogen atom as the hetero atom and optionally having a substituent on a ring thereof; and R3 represents hydrogen or C1-C5 alkyl.

Abstract: A carbonaceous electrode material for electric double layer capacitors having a large capacitor per volume, a low resistivity and a large bulk density, is provided as a carbonaceous material having a specific surface area of 800-2000 m2/g as measured by the nitrogen adsorption BET method, and an average layer-plane spacing of at most 0.36 nm as measured by the X-ray diffraction method. The carbonaceous material is preferably produced by carbonizing and activating a carbon precursor of pitch origin in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: A vinylidene fluoride polymer binder solution for forming an electrode for a non-aqueous-type battery is formed by adding an acid, preferably an organic acid, as a stabilizer to a solution of a vinylidene fluoride polymer in an organic solvent. The acid is preferably added in an amount sufficient to ensure a pH of at most 9 when measured with respect to a 10-times dilution of the binder solution with deionized water. The acid addition is effective for preventing a problematic viscosity increase in the binder solution and also gelling of an electrode-forming composition formed by adding a powdery electrode material in the binder solution.

Abstract: A biochemical information processing apparatus includes a storage means storing biochemical information, input means for accepting input of data, reaction scheme detection means for detecting a chemical reaction scheme involving a compound, based on the data, and display means for displaying a reaction scheme diagram of the chemical reaction scheme. The storage means includes a compound information file, an enzyme information file, and a relation information file. The relation information file stores a list showing the relation among compound numbers of compounds, enzyme numbers of enzymes with either pertinent compound being a substrate, and enzyme numbers of enzymes with either pertinent compound being a product. The reaction scheme detection means includes a first process portion for preparing canonical data of the compound from the data and searching the compound information file based thereon to read out a compound number.

Abstract: A leader for fly fishing which has a high knot strength and a high tensile tenacity, is free from the formation of a shape-unstable portion (constriction) having a smaller diameter than an average thread diameter of the tippet section and the occurrence of melt fracture at a connecting portion between the tapered section and the tippet section, and shows an excellent natural drift property, can be produced by using a vinylidene fluoride-based resin having an inherent viscosity of 1.0 to 1.7 dl/g.

Abstract: A 6-phenoxy picolinic acid alkylidene hydrazide derivative, a process for producing the derivative and a herbicide containing the derivative as an effective ingredient. Such a compound is a novel compound and is useful as an effective ingredient of herbicides.