Abstract: The process of the present invention for producing a polyester resin comprising a dicarboxylic acid constitutional unit and a diol constitutional unit having a cyclic acetal skeleton comprises a step (1) of subjecting a diol (A) having a cyclic acetal skeleton and an ester (D) to transesterification reaction and a step (2) of mainly converting the resultant oligomer into a high polymer. The step (1) simultaneously satisfies the requirements (i) to (iv) as described in the specification. In the process of the present invention, the polyester resins having excellent moldability and mechanical properties are stably produced by a transesterification method which is less detrimental to environments.

Abstract: In a reforming catalyst apparatus provided with a reforming catalyst for forming a hydrogen rich reformed gas by a reforming reaction of the fuel with water, the catalyst performance can be recovered by heating the catalyst within a temperature ranging from 500° C. to 800° C. while supplying said fuel and air to the catalyst. This method allows recovery of the catalyst performance without demounting the catalyst from the reforming catalyst apparatus and allows providing the reforming catalyst with a long service life.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the general formula (1) useful as a chiral dopant and use thereof, wherein each of m and n is independently an integer of 4 to 8, A is —Ph—COO—Ph—, —Ph—Ph—COO—, —Cy—COO—Ph—, —Ph—OOC—Ph—COO—, —Ph—OOC—Cy—COO—, —Ph—OOC—Np—COO— or —Np—OOC— in which —Ph— is a 1,4-phenylene group, —Cy— is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group and —Np— is a 2,6-naphtylene group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon atom. Having a helical twisting power (HTP) of at least 9 and having a property that the helical pitch induced decreases with an increase in temperature, the optically active compound of the present invention has an excellent value as a chiral dopant for a nematic liquid crystal.

Abstract: The invention provides a photoresist stripping composition including (a) an alkanolamine other than those alkanolamines falling under the definition of the below-described component (b); (b) an alkanolamine having in the molecule thereof at least one moiety represented by the following formula (1): (wherein each of R1 and R2 represents hydrogen or a methyl group, and R4 represents a C1-C5 alkyl group); (c) an amide solvent or a sulfoxide solvent; (d) a phosphorus-containing compound; (e) an oxycarboxylic acid; and (f) water. The photoresist stripping composition of the present invention can easily remove photoresist film formed on an inorganic substrate, photoresist residues, and dust or similar matter generated during an etching process in the production of liquid crystal display elements or semiconductor elements, and is highly anticorrosive to various materials such as semiconductor layer materials, conductive materials, and insulating materials.

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1), wherein A is —C≡C— or —COO—, each of R1 and R2 is independently CnH2n+1—, (C2H5)2CHCH2C*H(CH3)OOC—, CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— or C6H5C*H(CH3)OOC— in which n is an integer of 2 to 5, m is an integer of 5 to 9, C6H5— is phenyl group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon, provided that there is no case where R1 and R2 are together CnH2n+1— or C6H5C*H(CH3)OOC— and that when both R1 and R2 are CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC—, m in CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— represented by R1 and m in CmH2m+1C*H(CH3)OOC— represented by R2 may be different integers. The optically active compound of the present invention is excellently valuable as a chiral dopant since it has properties that its helical twisting power (HTP) is at least 9, that a helical pitch induced decreases with an increase in temperature and further that its birefringence (&Dgr;n) is large.

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: Optically active compounds of the following general formula (1) useful as chiral dopant, wherein n is an integer of 0 to 5, provided that when n is 0, A is a single bond (—) and that when n is 1 to 5, A is a single bond (—), —O—, —COO—, —Cy— or —Cy—COO— in which —Cy— is a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene group, each of X and Y is independently a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, B is a single bond (—), —COO—, —COO—Ph— or —Ph—COO— in which —Ph— is a 1,4-phenylene group, and C* is an asymmetric carbon. The chiral dopant of the present invention have a high helical twisting power of at least 9 and suitably have a feature that the helical pitch induced by them decreases in length with an increase in temperature so that they are advantageous for use in a nematic liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A stretched polyamide film obtained by melt-kneading and extruding a mixed resin (Z) containing a polyamide resin (X) and a modified resin (Y) into a film followed by biaxial stretching, wherein the polyamide resin (X) is obtained from a diamine component containing not less than 70 mol % of a metaxylylenediamine and from a dicarboxylic acid component containing not less than 70 mol % of an &agr;, &ohgr;-aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; the modified resin (Y) is obtained by graft-modifying an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer resin with a maleic anhydride; and the mixed resin (Z) contains from 80 to 99% by weight of the polyamide and from 20 to 1% by weight of the modified resin. The stretched film exhibits not only excellent transparency and gas-barring property but also excellent flexibility and shock resistance.

Abstract: In the process of the present invention for producing an aliphatic poly(ester carbonate), maleic anhydride, a C2-20 glycol and hydrogen are reacted in the presence of a hydrogenating catalyst. By this process, an aliphatic poly(ester carbonate) having practically satisfactory moldability and physical properties is produced in a short period of time by a simplified method as compared to conventional production processes.

Abstract: A process for the production of a composite ceramic printed wiring board, comprising (1) making a penetration hole having a diameter of 0.1 to 0.8 mm in a ceramic board having an open porosity of at least 5% and a thickness of 0.1 to 10 mm, (2) fixing metal (M) to the penetration hole such that the metal (M) penetrates through the penetration hole, (3) impregnating a heat-resistant resin precursor (R) under vacuum, polymerizing the heat-resistant resin precursor (R) and polishing both surfaces of the resultant board to produce a resin composite ceramic substrate (MRA) having a conductive portion for conduction between both surfaces in a predetermined portion, and (4) forming printed wiring networks on one or both surfaces of the resin composite ceramic substrate (MRA).

Abstract: An optically active compound of the general formula (1) useful as a chiral dopant and use thereof, 1

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1), 1

Abstract: An optically active compound of the following general formula (1) useful as a chiral dbpant, and use thereof, 1

Abstract: A process for producing a lens comprising polymerizing bis(&bgr;-epithiopropyl)ether to form a lens.

Abstract: In a method for separating isophthalonitrile from a gas produced by causing m-xylene to react with ammonia and oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst, the gas is brought into contact with an organic solvent having a boiling point lower than that of isophthalonitrile; a liquid in which isophthalonitrile is trapped in a trapping step is distilled, to thereby recover isophthalonitrile and the organic solvent from the top of the column and separate at the bottom of the column impurities having boiling points higher than that of isophthalonitrile; and the organic solvent is recovered from the top of the rectification column and liquefied isophthalonitrile of high purity is recovered at the bottom of the column.

Abstract: A method for producing xylylenediamine by hydrogenating phthalonitrile synthesized through ammoxidation of xylene, wherein phthalonitrile is trapped in an organic solvent (A) by bringing a gas produced through ammoxidation into direct contact with the organic solvent (A), and hydrogenation including adding liquid ammonia to the resultant mixture is carried out without separation of phthalonitrile trapped in the organic solvent (A). Through this method, the phthalonitrile can be readily recovered from the produced gas and at high yield without need for new equipment, and xylylenediamine can be efficiently produced through hydrogenation. Xylylenediamine of high purity can be obtained by subjecting the produced xylylenediamine to extraction by use of an organic solvent (B) and water.

Abstract: The polyamide resin composition comprises a copolyamide resin, a nucleating agent for crystallization, and optionally an inorganic filler. The copolyamide resin is produced by polycondensing a carboxylic acid component mainly comprising adipic acid with a diamine component containing trans-1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, cis- 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, and optionally another diamine. The nucleating agent for crystallization is selected from an organic nucleating agent and an inorganic nucleating agent. The polyamide resin composition exhibits a good molding cycle and provides a shaped article excellent in the retention of rigidity at a high temperature condition, the durability under a high temperature condition, and the retention of mechanical properties after water-absorption. Therefore, the polyamide resin composition is useful as a metal replacement in various applications such as automobile parts, mechanical parts and electric or electronic parts.

Abstract: A process for producing an oxymethylene copolymer by polymerizing trioxan and 1,3-dioxolan in the presence of a cationically active catalyst, wherein (1) 1,3-dioxolan is used in an amount of 0.01 to 2.9 mol % based on trioxan; and (2) the cationically active catalyst is used in an amount of 1×10−7 to 1.2×10−4 mol based on 1 mol of trioxan. The process of the present invention makes it possible to obtain at a high yield an oxymethylene copolymer which has almost as high mechanical strength and stiffness as an oxymethylene homopolymer while retaining the tenacity and heat stability of an oxymethylene copolymer.

Abstract: A process for producing an oxymethylene copolymer by polymerizing trioxan and 1,3-dioxolan in the presence of a cationically active catalyst, wherein

Abstract: A method of supporting a semiconductor substrate according to the present invention can be applied to the step of processing the semiconductor substrate at a high temperature of 350° C. or higher, and there is provided a process for the production of electronic parts, comprising the steps of forming semiconductor circuits on one surface (surface A) of a semiconductor substrate (SEC) having a thickness of at least 0.2 mm, supporting the semiconductor substrate on a supporting substrate (BP) by bonding (AS) of said surface A to the supporting substrate (BP), grinding and polishing the exposed other surface (surface B) of the semiconductor substrate (SEC) by a physical method, a chemical method or a method of combination of these methods, to decrease the thickness of the semiconductor substrate (SEC) to less than 0.