Abstract: Provided are: a carbon fiber bundle which has a large value of single-fiber fineness and excellent productivity and which, despite this, contains few interlaced single fibers therein and has excellent spreadability; and precursor fibers which are suitable for use in producing the carbon fiber bundle. The precursor fibers are a carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle which comprises a polyacrylonitrile copolymer comprising 95-99 mol % acrylonitrile units and 1-5 mol % hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate units and which has a single-fiber fineness of 1.5-5.0 dtex. In the acrylic fiber bundle, the cross-section of each single fiber which is perpendicular to the fiber axis has a shape that has a roundness of 0.9 or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a porous membrane, including a coagulation step of coagulating a membrane-forming raw material solution to form a porous membrane; a washing step of washing the porous membrane to remove material remaining in the porous membrane; a removal step of removing a hydrophilic polymer remaining in the porous membrane, in which the washing step includes transporting a porous membrane so as to contact with a falling washing solution. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method of producing a porous membrane capable of efficiently removing a solvent from a porous membrane within a short period of time at a low cost without large facilities; and a washing apparatus used for the production process.

Abstract: Provided is a transfer film that includes, as a medium-refractive-index film, a film containing metal oxide particles that has a central region in which there are no metal oxide particles, a surface-layer region (a1) formed on one side of the central region and including metal oxide particles, and a surface-layer region (a2) formed on the opposite side of the central region and including metal oxide particles, the transfer film being capable of providing a laminate that has excellent stain resistance, anti-reflection characteristics, transparency, sweat resistance, and scratch resistance, and in which interference patterns are reduced. By using said transfer film, it is possible to obtain a laminate that has excellent stain resistance, anti-reflection characteristics, transparency, sweat resistance, and scratch resistance, and in which interference patterns are reduced.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane-spinning nozzle that spins a hollow fiber membrane having a porous membrane layer and a support is provided in which the nozzle includes a resin flow channel through which a membrane-forming resin solution forming the porous membrane layer flows, the resin flow channel includes a liquid storage section that stores the membrane-forming resin solution and a shaping section that shapes the membrane-forming resin solution in a cylindrical shape and satisfies at least one of conditions (a) to (c): (a) the resin flow channel is disposed to cause the membrane-forming resin solution to branch and merge; (b) a delay means for delaying the flow of the membrane-forming resin solution is disposed in the resin flow channel; and (c) the liquid storage section or the shaping section includes branching and merging means for the membrane-forming resin solution therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a porous electrode substrate that has low production cost, high mechanical strength, thickness precision, and surface smoothness, and sufficient gas permeability and electrical conductivity, and a method for producing the same. In the present invention, for example, a porous electrode substrate that includes short carbon fibers (A) joined together via three-dimensional mesh-like carbon fibers (B) is produced by a method including a step (1) of dispersing short carbon fibers (A), and short carbon fiber precursors (b) to be fibrillated by beating, to produce a precursor sheet; and a step (2) of subjecting the precursor sheet to carbonization treatment at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: A transparent plastic rod lens which has a cylindrical shape with a radius r in which a refractive index nD is reduced from a center thereof to an outer periphery thereof, the plastic rod lens includes a polymer mixture (I), in which the polymer mixture (I) includes, as constitutional units, an aromatic ring-containing monomer (a) unit and at least one monomer unit selected from a group consisting of a (meth)acrylate (b) unit which has a branched hydrocarbon group having 3 or more carbon atoms, a fluorine-containing monomer (c) unit, and an alicyclic ring-containing (meth)acrylate (d) unit, and a glass transition temperature is higher than or equal to 100° C.

Abstract: The invention discloses a cross-linked polymer particle for an epoxy resin, an epoxy resin composition containing the cross-linked polymer particle, the epoxy resin and a curing agent, and an epoxy cured material having qualities of colorless transparency and crack resistance as a result of curing the resin composition. The cross-linked polymer particle for the epoxy resin contains a (meth)acrylate monomer unit and a crosslinking monomer unit, wherein a volume average primary particle diameter is 0.5 to 10 ?m, and a glass transition temperature of the monomer components excluding the crosslinking monomer is 30° C. or more by FOX formula calculation, and the refractivity at 23° C. is 1.490 to 1.510.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for conveniently stabilizing an aqueous acrylamide solution using a stabilizer which can be separated and removed easily. In the method for stabilizing an aqueous acrylamide solution according to the present invention, a microbial cell is added to the aqueous acrylamide solution at a dried cell weight concentration of 1 to 14000 mg/L.

Abstract: There is provided a resin which, in spite of having excellent impact resistance because of containing a rubber ingredient, can be molded into a haze-free and beautiful state across the entire surface of molded products even if the molded products are large-sized injection molded products, and is suitable for molded products on which a vapor deposition layer is formed by the direct vapor deposition method, and is suitable for molded products which are joined by the hot plate welding method, particularly molded products such as housing members of automotive lamps, which require weatherability. Also provided is a graft copolymer (B) obtained by polymerizing a (meth)acrylate monomer (b1) a homopolymer of which has a glass transition temperature exceeding 0° C. in the presence of a composite rubber (A) containing a polyorganosiloxane (A1) and a poly(meth)acrylate (A2), and then polymerizing an aromatic vinyl monomer (b2) and a cyanided vinyl monomer (b3).

Abstract: Thermoplastic resin compositions for a light reflector contain 2 to 45 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin (A) of an inorganic filler (B1) treated with a fatty acid type surface treating agent and having an average particle diameter of not more than 3 ?m, or 2 to 45 parts by mass of an inorganic filler (B2) having a refractive index ? of 1.61???2.5 and having an average particle diameter of not more than 3 ?m, 0.01 to 3 parts by mass of glycerol triester of a fatty acid and/or a glycerol diester of a fatty acid (C1), and 0.01 to 3 parts by mass of a glycerol monoester of a fatty acid (C2). A molded article for a light reflector and a light reflector in which a light reflecting metal layer is directly formed on at least a part of the surface of the molded article is produced from one of such thermoplastic resin compositions.

Abstract: Disclosed are an acrylonitrile copolymer excellent in thermal stability as a solution (spinning dope) when dissolved in an amide solvent and capable of forming dense polyacrylonitrile fiber suitable for production of carbon fiber, an acrylonitrile copolymer solution in which the acrylonitrile copolymer is dissolved in an amide solvent, and a method for producing polyacrylonitrile precursor fiber for carbon fiber by use of the acrylonitrile copolymer solution. Specifically, an acrylonitrile copolymer contains a sulfonate group derived from a polymerization initiator in an amount of 1.0×10?5 equivalent/g or more, and the value (equivalent ratio) of (the content of a sulfate group derived from the polymerization initiator/the total content of the sulfonate group and the sulfate group) is 0.4 or less; an acrylonitrile copolymer solution contains the aforementioned acrylonitrile copolymer and an amide solvent.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a light transmissive film having a cured resin layer with a fine concavo-convex structure on a surface of a base material film is provided. The method includes sandwiching an active energy ray-curable composition including a mold dissolving component between a mold having an inversion structure of the fine concavo-convex structure and the base material film, obtaining a light transmissive film in which a cured resin layer having the inversion structure of the mold transferred is formed on one surface of the base material film, and separating the obtained light transmissive film and the mold. Thus, it is possible to productively manufacture a light transmissive film, and to prevent the deposition of an attachment on the mold surface and the contamination of the mold surface. Moreover, a light transmissive film can be manufactured having excellent performances, such as antireflection properties.

Abstract: A thermoplastic acrylic resin composition is provided in which translucency properties are suitable for use as a top-sheet member of a photovoltaic cell, warping caused by temperature change is suppressed, and its weathering resistance is excellent; 0.1 to 50 parts by mass of a glass is contained in 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic acrylic resin; an absolute value of a difference in refractive indices of the thermoplastic acrylic resin and the glass is 0.08 or lower; an average particle size of the glass is 100 to 2,000 ?m; a softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin is 80° C. or higher; and the aspect ratio of the glass is 15 or greater. Also, a molded article which is obtained by molding the thermoplastic acrylic resin composition and has a YI value of 20 or lower after weathering-resistance testing. Further, a top-sheet member of a photovoltaic cell is made of the molded article.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a graft copolymer, comprising polymerizing a vinyl monomer (B) containing a polyfunctional vinyl monomer (b1) in the presence of a polyorganosiloxane rubber (A) comprising more than 20% by mass of a toluene-insoluble matter, wherein a mass percentage of the polyfunctional vinyl monomer (b1) is 11 to 19% by mass based on 100% by mass of a total amount of the polyorganosiloxane rubber (A) and the vinyl monomer (B); a graft copolymer obtained by the method; a resin composition being prepared by blending the graft copolymer with a resin and having high impact resistance and heat resistance and sufficient flame retardancy; and a molded article obtained by molding the resin composition.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a catalyst, in which physical properties of a dried material or a calcined material in a production process of the catalyst are stable and a change in at least one of a catalyst activity and a selectivity to a target product is small and hence reproducibility of the catalyst is excellent. The present invention is a method for producing a catalyst containing molybdenum, bismuth, and iron, which contains the steps of washing a surface of at least one device equipped in an apparatus for the production of catalyst, to which a solid matter adheres, with a basic solution, and producing the catalyst with the apparatus for the production of catalyst thus washed.

Abstract: Described are: an active-energy-ray-curable composition (38) containing a phosphate ester compound of which an aqueous solution prepared by extracting with 50 mL of water per 1 g of the phosphate ester compound has a pH value of 6.5 to 7.5 at 25° C., wherein the value of (the concentration of phosphoric acid in the aqueous solution, expressed in mass ppm)×(the content of the phosphate ester compound in the active-energy-ray-curable composition, expressed in mass %) is 50 or less; and a process for producing a transparent film (40) which includes the active-energy-ray-curable composition (38) and in which a cured resin layer (44) having a fine uneven structure is formed on the surface of a base film (42).

Abstract: Provided is a porous electrode substrate having high mechanical strength, good handling properties, high thickness precision, little undulation, and adequate gas permeability and conductivity. Also provided is a method for producing a porous electrode substrate at low costs. A porous electrode substrate is produced by joining short carbon fibers (A) via mesh-like of carbon fibers (B) having an average diameter of 4 ?m or smaller. Further provided are a membrane-electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell that use this porous electrode membrane. A porous electrode substrate is obtained by subjecting a precursor sheet, in which short carbon fibers (A) and short carbon fiber precursors (b) having an average diameter of 5 ?m or smaller have been dispersed, to carbonization treatment after optional hot press forming and optional oxidization treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing m (where, m is an integer of 1 or more) number of molds for nanoimprinting in which anodic alumina having a microrelief structure composed of a plurality of pores is formed on the surface of an aluminum base material, wherein the method has one or more anodic oxidation steps for anodically oxidizing an aluminum base material in an electrolytic solution for each of m number of aluminum base materials, and a difference (X?X0) between the aluminum concentration X in the electrolytic solution and the aluminum concentration X0 in the electrolytic solution immediately prior to the first anodic oxidation step of the first aluminum base material is 1000 ppm or less in all of the anodic oxidation steps.

Abstract: Provided is a transfer film wherein: a low-refractive-index film having a refractive index (Nx) and a high-refractive-index film having a refractive index (Ny) are laminated in this order on one surface of a peeling film; the refractive indices satisfy Nx<Ny; and the high-refractive-index film contains an aminosilane. Also provided is a laminate wherein: a high-refractive-index film and a low-refractive-index film are laminated in this order on the surface of a substrate; and the high-refractive-index film contains an aminosilane. The transfer film is obtained by successively laminating and curing a composition for the low-refractive-index film and a composition for the high-refractive-index film on the peeling film. The laminate is produced by bonding the surface of the high-refractive-index film of the transfer film to the substrate, and then peeling away the peeling film.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane and a manufacturing method for the same, said polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane having: a homogenous membrane layer formed from polyolefins having a metal flow rate measured in accordance with JIS K7210 code D of 1.0 g/10 minutes, or less, and an Mw/Mn ratio of not more than 4.0; and a porous membrane layer which is formed from polyolefins having an Mw/Mn ratio of 8.0-12.0. The present invention also pertains to a hollow-fiber membrane module which is equipped with the polyolefin-composite hollow-fiber membrane.