Abstract: An optical resin prepared by curing a polymerizable composition comprising a (thio)epoxy compound having at least one intramolecular disulfide bond exhibits a considerably high refractive index while maintaining good optical properties and a high Abbe number. In addition, the above polymerizable composition to which is added primary and/or secondary amines as an yellowing inhibitor in a proportion of 0.001 to 0.5 of the total molar number of NH2 and NH groups in the amines to the total molar number of thioepoxy and epoxy groups in the (thio)epoxy compound having at least one intramolecular disulfide bond, can provide a transparent resin in which yellowing and reduction in heat resistance associated therewith are adequately prevented while maintaining a high refractive index.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer compositions. Specifically, the present invention relates to adhesive compositions comprising the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers used in bonding a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer layer and a polar-group-containing resin layer, and laminates obtained by using such compositions. The 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer compositions as these adhesive compositions comprise a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (A); and a modified polyolefin resin (B) comprising a mixture of an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified a-olefin polymer (B-1) whose &agr;-olefin is selected from a group of propylene, butene-1 and 4-methyl-1-pentene and an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified ethylene-&agr;-olefin copolymer (B-2). In these compositions, an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (A′) showing a particular modification rate and a particular melt flow rate may be used in place of (A) and (B-1).

Abstract: A sulfur-containing unsaturated carboxylate compound comprising a sulfur-containing substituent and at least two &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated carboxylic acid residues, which are each attached to a secondary or tertiary carbon atom via an oxygen atom; a polymerizable composition comprising the sulfur-containing unsaturated carboxylate compound; a cured product prepared by polymerizing the polymerizable composition; an optical component consisting of the cured product; and novel intermediate compounds for preparation of the above carboxylate.

Abstract: A rubber modifier comprises an ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer rubber (A) composed of one or more copolymers selected from the group consisting of a copolymer of ethylene and an &agr;-olefin having 3-20 carbon atoms and a copolymer of ethylene, an &agr;-olefin having 3-20 carbon atoms and a non-conjugated polyene, the copolymer rubber (A) having the parameters: an ethylene/&agr;-olefin mole ratio in the range of 51/49 to 87/13, an intrinsic viscosity [&eegr;] determined in decahydronaphthalene at 135° C. in the range of 0.8 to 2.5 dl/g and an iodine value in the range of 0 to 40.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst or polyester production capable of producing a polyester with high catalytic activity and a process For producing a polyester using the catalyst. The catalyst for polyester production comprises a solid titanium compound which is obtained by dehydro-drying a hydrolyzate obtained by hydrolysis of a titanium halide and which has a molar ratio (OH/Ti) of a hydroxyl group (OH) to titanium (Ti) exceeding 0.09 and less than 4. The present invention also provides a method to obtain a polyester having a small increase of the acetaldehyde content during the molding. This method comprises bringing a polyester, which is obtained by the use of a titanium compound catalyst and in which the reaction has been completed, into contact with a phosphoric ester aqueous solution or the like having a concentration of not less than 10 ppm in terms of phosphorus atom.

Abstract: The modified polypropylene composition of the invention comprises (A) modified polypropylene having been partially or wholly graft modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or its derivative, (B) an amorphous or low-crystalline ethylene/&agr;-olefin copolymer having a specific MFR and a specific density and (C) a styrene elastomer, in a specific ratio. The component (A) is a graft modification product of a propylene homopolymer and/or a graft modification product of a propylene/&agr;-olefin random copolymer. The laminate of the invention comprises a composition layer comprising the modified polypropylene composition and a resin layer provided on one or both surfaces of the composition layer.

Abstract: A polishing tool uses a fixed abrasive polisher which can perform polishing of an object with good surface accuracy for a long period of time. A mixture of abrasive grains, having an average particle diameter of 0.01 to 2.0 &mgr;m, and comprising at least one of cerium oxide, manganese oxide, titanium oxide, zirconia, silica, and iron oxide, and polyimide resin particles or phenolic resin particles having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 20 &mgr;m is heated at a temperature of 120 to 250° C. under a pressure of 9,800 to 49,000 kPa (100 to 500 kg/cm2) to mold the mixture into a desired shape. This can provide a polisher 4 having abrasive grains dispersed in a thermosetting resin, and having abrasive grains of 20 to 60% by volume, a binder of 30 to 50% by volume, pores of not more than 40% by volume, and a Rockwell hardness of not less than 30 in terms of the H scale. This polisher is attached to a surface plate by an epoxy adhesive to produce a polishing tool.

Abstract: The present invention provides an olefin polymerization catalyst by the use of which an olefin (co)polymer can be obtained with a high polymerization activity, and also provides a process for olefin polymerization using the catalyst. The olefin polymerization catalyst comprises a transition metal compound (A) represented by the formula (I): M: atom of Group 3 to Group 11 U: R2—C, N, P A: N, P Q: R3—C, N, P S: R4—C, N, P T: R5—C, N, P m: 2-6 R1-R5: hydrogen, hydrocarbon group, silicon-containing group or the like (When M is an atom of Group 6, R1 is not an aromatic hydrocarbon group.) n: number satisfying a valence of M X: halogen, hydrocarbon group or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst for polyester production capable of producing a polyester with high catalytic activity, a process for producing a polyester using the catalyst and a polyester produced thereby. The catalyst comprises a solid titanium compound obtained by dehydro-drying a hydrolyzate obtained by hydrolysis of a titanium halide and which has a molar ratio (OH/Ti) of a hydroxyl group (OH) to titanium (Ti) exceeding 0.09 and less than 4. In the process, the polyester is obtained by polycondensing an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, or an ester-forming derivative thereof, and an aliphatic diol, or ester-forming derivative thereof, in the presence of the catalyst. The resulting polyester has excellent transparency and tint, a titanium content of 1 to 100 ppm, a magnesium content of 1 to 200 ppm and a magnesium to titanium weight ratio of not less than 0.01.

Abstract: A process comprises a separating process to mechanically separate refuse secondary batteries and to separate them into a separated cathode material and a separated anode material, and a process to recover valent metals from the separated anode and the separated cathode material separated in the separating process is disclosed.

Abstract: An aqueous dispersion of a thermoplastic resin which is capable of forming a coating exhibiting excellent water resistance, oil resistance, chemical resistance and adhesion to non-polar materials as well as its production method and its applications are provided.

Abstract: The ring opening polymerization of p-dioxanone is started in a liquid phase under stirring at a temperature of 85 to 105° C. after adding 0.002 to 0.005 mol percent of stannous 2-ethylhexanoate forming a white crystal at a temperature of 0° C. as a catalyst and 0.01 to 0.1 mol percent of initiator. Stirring is stopped when a stirring load has increased by 10 to 100 percent over an initial load, while the temperature is lowered to a range of 65 to 85° C., to continue the polymerization in a solid phase to produce poly(p-dioxanone). The polymer is used to make a monofilament having a knot tensile strength of at least 30,000 psi and a strength retention of at least 58 percent after four weeks of immersion in a physiological saline solution at 37° C. The monofilament provides an absorbable surgical suture which is highly resistant to hydrolysis and very useful for stitching a wound or incision which requires a long time for healing.

Abstract: A polyolefin resin composition comprising (A) an ethylene-based polyolefin having a density of 0.865 to 0.980 g/cm3 and MFR of 0.01 to 50 g/10 min, (B) a phosphorous compound, and (C) at least one heat stabilizer selected from the group consisting of a phenol-based heat stabilizer and a tocopherol-based heat stabilizer. The polyolefin resin composition has excellent heat resistance, moisture resistance and discoloration resistance, and also when used as a packaging material, does not impair the taste of contents to be packaged, such as flavor or odor, and therefore does not impair the taste of the contents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst component which can provide, in combination with a transition metal compound, a catalyst for ethylenically unsaturated monomer polymerization, a catalyst comprising the catalyst component and a transition metal compound, and a process for ethylenically unsaturated monomer polymerization using the catalyst. The catalyst component comprises a compound obtained by the reaction of, in any order, (i) a compound comprising a metal of Group 13 of the periodic table; (ii) a compound capable of reacting with the compound (i) to be bonded to two or more of the Group 13 metal; (iii) a compound capable of reacting the compound (i); and optionally (iv) a hydrocarbon compound or the like.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrodeposited copper foil, comprising electrodepositing a copper foil from an electrolyte containing copper sulfate dissolved therein, in which said electrolyte contains a small amount of lead (Pb) ions, which comprises adding a salt of a metal of Group IIA of the periodic table to the electrolyte in an amount of 10 to 150 mols per mol of lead (Pb) ions contained in the electrolyte so that the lead (Pb) ions contained in the electrolyte react with the metal of Group IIA of the periodic table to thereby form an insoluble composite substance to precipitate, the insoluble composite substance followed by removing it from the electrolyte and forming an electrodeposited copper foil in the electrolyte having the lead (Pb) ions removed therefrom.

Abstract: A process for preparing phosphine oxides by reacting iminophosphoranes with phosphorus oxytrichloride by which highly purified phosphine oxides can be obtained industrially in a higher yield. Specifically, phosphine oxides are prepared in such a manner that iminophosphoranes are reacted with phosphorus oxytrichloride using an aprotic organic solvent with permittivity 2.2 or more at 20° C. as a solvent under special reaction conditions to give a liquid reaction product containing phosphine oxides and aminophosphonium chlorides which are yielded as a by-product at the same time as the phosphine oxides, and the above described chlorides are removed from the above described liquid reaction product by a solid-liquid separation process, and the solution having been subjected to the solid-liquid separation process is washed with water.

Abstract: An electrode for electrolyzing an electrolyte comprising an ammonium fluoride (NH4F)-hydrogen fluoride (HF)-containing molten salt and having a composition ratio (HF/NH4F) of 1 to 3 to prepare a nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas and an electrolyte for use in the preparation of NF3 gas, and a preparation method of the NF3 gas by the use of the electrode and the electrolyte. The electrode comprises nickel having 0.07 wt % or less of Si content and containing a transition metal other than nickel. The electrolyte also contains a transition metal other than nickel.

Abstract: The invention provides olefin polymerization catalyst exhibiting excellent polymerization activities, a process for olefin polymerization using the catalyst, a novel transition metal compound useful for the catalyst, and an &agr;-olefin/conjugated diene copolymer having specific properties. The olefin polymerization catalyst of the invention comprises (A) a transition metal compound of formula (I) or (II), and (B) an organometallic compound, an oranoaluminum oxy-compound or an ionizing ionic compound. The novel transition metal compound of the invention is a compound of formula (I) wherein M is a transition meal atom of Group 3 or 4 of the periodic table; m is an integer of 1 to 3; R1 is a hydrocarbon group, etc.; R2 to R5 are each H, a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, etc.; R6 is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, etc.; n is a number satisfying a valence of M; and X is a halogen, a hydrocarbon group, etc.

Abstract: The microcellular polyurethane elastomer of the present invention has (1) an overall density (D) of 100 kg/m3 or more but 900 kg/m3 or less, and (2) overall density (D) and compression set (CS2, unit: %) satisfying the relationship shown by the following equation (1): and CS2≦0.00008*D2−0.091*D+42   (1)  overall density (D) and cell diameter (X, unit: &mgr;m) on the skin surface satisfying the relationship shown by the following equation (2): X≦120e−0.0015D   (2).

Abstract: A DNA encoding 20K hGH is connected directly to a gene encoding Escherichia coli OppA protein secretion signal, or a modified form thereof, and a DNA encoding signal peptidase 1 to construct a recombinant plasmid, E. coli is transformed by the plasmid and cells of the resulting E. coli transformant strain are cultured for secretory production of the 20K hGH in the E. coli periplasm. This method enables efficient secretory production of 20K hGH and easy isolation and purification of 20K hGH from the periplasm fraction because the level of impure proteins in the E. coli periplasm is low.