Abstract: Processes for producing a purified conjugated diene comprise feeding a petroleum fraction containing the conjugated diene to an extractive distillation column, feeding an extraction solvent to the extractive distillation column, and extractive-distilling the conjugated diene from the petroleum fraction containing the conjugated diene in the extractive distillation column. The extraction solvent comprises an amide compound, and a heterocyclic aldehyde, aromatic nitro compound or aromatic aldehyde is contained in the extraction solvent within a range of 0.01 to 10 wt. % based on the weight of the extractive solvent. An oxygen concentration in a gas phase of a distillate discharged from the top of the extraction distillation column is controlled to 10 ppm or lower.

Abstract: Compounds each having a —CH2—CHF— group and a number of carbon atoms of 4 or above are prepared by hydrogenating a compound having a —CCl═CF— group and a number of carbon atoms of 4 or above in the presence of a noble metal catalyst in a liquid or gas phase. The compound having a —CCl═CF— group and a number of carbon atoms of 4 or above is preferably a C4-C10 alicyclic one, and can be prepared by reacting a compound having a —CCl═CCl— group and a number of carbon atoms of 4 or above with a fluorinating agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a first perhalogenated cyclopentene represented by the general formula: C5ClBF8−B where B is an integer of from 0 to 7. The method includes a step of (a) fluorinating a second perhalogenated cyclopentene by hydrogen fluoride in a gas phase in the presence of a fluorination catalyst. The second perhalogenated cyclopentene is represented by general formula: C5ClAF8−A where A is an integer of from 1 to 8, and A is not smaller than B. With this method, the first perhalogenated cyclopentene (e.g., 1,2-dichloro-3,3,4,4,5,5-hexafluorocyclopentene, another chlorofluorinated cyclopentene, or octafluorocyclopentene) can continuously easily be produced, for example, from octachlorocyclopentene obtained by chlorination of hexachlorocyclopentadiene that is easily available. Therefore, the above method is very useful as an industrial scale production method.

Abstract: A rubber composition comprising (A) a rubber ingredient comprised of (a) a nitrile group-containing highly saturated copolymer rubber having an iodine value of not larger than 120, preferably a hydrogenated product of an unsaturated nitrile-conjugated diene copolymer rubber, and (b) an acrylic ester polymer rubber, preferably a copolymer rubber comprising at least 80 mol % of alkyl acrylate or alkoxyalkyl acrylate units, at an (a)/(b) ratio of 40/60 to 90/10 by weight, and (B) an ethylene-&agr;-olefin copolymer, the (A)/(B) ratio being in the range of 30/70 to 70/30 by weight. This rubber composition is useful as a covering material for forming a protective covering layer on electric wires.

Abstract: A substrate to be etched is subjected to dry etching by using a dry etching gas containing a perfluorocycloolefin while a plasma with a high density region of at least 1010/cm3 is generated. As the perfluorocycloolefin, those having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, especially 4 to 6 carbon atoms are preferably used.

Abstract: A dip-formed rubber article is produced by dip-forming a vulcanizable rubber latex composition comprising an unsaturated nitrile-conjugated diene copolymer rubber latex, a sulfur-containing vulcanizer, and at least one vulcanization accelerator selected from (i) dithiocarbamic acid compounds of the formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 independently represent and hydrocarbon group having at least 6 carbon atoms, and (ii) zinc dithiocarbamate compounds of the formula (2): wherein R1 and R2 are as defined above.

Abstract: A toner for development of electrostatic images, obtained by subjecting a polymerizable monomer composition containing at least a colorant, a polymerizable monomer and a charge control agent to suspension polymerization in an aqueous medium containing a dispersing agent, wherein (a) the dispersing agent is a cationic inorganic dispersing agent; and (b) the charge control agent is a quaternary ammonium salt group-containing copolymer comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon unit, a (meth)acrylate unit and a quaternary ammonium salt group-containing (meth)acrylate unit, having a weight average molecular weight of 25,000 to 40,000 in terms of polystyrene as measured by gel permeation chromatography using tetrahydrofuran and containing the quaternary ammonium salt group-containing (meth)acrylate unit in a proportion of 1 to 15 wt. %, and a production process thereof.

Abstract: A molded or formed product obtained by molding or forming a resin composition comprising (A) at least one vinyl cyclic hydrocarbon polymer selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated products of aromatic vinyl polymers, vinylcyclohexene polymers or hydrogenated products thereof, and vinylcyclohexane polymers, and (B) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of compounding additives incompatible with the polymer, organic compounds having at least one alcoholic hydroxyl group and at least one ether linkage, and organic compounds having at least one alcoholic hydroxyl group and at least one ester linkage, wherein the initial light transmittance (a) of the molded or formed product at an optional wavelength within a range of 400 to 800 nm and the light transmittance (b) of the molded or formed product after the molded or formed product is held for 1,000 hours in an atmosphere of 65° C.

Abstract: A block copolymer (1) containing a polymer block A of a conjugated diene and a random copolymer block B of a conjugated diene and aromatic vinyl compound, (2) having a weight ratio (A:B) of the polymer block A and the copolymer block B of 5:95 to 95:5, (3) having a bound aromatic vinyl compound content in the copolymer block B of 1 to 50% by weight, (4) having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 100,000 to 5,000,000, and (5) having at least two transition points measured by differential scanning calorimetry in the range of −150° C. to +150° C., a method of production of the same, and a rubber composition and pneumatic tire containing the same.

Abstract: A curable resin composition comprising a modified cycloolefin addition polymer (A) obtained by introducing a functional group into a cycloolefin addition polymer containing a repeating unit (a) derived from a cycloolefin monomer having an organic group having at least 4 carbon atoms at its side chain at a rate of introduction of the functional group of 0.1 to 50 mol % based on the whole repeating unit of the cycloolefin addition polymer, and a hardening agent (B), and a modified cycloolefin addition polymer (A) obtained by introducing a functional group into a cycloolefin addition polymer containing a repeating unit (a) derived from a cycloolefin monomer having an organic group having at least 4 carbon atoms at its side chain at a rate of introduction of the functional group of 0.1 to 50 mol % based on the whole repeating unit of the cycloolefin addition polymer, and having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,000 to 1,000,000.

Abstract: A toner for development of electrostatic images, comprising at least a binder resin, a colorant and a charge control agent, wherein the charge control agent is a polar resin composed of a copolymer of a vinyl monomer and SO3X (X=H or alkali metal) group-containing (meth)acrylamide and having an SO3X group-containing (meth)acrylamide unit content of 0.1 to 10 wt. % and a weight average molecular weight of 17,000 to 25,000, and a production process of the toner.

Abstract: Penta-coordinated ruthenium catalysts for the metathesis reactions of olefins, in particular ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclo-olefin monomers, which are cationic complexes represented by formula I, II or III: wherein each of X1 and X2, which may be the same or different, is an optionally substituted C3-C20 hydrocarbon group having an allyl moiety as an end group bonded to the ruthenium atom, or X1 and X2 together form a group, optionally substituted, which results from dimerization of an alkene and has at each end an allyl group bonded to the ruthenium atom; L1 and L2 are mono-dentate neutral electron donor ligands, preferably highly sterically encumbered neutral electron donor ligands such as alkyl phosphines or amines; L{circumflex over ( )}L is a bidentate neutral electron donor ligand, preferably phosphine, amino, imino, arsine or arphos; L3 is a solvent molecule or a neutral mono-dentate electron donor ligand; L{circumflex over ( )}L{circumflex over ( )}L is a trid

Abstract: A gaseous composition for dry etching, comprising a perfluorocycloolefin and 1 to 40% by mole, based on the perfluorocycloolefin, of at least one oxygen ingredient selected from oxygen gas and oxygen-containing gaseous compounds. As the perfluorocycloolefin, those having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, especially 4 to 6 carbon atoms, are preferably used.

Abstract: A nucleotide sequence encoding the gp82 polypeptide of Marek's disease virus is disclosed. Also disclosed are recombinant viruses which are useful as vaccines for protecting against Marek's Disease, preferably containing two or more genes encoding Marek's Disease Virus antigens such as glycoprotein B and glycoprotein gp82, under the control of a poxvirus promoter within a region of the DNA of fowlpox virus which is not essential for virus growth. Also provided is a vaccine exhibiting a synergistic immunoprotective effect, comprising a recombinant fowlpox virus expressing Marek's Disease Virus gB protein in combination with turkey herpesvirus. A method of immunizing poultry, comprising administering any of the disclosed vaccines, is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a DNA molecule that encodes a polypeptide that has the amino acid sequence described in SEQ ID No. 2 or an amino acid sequence that is at least 80% homologous with said amino acid sequence, a recombinant containing said DNA molecule, and a vaccine having for its active ingredient said recombinant.

Abstract: Providing a fluorinated hydrocarbon with excellent cleaning action, incombustibility and high stability in alkali or water and heat; and a polymer-containing solution prepared by dissolving or dispersing a polymer with film-forming potency, preferably a fluoropolymer, in a solvent containing trihydrofluorocarbon. More specifically, a fluorinated hydrocarbon containing trihydrofluorocarbon with 4 to 6 carbon atoms at 95% or more, as represented by the following formula, is provided, together with a polymer-containing solution containing the same: Rf1—R1—Rf2   (I) wherein R1 represents a carbon chain of CHF and CH2, bound to each other; Rf1 and Rf2 independently represent a perfluoroalkyl group; and Rf1 and Rf2 may be bound to each other, to form a ring.

Abstract: A polyimide resin composition comprising a polyimide resin (A) and at least one 1H-tetrazole (B) selected from the group consisting of 1H-tetrazole, 5,5′-bis-1H-tetrazole, and derivatives thereof, and having an excellent rust preventing effect on copper and copper alloys.

Abstract: The invention provides a resist composition which comprises a polymer (a) having structural units with an acid-labile group, and a radiation-sensitive compound (b) which forms an acid upon exposure to activated radiation, wherein the polymer (a) is a polymer obtained by polymerizing 10 to 100 wt. % of a (meth)acrylic ester (i) having, as an alcohol residue, an allyl group with at least two substituent groups and 0 to 90 wt. % of a monomer (ii) copolymerizable with the (meth)acrylic ester, and has excellent sensitivity, resolution and heat resistance, and a pattern forming process making use of the resist composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a norbornene polymer containing repeating units formed from a norbornene monomer in its main chain and having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) ranging from 10,000 to 1,000,000 and a ratio (Mw/Mn) of the weight average molecular weight (Mw) to the number average molecular weight (Mn) ranging from 1.60 to 1.95, and a production process thereof.

Abstract: An aromatic vinyl compound-isoprene block copolymer composition comprising (i) 5-50 wt. % a branched copolymer of the formula: (A-B)nX wherein A is a polymer block of an aromatic vinyl monomer, B is a polymer block of isoprene, and X is a residue of a polyfunctional coupling agent, and (ii) 50-95 wt. % of a diblock copolymer of the formula: A-B wherein A and B are as defined above. This copolymer composition is produced by allowing an aromatic vinyl monomer to contact with an organic lithium initiator to prepare a polymer block A; incorporating isoprene thereto to prepare a diblock copolymer A-B; and then, adding a polyfunctional coupling agent to convert a part of the diblock copolymer A-B to the branched copolymer (A-B)nX. This block copolymer composition is useful for an adhesive or pressure sensitive adhesive composition.