Abstract: The following are provided: a water-absorbent resin in which, in the formation of an absorbent material forming an absorbent article, dispersion is satisfactory even in a moisture absorption state, which prevents the occurrence of troubles at the time of manufacturing of the absorbent article and which allows efficient manufacturing; and an absorbent article using an absorbent material containing the water-absorbent resin. The water-absorbent resin according to the present invention is obtained by polymerizing a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer and performing post-crosslinking thereon with a post-crosslinking agent, and the water-absorbent resin satisfies the requirements below: (A) yellow index is 5.0 or less; and (B) gel strength is 1800 Pa or less.

Abstract: A shaped article including a modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (C), wherein the modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (C) is a product obtained by modifying an unmodified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (A) with an epoxy compound (B) having a double bond and has a degree of modification with the epoxy compound (B) of 0.1 to 10 mol % based on the monomer units of the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (A), and at least a part of the modified ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (C) is crosslinked, and the gel fraction of the shaped article is 3% by weight or more. Thereby, a shaped article which contains almost no harmful crosslinking agent and which is excellent in hot water resistance, heat resistance and a gas barrier property is provided.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for producing water-absorbing polymer, which comprises a base polymer A being mixed with a first aqueous solution B of at least one surface postcrosslinker and a second aqueous solution C of at least one polyvalent cation and thermally treated, wherein said base polymer A is based on at least 50% neutralized acid-functional monomer and said solutions B and C are metered wholly or partly concurrently through separate nozzles whereby a water-absorbing polymer having a high saline flow conductivity value is obtained.

Abstract: An adhesive blend is described that can include a semi-crystalline copolymer of propylene and at least one comonomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and at least one C4 to C20 &agr;-olefin, the copolymer having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 15,000 to about 200,000; an melt index (MI) from about 7 dg/min to about 3000 dg/min as measured by ASTM D 1238(B), and a (Mw/Mn) of approximately 2. Various production processes are also described. Also described are adhesive compositions and methods for making adhesive compositions having polymers or polymer blends with melt flow rates (MFRs) equal to and above 250° dg/min. at 230° C. Certain specific embodiments of the invention involve the use of a free radical initiator, e.g., a peroxide.