Abstract: A medical device, at least a portion of which is composed of a polymeric material in which the polymeric material is a melt blend product of at least two different thermoplastic polymers, one of the thermoplastic polymers being a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) having a melting point of less than 250° C. The portion of the device made from the melt blend may be a catheter body segment or a balloon for a catheter. The LCP blends suitably also include a non-LCP base polymer having a melting point in the range of about 140° C. to about 265° C.

Abstract: An antireflective member with stability and a low reflectance at low cost may be provided by performing an antireflective treatment to a substrate in a molding process of the substrate. A roughened surface with a continuous pattern in a fine pyramidal shape is formed on a surface of a transparent substrate, the roughened surface is a diffraction surface with zeroth-order diffraction to visible light, and the pattern of the roughened surface is transferred from a mold at a transfer rate of not less than 70%.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparation of optical compensation films using a polymer stabilization technique so as to enable continuous roll-to-roll production. The films can be applied for reflective liquid crystal displays. They are prepared by photo-polymerizing a mixture comprising a reactive monomer (or mixture of monomers), a small amount of photoinitiator and liquid crystal. The concentration of the reactive monomer (mesogenic or non-mesogenic) in the reactive mixtures can be as low as 5% or as high as 99% by weight. The materials that can function as the optical compensation films in the present invention include, but are not limited to, mixtures of liquid crystal and reactive mesogenic monomers (rod-like, bent-shaped, and disc-like mesogenic monomers) containing polymerizable groups (monofunctionaly or multifunctional) selected from acrylate, methacrylate, vinyls, butadiene, vinyl ethers, or epoxide.

Abstract: A liquid crystal alignment treating agent containing a polyamic acid which is represented by the following formula (I) and exhibits a reduced viscosity of from 0.05 to 5.0 dl/g (in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at 30° C. at a concentration of 0.5 g/dl) or a polyimide obtained by cyclodehydration thereof: wherein R1 represents a tetravalent organic group, at least 20 mol % of which has a fused alicyclic structure composed of two to five rings, and all of the carbonyl groups are directly bonded to the alicyclic structure and that any two carbonyl groups are not bonded to adjacent carbon atoms of the alicyclic structure; R2 is a bivalent organic group, from 20 to 100 mol % of which has in the side-chain structure at least one structural unit selected from the group consisting of C5-20 long-chain alkyl, C5-20 fluoroalkyl, alicyclic structures and aromatic ring structures; and L is a positive integer.

Abstract: A multilayer compensator comprising one or more polymeric A layers and one or more polymeric B layers, wherein said A layers comprise a polymer having an out-of-plane birefringence not more negative than ?0.01, said B layers comprise an amorphous polymer having an out-of-plane birefringence more negative than ?0.01, and the overall in-plane retardation (Rin) of said multilayer compensator is greater than 20 nm and the out-of-plane retardation (Rth) of said multilayer compensator is more negative than ?20 nm.

Abstract: A packaging film having enhanced optical and mechanical properties so that a product surrounded by the film is clearly visible through the film and the film is sufficiently durable to be useful as packaging film. The packaging film including a first layer of elastomer; a second layer of polyolefin having a first surface abuttingly contacting a first surface of the elastomer; and a third layer of elastomer abuttingly contacting a second surface of the polyolefin. The second layer of polyolefin is positioned between the first and third layers of elastomer. The packaging film can also include oxygen barrier properties useful in applications requiring relatively high protection from oxygen and moisture.

Abstract: A high performance thermoplastic hose useful as a power steering hose, the high performance thermoplastic hose comprising a high performance engineering thermoplastic such as polyurethane and a chlorine-containing polyolefin such as chlorinated polyethylene, chlorinated polypropylene, chlorinated copolymers containing ethylene and propylene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, chlorosulfonated polypropylene, chlorosulfonated copolymers of ethylene and propylene or mixture thereof, is disclosed. Also disclosed are a method for manufacturing the high performance thermoplastic hose, and a thermoplastic vulcanizate capable of resisting chemical attack and withstanding temperatures up to about 300° F.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent support and an optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is formed from liquid crystal molecules and monomers having four or more double bonds. The monomers are polymerized to form a polymer in the optically anisotropic layer.

Abstract: A film having a high transmittance and matt property is disclosed which has, on a transparent support 1, a hard coat layer 2 incorporated therein particles 4 of a particle size of 1.0 to 10 ?m that is larger than the layer thickness thereof, and a low-refractive-index layer 3 having a refractive index of 1.45 or less and covering said hard coat layer, wherein a haze value is 1.0% or more, and a total transmittance of light is 93.5% or more. The film having a high transmittance can prevent occurrence of unevenness of display due to thermal expansion of a light-tuning film and occurrence of unevenness of brightness peculiar to the light-tuning film.

Abstract: A phase difference plate which comprises one sheet of polymer film containing a compound having a rod-shaped molecular structure and exhibiting a maximum absorption wavelength (?max) of less than 250 nm in an ultraviolet spectrum of its solution and which exhibits a retardation value as measured at a wavelength of 450 nm (Re450) of 60 to 135 nm and a retardation value as measured at a wave length of 590 nm (Re590) of 100 to 170 nm, where the relationship: Re590?Re450?2 nm is satisfied. The phase difference plate functions as a ?/4 plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a birefringent optical film having a high orientation for easily obtaining a desired retardation value and also a small photoelastic coefficient. The birefringent optical film includes at least two kinds of polymer materials. A total of products of Cn and Wn satisfies a numerical formula (1): ?(Cn×Wn)?20×10?8 cm2/N??(1) where Cn and Wn denote respectively a photoelastic coefficient and a volume fraction of each polymer material, and at least one of the polymer materials of the film has a photoelastic coefficient value of at least 60×10?8 cm2/N, while at least one of the remaining polymer materials has a negative value of photoelastic coefficient.

Abstract: Novel films, and processes for making them, are provided. The films are characterized by the inclusion of a layer of vinylidene chloride copolymer between at least two other layers which contain ethylene vinyl acetate, and optionally linear low density polyethylene. The films may be unoriented or oriented. Oriented films may optionally be cross-linked. The novel process of making the cross-linked films includes the step of cross-linking the film after assembly of the vinylidene chloride copolymer layer into the structure.

Abstract: The invention concerns polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) compositions for the use in pharmaceutical, veterinary, food, cosmetic or other products like films for wrapping food, aspics or jellies, preferably for predosed formulations like soft or hard capsules. Compared with hard gelatine capsules (HGC) capsule films consisting of PVA have extremely low water vapour permeability and much lower water content.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a substrate structure for oriented neurite outgrowth, wherein a basic substrate is provided, characterized in that at least one alignment layer is deposited on said substrate and a mono- or multi-layer of a liquid crystal material is deposited on said at least one alignment layer or a combined alignment layer is deposited on said substrate, thereby providing a structured surface.

Abstract: Novel films, and processes for making them, are provided. The films are characterized by the inclusion of a layer of vinylidene chloride copolymer between at least two other layers which contain ethylene vinyl acetate, and optionally linear low density polyethylene. The films may be unoriented or oriented. Oriented films may optionally be cross-linked. The novel process of making the cross-linked films includes the step of cross-linking the film after assembly of the vinylidene chloride copolymer layer into the structure.

Abstract: Balloons for use on medical devices such as catheter balloons are formed from polymer blend products which include a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a crystallizable thermoplastic polymer, especially thermoplastic polyesters such as PET, and a compatabilizer. The compatabilizer may be an ethylene-maleic anhydride copolymer, an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-methyl acrylate-maleic anhydride terpolymer, an ethylene-methyl-methacrylic acid terpolymer, an acrylic rubber, an ethylene-ethyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer or a mixture of two or more such polymers.

Abstract: A reflective film used as a reflective electrode or a reflector, comprising an Ag-based alloy containing rare earth metals. The reflective film has high reflectivity and high durability.

Abstract: The liquid crystal display device of the present invention comprises first and second substrates; a first alignment layer on the first substrate, wherein the first alignment layer includes (spacer S is oxygen, m=10˜10,000), the functional group R includes photo-sensitive constituents and/or non-photo-sensitive constituents, the photo-sensitive constituent includes a material selected from the group consisting of cinnamoyl derivatives, the non-photo-sensitive constituent includes a material selected from the group consisting of CnH2n, CnH2n+1, CnH2nOH, COCnH2n+1, COCnH2n, CnH2n+1?xFx, CnH2n?(x?1)F(x?1), CnH2n?xFxOH, COCnH2n+1?xFx (n=1˜10, x=1˜2n+1), and a combination thereof; and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel polyamic acids and polyimide optical alignment layers for inducing alignment of a liquid crystal medium. The novel compositions comprise reactive diamines containing a C3–C20 linear or branched hydrocarbon chains containing 1 to 4 carbon—carbon double bonds. The invention further describes liquid crystal displays comprising the novel polyimide optical alignment layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel polyamic acids and polyimide optical alignment layers for inducing alignment of a liquid crystal medium. The novel compositions comprise crosslinking diamines containing a C3–C22 linear or branched hydrocarbon chains containing 1 to 4 carbon—carbon double bonds. The invention further describes liquid crystal displays comprising the novel polyimide optical alignment layers.