Abstract: A method for producing a polymer solution including a methacrylate copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of not less than 100,000, a weight average molecular weight/number average molecular weight of 1.01 to 1.8 and a glass transition temperature of not more than 40° C. and including methyl methacrylate units and alkyl (meth)acrylate units containing a C10-36 alkyl group, and a first solvent having a boiling point of not less than 200° C., through steps including a step (I) of preparing the methacrylate copolymer by polymerizing monomers in a second solvent having a boiling point of below 200° C., and a step (II) of mixing the solution from the step (I) which includes the methacrylate copolymer and the second solvent, with the first solvent, and removing the second solvent to raise the content of the first solvent to not less than 10 mass % of the polymer solution.

Abstract: A methacrylic copolymer having high thermal resistance and low water absorption and being hardly decomposed thermally is provided. The methacrylic copolymer comprises 5 to 22% by mass of a structural unit derived from a monomer represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents a 1C-4C alkyl group, and “n” is an integer of 1 to 3.) and 78 to 95% by mass of a structural unit derived from a methacrylic acid ester monomer other than the monomer represented by the formula (1), and has a saturated water absorption of not more than 1.6% by mass.

Abstract: A method for producing a polymer solution including a methacrylate copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of not less than 100,000, a weight average molecular weight/number average molecular weight of 1.01 to 1.8 and a glass transition temperature of not more than 40° C. and including methyl methacrylate units and alkyl (meth)acrylate units containing a C10-36 alkyl group, and a first solvent having a boiling point of not less than 200° C., through steps including a step (I) of preparing the methacrylate copolymer by polymerizing monomers in a second solvent having a boiling point of below 200° C., and a step (II) of mixing the solution from the step (I) which includes the methacrylate copolymer and the second solvent, with the first solvent, and removing the second solvent to raise the content of the first solvent to not less than 10 mass % of the polymer solution.

Abstract: A methacrylic copolymer having high thermal resistance and low water absorption and being hardly decomposed thermally is provided. The methacrylic copolymer comprises 5 to 22% by mass of a structural unit derived from a monomer represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents a 1C-4C alkyl group, and “n” is an integer of 1 to 3.) and 78 to 95% by mass of a structural unit derived from a methacrylic acid ester monomer other than the monomer represented by the formula (1), and has a saturated water absorption of not more than 1.6% by mass.

Abstract: (Meth)acrylate polymers are provided which have a narrow molecular weight distribution on a higher molecular weight side and can impart high shear viscosity stability to lubricating oils. A (meth)acrylate polymer (A) includes specific structural units and is such that in a differential molecular weight distribution curve obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurement which shows the polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight of the (meth)acrylate polymer (A) normalized so that the intensity of the peak-top polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight M (t) is 1, the value a represented by a=Log Mh (t1/2)?Log M (t) is not more than 0.12 wherein Mh (t1/2) is the polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight at a point on a higher molecular weight side where the intensity is 0.5.

Abstract: (Meth)acrylate polymers are provided which have a narrow molecular weight distribution on a higher molecular weight side and can impart high shear viscosity stability to lubricating oils. A (meth)acrylate polymer (A) includes specific structural units and is such that in a differential molecular weight distribution curve obtained by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurement which shows the polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight of the (meth)acrylate polymer (A) normalized so that the intensity of the peak-top polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight M (t) is 1, the value a represented by a=Log Mh (t1/2)?Log M (t) is not more than 0.12 wherein Mh (t1/2) is the polystyrene-equivalent molecular weight at a point on a higher molecular weight side where the intensity is 0.5.

Abstract: A process by which an ?-oxocarbonyl compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals/agricultural chemicals can be industrially advantageously and efficiently produced in a high yield. The process, which is for producing an ?-oxocarbonyl compound represented by the general formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 are as defined in the description, comprises oxidizing an ?-hydroxycarbonyl compound represented by the general formula (II) with oxygen or air in the presence of a carboxylic acid and at least one vanadium compound selected from divanadium pentaoxide, divanadium trioxide, divanadium tetraoxide, ammonium metavanadate, sodium metavanadate, potassium metavanadate, triethoxyoxovanadium, tripropoxyoxovanadium, triisopropoxyoxovanadium, vanadium oxobis(acetylacetonate) and vanadium tris(acetylacetonate).

Abstract: A process by which an ?-oxocarbonyl compound useful as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals/agricultural chemicals can be industrially advantageously and efficiently produced in a high yield. The process, which is for producing an ?-oxocarbonyl compound represented by the general formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 are as defined in the description, comprises oxidizing an ?-hydroxycarbonyl compound represented by the general formula (II) with oxygen or air in the presence of a carboxylic acid and at least one vanadium compound selected from divanadium pentaoxide, divanadium trioxide, divanadium tetraoxide, ammonium metavanadate, sodium metavanadate, potassium metavanadate, triethoxyoxovanadium, tripropoxyoxovanadium, triisopropoxyoxovanadium, vanadium oxobis(acetylacetonate) and vanadium tris(acetylacetonate).

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 2-oxocarboxylic acid esters represented by the following general formula (I), comprising by oxidizing a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester represented by the following general formula (II) in the presence of a nitroxyl radical represented by the following general formula (III), a hypochlorite, a metal bromide and water with the pH of the reaction system being kept within the range of 5 to 7: (I) (II) (III) wherein R1 and R2 are each independently an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group, which each may be substituted with substituents; and R3 is a hydrogen atom, an alkoxyl group, an aralkyloxy group, an acyloxy group or a hydroxyl group.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of 2-oxocarboxylic acid esters represented by the following general formula (I), comprising by oxidizing a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid ester represented by the following general formula (II) in the presence of a nitroxyl radical represented by the following general formula (III), a hypochlorite, a metal bromide and water with the pH of the reaction system being kept within the range of 5 to 7: 1