Abstract: A multi-layer film which is excellent in transferability to a metal shape during thermoforming and hardly produces uneven thickness, wrinkles, whitening or cracks on the surface of the obtained molded article. The multi-layer film has a layer (layer A) containing a polycarbonate resin and a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer and a layer (layer B) containing an acrylic resin, wherein the layer B is formed on at least one side of the layer A.

Abstract: A retardation film which has few foreign matter defects and small retardation nonuniformity and meets the required quality of a retardation film is provided with high productivity at a low cost by melt extruding a polycarbonate. The retardation film obtained by stretching and orienting a melt extruded film of a polycarbonate is characterized in that: (1) the polycarbonate constituting the film has a viscosity average molecular weight of 1.3×104 to 1.8×104; (2) the retardation R(589) within the plane of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm is 50 to 800 nm; (3) the retardation R(589) nonuniformity within the plane of the film is ±5 nm; (4) the average thickness of the film is 10 to 150 ?m; and (5) the number of film defects as large as 100 ?m or more is 2 or less/m2.

Abstract: A multi-layer film which is excellent in transferability to a metal shape during thermoforming and hardly produces uneven thickness, wrinkles, whitening or cracks on the surface of the obtained molded article. The multi-layer film has a layer (layer A) containing a polycarbonate resin and a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer and a layer (layer B) containing an acrylic resin, wherein the layer B is formed on at least one side of the layer A.

Abstract: A polycarbonate resin film which has an average thickness of 10 to 150 ?m, a thickness nonuniformity of 2% or less, a retardation R(589) in the plane of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm of 12 nm or less, a retardation Rth(589) in the thickness direction of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm of 35 nm or less and is used for optical purposes.

Abstract: A retardation film which has few foreign matter defects and small retardation nonuniformity and meets the required quality of a retardation film is provided with high productivity at a low cost by melt extruding a polycarbonate. The retardation film obtained by stretching and orienting a melt extruded film of a polycarbonate is characterized in that: (1) the polycarbonate constituting the film has a viscosity average molecular weight of 1.3×104 to 1.8×104; (2) the retardation R(589) within the plane of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm is 50 to 800 nm; (3) the retardation R (589) nonuniformity within the plane of the film is ±5 nm; (4) the average thickness of the film is 10 to 150 ?m; and (5) the number of film defects as large as 100 ?m or more is 2 or less/m2.

Abstract: A melt-extrusion film formed by melt-extruding a resin composition containing (A) a specific amorphous polyolefin typified by an ethylene/norbornene copolymer and (B) a specific phosphite ester or aliphatic ester, wherein the number of gels having a size of 20 ?m or larger and existing in the film is 100 pieces/g or less.

Abstract: A polycarbonate resin film which has an average thickness of 10 to 150 ?m, a thickness nonuniformity of 2% or less, a retardation R(589) in the plane of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm of 12 nm or less, a retardation Rth(589) in the thickness direction of the film measured at a wavelength of 589 nm of 35 nm or less and is used for optical purposes.

Abstract: There is provided a retardation film that has high moisture resistance and good dimensional stability and can be incorporated into, for example, a liquid crystal display, to be effectively used for improvements in the visual quality of liquid crystals such as an improvement in view angle, an improvement in contrast and color compensation. The retardation film comprises an amorphous polyolefin copolymer. The amorphous polyolefin copolymer (a) comprises an ethylene unit and a norbornene unit, (b) the norbornene unit comprises two-chain parts, the tacticities of the two-chain parts are meso and racemo, and the meso two-chain parts/racemo two-chain parts ratio is 4 or more, and (c) the copolymer has a glass transition temperature of 100 to 180° C.

Abstract: A carbon fiber nonwoven fabric comprising an aggregate of carbon microfibers having a fiber diameter of 0.001 to 2 ?m and a production method thereof are provided. The nonwoven fabric is useful as a substrate, precursor and material for a fuel cell electrode. The nonwoven fabric can be mixed with a resin to be used as a composite material and can carry metal to be used in a filter.

Abstract: A wholly aromatic polyamide fiber which has excellent mechanical properties (toughness factor) and can be produced while attaining a satisfactory operation stability in the fiber formation step. The fiber comprises 100 parts by mass of a wholly aromatic polyamide and 0.05 to 20 parts by mass of particles of a lamellar clay mineral, e.g., hectorite, saponite, stevensite, beidellite, montmorillonite, or swelling mica.

Abstract: A composite fiber, which includes: 100 parts by weight of a wholly aromatic polyamide mainly including structural units of the following formulae (A) and (B): —NH—Ar1—NH—??(A) —OC—Ar2—CO—??(B) where in the formulae (A) and (B), Ar1 and Ar2 each independently represent a bivalent aromatic group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms; and 0.01 to 100 parts by weight of carbon nanotubes with an average diameter of 300 nm or less, and an average aspect ratio of 5.0 or more, characterized in that the carbon nanotubes are oriented in the fiber axis direction. It is excellent in mechanical characteristics.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a carbon fiber having a fiber diameter of 0.001 to 5 ?m and a narrow fiber size distribution, and a resin composition suitable for the manufacture of a carbon fiber. A resin composition comprising 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, 1 to 150 parts by weight of a carbon precursor organic compound (A) and 0.001 to 40 parts by weight of acopolymer of polymer segments (e1) and (e2) which satisfy a specific range of surface tension for the thermoplastic resin and a specific range of surface tension for the carbon precursor organic compound (A) at the same time.

Abstract: To provide a resin composition which is suitable for use as a material for optical parts and disk substrates and molded products thereof. The resin composition comprises: (1) 10 to 90 wt % of a first hydrogenated, polymerized styrene which contains a hydrogenated, polymerized styrene unit in an amount of more than 95 wt % and 99.99 wt % or less and has a weight average molecular weight of 30,000 to 300,000; and (2) 10 to 90 wt % of a second hydrogenated, polymerized styrene which contains a hydrogenated, polymerized styrene unit in an amount of 60 to 95 wt % and has a weight average molecular weight of 30,000 to 200,000, “wt %” being based on 100 wt % of the total of the first hydrogenated, polymerized styrene and the second hydrogenated, polymerized styrene.

Abstract: An optical recording medium for recording and reproducing information utilizing the change of a physical property of a recording layer caused by the irradiation with light, which comprises a substrate, characterized in that the substrate comprises a hydrogenated styrene polymer having a content of nucleus-hydrogenated styrene units of 80 wt % or more, has a glass transition temperature of 110° C. or higher, has a light transmittance of 88% or more at 400 nm, and exhibits an absolute value of retardation of 30 nm or less at 0° and 30° from the normal direction of the plane thereof. The optical recording medium suitable for use in the high density optical recording capable of responding to a greater number of openings and the use of a light having a shorter wave length in an optical head.

Abstract: An optical disk substrate having excellent replication and releasability at the time of molding, little warpage and high strength. The optical disk substrate is made from a hydrogenated styrene polymer having a nuclearly hydrogenated styrene polymer unit content of 80 wt % or more and a reduced viscosity (in toluene, 0.5 dl/g, 30° C.) of 0.3 to 0.6 dl/g and has a shrinkage factor of 4.5% or less in a radial direction at the glass transition temperature of the above hydrogenated styrene polymer. The hydrogenated styrene polymer comprises 80 wt % or more of a nuclearly hydrogenated styrene polymer unit suitable for the production of this optical disk substrate and has a glass transition temperature of 130° C. or more and a relaxation spectrum at 20° C.

Abstract: A cyclic olefin polymer having a small content of a catalyst residue, a production process for the same and use of the same as an optical material. Catalysts used for polymerization and/or hydrogenation reaction for forming the cyclic olefin polymer are decomposed efficiently by adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an &agr;-oxyacid and &bgr;-oxyacid having one hydroxyl group and one carboxyl group in the molecule and derivatives obtained by substituting hydroxyl group thereof by an alkoxyl group, and the decomposition products are removed by rendering them insoluble in a reaction solvent used for the polymerization and/or hydrogenation reaction and precipitating them efficiently.

Abstract: Process for producing a hydrogenated &agr;-olefin-dicyclopentadiene copolymer. The process includes a step of distilling of unreacted dicyclopentadiene or tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene which is a hydrogenated product of unreacted dicyclopentadiene from a mixture containing &agr;-olefin-dicyclopentadiene copolymer or its hydrogenated product in the presence of a high-boiling hydrocarbon solvent having a boiling point of 195 to 300° C. and an ignition point of 260° C. or more. Method for melt molding the hydrogenated &agr;-olefin-dicyclopentadiene copolymer is also proposed.

Abstract: &agr;-olefin-cycloolefin copolymers which (1) consist essentially of 0-31% by mole of an &agr;-olefin component represented by the following formula (A) wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group of 1-16 carbon atoms, and 61-100% by mole of a cycloolefin component represented by the following formula (B) wherein R2 is a hydrogen atom or a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group of 1-16 carbon atoms, and (2) have a reduced viscosity &eegr;sp/c which is in the range of 0.1-10 dl/g as measured in a 0.5 g/dl toluene solution at 30° C., hydrogenated copolymers thereof and a process for their production.

Abstract: An optically isotropic film of an aromatic polyethersulfone, which is useful as a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, and an optically anisotropic, uniaxially oriented film of an aromatic polyethersulfone, which is useful as a phase difference plate for a liquid crystal display device. The optically isotropic film is produced by casting an aromatic polyethersulfone solution composition comprising 15 to 40 parts by weight of a solvent which contains at least 60% by weight of 1,3-dioxolane and can dissolve an aromatic polyethersulfone and 10 parts by weight of the aromatic polyethersulfone, on a substrate, and heating the cast solution composition containing a solvent to evaporate the solvent off.

Abstract: An optically isotropic film of an aromatic polyethersulfone, which is useful as a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, and an optically anisotropic, uniaxially oriented film of an aromatic polyethersulfone, which is useful as a phase difference plate for a liquid crystal display device. The optically isotropic film is produced by casting an aromatic polyethersulfone solution composition comprising 15 to 40 parts by weight of a solvent which contains at least 60% by weight of 1,3-dioxolane and can dissolve an aromatic polyethersulfone and 10 parts by weight of the aromatic polyethersulfone, on a substrate, and heating the cast solution composition containing a solvent to evaporate the solvent off.