Abstract: A composition containing a polymer compound and medium being a solvent or a binder resin, wherein the polymer compound comprises monomer units represented by the general formula (1): wherein A is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms, which may be substituted; m is an integer of 0 to 30, and; B is a single bond or alkylene, which may be substituted; D is an aromatic ring structure; n is an integer of 1 to 10, and R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, which may be substituted, an aromatic ring structure, or a mono- or poly-valent metal cation.

Abstract: An ink composition in which particles of a functional substance comprising a dye or a pigment included in polymer micelles comprising a block polymer are dispersed in a solvent, wherein the particles have an average particle size of not more than 200 nm and a particle size distribution (index of dispersion degree ?/G2) of not more than 0.1, a method of forming an image and an image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The main component of the polymer micelle is an amphiphilic block polymer.

Abstract: A polymer compound is provided which is suitable to improve the dispersibility of coloring materials or solids in an ink or toner composition and which has a repeating unit represented by the general formula (2): (2) wherein X? represents a polyalkenyl group; each A represents independently a linear or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms which may be substituted; m represents an integer of 0 to 30; B represents a single bond or an alkylene group which may be substituted; each D represents independently an aromatic ring in which at least one hydrogen atom attached to the ring is displaced by a fluorine atom; n represents an integer of 1 to 10; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aromatic ring which may be substituted.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula (1): (1) wherein A represents an alkenyl ether group which may be substituted; B represents a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms which may be substituted; m represents an integer from 0 to 30; when m is larger than 1, B may be different from each other; D represents a single bond or a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted; E represents any one of an aromatic ring which may be substituted, a condensed ring which may be substituted, and a structure formed by bonding through single bonds at most three aromatic rings which may be substituted; R represents a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms which may be substituted, or an aromatic ring which may be substituted; n represents a positive number larger than 1; a COOR group in the formula is substituted into the aromatic ring of E; and a hydrogen atom in the aromatic ring, which is not substituted

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stimuli-responsive composition that comprises a polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. One embodiment of the present invention is a composition comprising a block polymer, a solvent and a substance having a predetermined function. The present invention also relates to an ink composition containing the composition, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus using the composition, and a recording medium applying the composition. Further, the present invention relates to an ABC type block polymer compound wherein the polymer is an ABC type triblock polymer, and wherein at least one of the blocks in the triblock polymer changes in nature from solvophilic to solvophobic or from solvophobic to solvophilic in response to stimuli, and more preferably, the A component, then the B component, and finally the C component respond to the stimuli.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for observing a substance having a stable morphology in a liquid medium such as water.

Abstract: A polymer composition including a functional material, the composition containing at least a block polymer encapsulating a material of a predetermined function and a solvent, wherein a property of the polymer in the composition is changed in response to a stimulus, whereby the block polymer encapsulating the material agglomerates together, or an ink composition usable as an inkjet ink containing at least a block polymer encapsulating a coloring material and a solvent, wherein a property of the polymer in the composition is changed in response to a stimulus, whereby the block polymer encapsulating the coloring material agglomerates together. The change of the property of the block polymer in response to a stimulus is a change from the lyophilic nature to the lyophobic nature, or the lyophilic nature to the lyophobic nature.

Abstract: A polymer having a specific repeating structural unit having in the side chain at least one selected from a sulfonic acid, a sulfonic acid ester and a sulfonic acid salt and a specific repeating structural unit having in the side chain at least one selected from a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic acid ester and a carboxylic acid salt.

Abstract: A decolorable ink usable in various printing processes and an image forming method utilizing such decolorable ink. The decolorable ink comprises a block polymer having a stimulus responsiveness, a colorant which decolors in response to a change in a property of the block polymer when a stimulus is applied to the block polymer, and a solvent. Also the image forming method conducts recording by applying ink onto a recording medium, utilizing the decolorable ink as the ink.

Abstract: A dispersible composition that comprises a polymer compound, a functional substance such as a colorant, and a solvent or a dispersion medium, where the polymer compound is comprised of a monomer unit represented by the general formula (1) wherein A is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms with or without substitution; m is an integer of 0 to 30, and when m is 2 or more, A is the same or different each other; B is a single bond or an alkylene with or without substitution; D is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring structure; n is an integer of 1 to 10, and when n is 2 or more, D is the same or different with each other. The composition is usable as an ink composition or toner composition.

Abstract: Polymeric compounds suitable for ink and toner compositions, and image forming methods and apparatus using an ink or toner composition containing such a polymer compound, and particularly to a polymer compound having a repeating unit structure represented by the general formula wherein B is a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms and may be substituted, m is an integer of 1 to 30, q is an integer of 2 to 30, and R1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aromatic ring structure which may be substituted, with the proviso that when m is a plural number, the B groups may be different from each other, ink and toner compositions containing the polymer compound, a solvent or dispersion medium and a coloring material, and image forming methods and image forming apparatus using such a composition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink including a coloring material, a resin and a solvent, wherein the resin is a block copolymer of a polyvinyl ether structure having a hydrophilic segment and a hydrophobic segment, and the hydrophilic segment of the block copolymer has a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 50,000 and an HLB value of 4 to 18.

Abstract: A composition comprises a non-aqueous solvent containing reverse micelle particles formed of block polymers having amphipathic properties. A particle composition and a composition wherein particles are dispersed, which exhibits excellent dispersion properties and can form superbly uniform particles, is provided. Further, display elements, a recording method, and recording apparatus, which employ the composition having excellent dispersion properties and forming superbly uniform particles, are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink composition containing a pigment dispersed uniformly in a solvent and a block polymer having an ionic functional group, an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus employing the ink composition. The composition comprises a pigment, a solvent and a polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal. The polymer having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or a base residue at the terminal is a block polymer of ABX type having A, B, and X segments, wherein A and B are respectively a block segment having a vinyl ether structure as the repeating unit, and X is a terminal segment having an ionic functional group, an acid residue, or an base residue.

Abstract: A composition comprises a solvent, and an electroconductive substance and an amphiphilic block copolymers having a polyalkenyl ether repeating-unit structure, or a block copolymer enclosing an electroconductive substance. A black ink composition comprises a fine particulate metal having an average particle diameter of not more than 20 nm, an amphiphilic block copolymer, and a solvent. A method for forming an electroconductive pattern by applying the composition. A method for forming an electroconductive pattern by applying a composition comprises a block copolymer enclosing an electroconductive substance, system to form an electroconductive pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing a three-dimensionally structured material, which comprises the steps of preparing a liquid composition comprising a block polymer and a liquid medium, and imparting a stimulus to the liquid composition to modify the block polymer, thereby forming the three-dimensionally structured material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ink comprising a coloring agent composed of composite particles of a coloring material and inorganic fine particles, a polymeric dispersing agent and a solvent, wherein the polymeric dispersing agent is composed of a block copolymer of a polyvinyl ether structure having a hydrophilic segment and a hydrophobic segment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a functional-substance-including structured material having good dispersion stability, and an ink composition, which inhibits aggregation by interaction between particles, and has stable dispersibility in a solvent and good coloring ability and fixing ability. The functional-substance-including structured material comprises a plurality of functional substances different from each other physically included in a block polymer or graft polymer. The ink composition comprises the functional-substance-including structured material, and a solvent or dispersing medium.

Abstract: A composition containing a polymer compound and medium being a solvent or a binder resin, wherein the polymer compound comprises monomer units represented by the general formula (1): wherein A is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms, which may be substituted; m is an integer of 0 to 30, and; B is a single bond or alkylene, which may be substituted; D is an aromatic ring structure; n is an integer of 1 to 10, and R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, which may be substituted, an aromatic ring structure, or a mono- or poly-valent metal cation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a block polymer that comprises a plurality of block segments, wherein at least one block segment comprises a repeating unit having an ester moiety bonded to a main chain in a forward direction through a connecting group of two or more atoms, and the block polymer has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.3 or less. Also provided is a polymer composition containing the above block polymer and a functional material.