Abstract: A sealing material composition which comprises sheet-like members containing expanded graphite, and which hardly causes the sheet-like members to be broken is provided. A sealing material composition 1 comprises: a stacked body 5; and a long surrounding body 6 which surrounds the stacked body. The stacked body has a plurality of sheet-like members 10 each of which is formed into a tape-like shape by expanded graphite. In the stacked body, the plurality of sheet-like members are stacked in a direction which intersects with the longitudinal direction of the surrounding body, and, in the plurality of sheet-like members, sheet-like members which are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are disposed to be displaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the surrounding body, in a relatively movable manner.

Abstract: A method for producing a retardation film comprising the steps of: co-extruding or simultaneously casting a thermoplastic resin A and a thermoplastic resin B to obtain a laminated film comprising a layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a layer of the thermoplastic resin B; and uniaxially stretching the laminated film at least twice to cross a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin B each other at almost right angles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat conductive sheet having sufficiently high levels of heat conductivity, flexibility and strength at the same time. An example of the heat conductive sheet includes a resin, a particulate carbon material, and a fibrous carbon material. An exemplary method of manufacturing the heat conductive sheet includes: shaping a composition containing a resin, a particulate carbon material and a fibrous carbon material into a sheet by pressure application to provide a pre-heat conductive sheet; obtaining a laminate either by laminating the pre-heat conductive sheets on top of each other or by folding or rolling the pre-heat conductive sheet; and slicing the laminate at an angle of 45° or less relative to a lamination direction to provide a heat conductive sheet.

Abstract: A sealing material composition which comprises sheet-like members containing expanded graphite, and which hardly causes the sheet-like members to be broken is provided. A sealing material composition 1 comprises: a stacked body 5; and a long surrounding body 6 which surrounds the stacked body. The stacked body has a plurality of sheet-like members 10 each of which is formed into a tape-like shape by expanded graphite. In the stacked body, the plurality of sheet-like members are stacked in a direction which intersects with the longitudinal direction of the surrounding body, and, in the plurality of sheet-like members, sheet-like members which are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are disposed to be displaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the surrounding body, in a relatively movable manner.

Abstract: A protective film for polarizing plate made by laminating k layers (k being an integer of 2 to 7) of thermoplastic resin, in which a refractive index ni(?) at a wavelength X in the range of 380 to 780 nm of the i th thermoplastic resin layer as well as a refractive index ni+1(?) at a wavelength ?in the range of 380 to 780 nm of the i+1 th thermoplastic resin layer have a relationship of In |ni(?)?ni+1(?)|?0.045 (i being an integer of 1 to k?l); and a polarizing plate comprising the protective film and a polarizer. The protective film has an in-plane retardation Re at a wavelength ?of 550 nm of 50 nm or less, and is obtained by coextruding at least one layer (A) of thermoplastic resin having of a negative photoelastic coefficient with at least one layer (B) of thermoplastic resin having a positive photoelastic coefficient.

Abstract: An optical laminate having layer A having a resin having a negative intrinsic birefringence and at least one layer B having a transparent resin, having substantially no orientation and laminated at least on one face of layer A and satisfies a relation |Re(A)|>|Re(B)|, wherein Re(A) and Re(B) represent in-plane retardations of layer A and layer B, respectively, measured with light having a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm, an optical element having a laminate of the optical laminate and a polarizer plate, and a liquid crystal display device using at least one sheet of the optical laminate. In the liquid crystal display device, optical compensation can be made in accordance with the mode of the liquid crystal display by the three dimensional control of the refractive index, and the liquid crystal display device provides an image display with liquid crystals exhibiting small change in the phase contrast depending on the viewing angle.

Abstract: A method for producing a retardation film comprising the steps of: co-extruding or simultaneously casting a thermoplastic resin A and a thermoplastic resin B to obtain a laminated film comprising a layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a layer of the thermoplastic resin B; and uniaxially stretching the laminated film at least twice to cross a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin B each other at almost right angles.

Abstract: A method for producing a retardation film comprising the steps of: co-extruding or simultaneously casting a thermoplastic resin A and a thermoplastic resin B to obtain a laminated film comprising a layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a layer of the thermoplastic resin B; and uniaxially stretching the laminated film at least twice to cross a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin A and a molecular orientation axis in the layer of the thermoplastic resin B each other at almost right angles.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of an in-plane switching mode comprises at least optically anisotropic members (A) and (B) and a liquid crystal cell disposed between a pair of polarizers having absorption axes disposed approximately perpendicularly to each other, wherein nzA>nyA and nxB>nzB (nxA, nxB: refractive indices (n) in the direction of the in-plane slow axis; nyA, nyB: n in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the above direction; nzA, nzB: n in the direction of thickness, each at 550 nm); the in-plane slow axes of (A) and (B) are approximately parallel or perpendicular to each other; and the in-plane slow axis of (A) is approximately parallel or perpendicular to the absorption axis of a polarizer closer to (A). The antireflection property, scratch resistance and durability are excellent, the angle of field is wide, and uniform display of images with great contrast can be achieved at any angle of observation.

Abstract: A protective film for polarizing plate comprising k layers (k is an integer of 2 or more) of thermoplastic resin layer laminated, wherein a refractive index ni(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i th thermoplastic resin layer as well as a refractive index ni+1(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni+1(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i+1 th thermoplastic resin layer have a relationship in ?ni(380)?ni+1(380)|?|ni(780)?ni+1(780)??0.02 (where, i is an integer of 1 to k?1). A polarizing plate is obtained by bonding the protective film for the polarizing plate and a polarizer. And a liquid crystal display comprising the polarizing plate and a liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of an in-plane switching mode comprises at least optically anisotropic members (A) and (B) and a liquid crystal cell disposed between a pair of polarizers having absorption axes disposed approximately perpendicularly to each other, wherein nzA>nyA and nxB>nzB (nxA, nxB: refractive indices (n) in the direction of the in-plane slow axis; nyA, nyB: n in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the above direction; nzA, nzB: n in the direction of thickness, each at 550 nm); the in-plane slow axes of (A) and (B) are approximately parallel or perpendicular to each other; and the in-plane slow axis of (A) is approximately parallel or perpendicular to the absorption axis of a polarizer closer to (A). The antireflection property, scratch resistance and durability are excellent, the angle of field is wide, and uniform display of images with great contrast can be achieved at any angle of observation.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of an in-plane switching mode comprises at least optically anisotropic members (A) and (B) and a liquid crystal cell disposed between a pair of polarizers having absorption axes disposed approximately perpendicularly to each other, wherein nzA>nyA and nxB>nzB (nxA, nxB: refractive indices (n) in the direction of the in-plane slow axis; nyA, nyB: n in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the above direction; nzA, nzB: n in the direction of thickness, each at 550 nm); the in-plane slow axes of (A) and (B) are approximately parallel or perpendicular to each other; and the in-plane slow axis of (A) is approximately parallel or perpendicular to the absorption axis of a polarizer closer to (A). The antireflection property, scratch resistance and durability are excellent, the angle of field is wide, and uniform display of images with great contrast can be achieved at any angle of observation.

Abstract: A protective film for polarizing plate comprising k layers (k is an integer of 2 or more) of thermoplastic resin layer laminated, wherein a refractive index ni(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i th thermoplastic resin layer as well as a refractive index ni+1(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni+1(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i+1 th thermoplastic resin layer have a relationship in ||ni(380)?ni+1(380)|?|ni(780)?ni+1(780)||?0.02 (where, i is an integer of 1 to k?1). A polarizing plate is obtained by bonding the protective film for the polarizing plate and a polarizer. And a liquid crystal display comprising the polarizing plate and a liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: A protective film for polarizing plate comprising k layers (k is an integer of 2 or more) of thermoplastic resin layer laminated, wherein a refractive index ni(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i th thermoplastic resin layer as well as a refractive index ni+1(380) at a wavelength of 380 nm and a refractive index ni+1(780) at a wavelength of 780 nm in the i+1 th thermoplastic resin layer have a relationship in ?ni(380)?ni+1(380)|?|ni(780)?ni+1(780)??0.02 (where, i is an integer of 1 to k?1). A polarizing plate is obtained by bonding the protective film for the polarizing plate and a polarizer. And a liquid crystal display comprising the polarizing plate and a liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of an in-plane switching mode comprises a pair of polarizing plates which are constituted with a polarizing plate at the output side comprising a polarizer at the output side and a polarizing plate at the incident side comprising a polarizer at the incident side having a transmission axis approximately perpendicular to a transmission axis of the polarizer at the output side and two or more sheets of optically anisotropic members and liquid crystal cells disposed between the pair of polarizing plates. The device exhibits excellent scratch resistance and excellent quality of black depth and uniform and high contrast in viewing at any angles.

Abstract: An optical laminate having layer A having a resin having a negative intrinsic birefringence and at least one layer B having a transparent resin, having substantially no orientation and laminated at least on one face of layer A and satisfies a relation |Re(A)|>|Re(B)|, wherein Re(A) and Re(B) represent in-plane retardations of layer A and layer B, respectively, measured with light having a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm, an optical element having a laminate of the optical laminate and a polarizer plate, and a liquid crystal display device using at least one sheet of the optical laminate. In the liquid crystal display device, optical compensation can be made in accordance with the mode of the liquid crystal display by the three dimensional control of the refractive index, and the liquid crystal display device provides an image display with liquid crystals exhibiting small change in the phase contrast depending on the viewing angle.

Abstract: An apparatus of the present invention for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate is an apparatus for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate on a base material having a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus including: a formation unit that processes a formation step of causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a reducing gas and heating at least either the catalyst or the reducing gas; a growth unit that processes a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by causing the environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas; and a transfer unit that transfers the base material at least from the formation unit to the growth unit.

Abstract: An optical laminate having layer A having a resin having a negative intrinsic birefringence and at least one layer B having a transparent resin, having substantially no orientation and laminated at least on one face of layer A and satisfies a relation |Re(A)|>|Re(B)|, wherein Re(A) and Re(B) represent in-plane retardations of layer A and layer B, respectively, measured with light having a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm, an optical element having a laminate of the optical laminate and a polarizer plate, and a liquid crystal display device using at least one sheet of the optical laminate. In the liquid crystal display device, optical compensation can be made in accordance with the mode of the liquid crystal display by the three dimensional control of the refractive index, and the liquid crystal display device provides an image display with liquid crystals exhibiting small change in the phase contrast depending on the viewing angle.

Abstract: An apparatus of the present invention for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate is an apparatus for producing an aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate on a base material having a catalyst on a surface thereof, the apparatus including: a formation unit that processes a formation step of causing an environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a reducing gas and heating at least either the catalyst or the reducing gas; a growth unit that processes a growth step of synthesizing the aligned carbon-nanotube aggregate by causing the environment surrounding the catalyst to be an environment of a raw material gas and by heating at least either the catalyst or the raw material gas; and a transfer unit that transfers the base material at least from the formation unit to the growth unit.

Abstract: A lengthy grid polarizer film comprising a lengthy resin film and a plurality of grid lines provided on the surface and/or inside of the resin film and extending substantially in parallel with each other are provided, the grid lines being made of a material G being 1.0 or more in the absolute value of the difference between the real part n1 and the imaginary part ?1 of the complex refractive index (N1=n1?i?1), said resin film having a plurality of rows of grooves formed extending substantially in parallel with each other on its surface, and said grid line being made of a thin film of the laminated material G on the bottom face of the grooves and/or on the top face of ridges located between the adjacent grooves. A lengthy optical laminated body comprises the lengthy grid polarizer film and another lengthy polarizing optical film.