Abstract: Provided is a molding material comprising a composite of 1 to 50 wt % of a continuous reinforcing fiber bundle (A) and 0.1 to 20 wt % of a poly (phenylene ether ether ketone) oligomer (B); and 30 to 98.9 wt % of a thermoplastic resin (C) adhering to the composite, wherein the component (B) has a melting point of not higher than 270° C. Also provided are a method for molding the molding material, a method for producing the molding material, and a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material. A molded article having high heat resistance and dynamic properties can be easily produced without impairing the economic efficiency and productivity during the process for producing a molding material. In addition, a fiber-reinforced composite material can be produced with more ease and high productivity.

Abstract: A molding material is provided including a composite having 1 to 50 wt % of (A) a bundle of continuous reinforcing fibers and 0.1 to 40 wt % of (B) a polyarylene sulfide prepolymer or (B?) a polyarylene sulfide; and 10 to 98.9 wt % of (C) a thermoplastic resin adhered to the composite; wherein the composite further has (D) a zero-valent transition metal compound or (E) a low-valent iron compound in an amount of 0.001 to 20 mol % based on the amount of sulfur atoms contained in the component (B) or (B?). A prepreg and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced molding base material is also provided. By using the molding material according to the present invention which exhibits excellent economic efficiency and productivity, a molded article having excellent mechanical characteristics can be easily produced.

Abstract: A polyarylene sulfide resin composition containing nickel microparticles having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm is produced by heating a cyclic polyarylene sulfide in the presence of at least one component selected from components (i), (ii) and (iii).

Abstract: A flow rate regulation apparatus according to one embodiment includes a main body portion including an incoming water flow path, a collar portion arranged in the main body portion and provided with a first through hole along a direction of extension of the incoming water flow path, and a valve shaft made of a resin and inserted in the first through hole, the valve shaft including a first large-diameter portion, a second large-diameter portion, and a first small-diameter portion lying between the first large-diameter portion and the second large-diameter portion and being smaller in outer diameter than the first large-diameter portion and the second large-diameter portion.

Abstract: A method for selective production of ?-caprolactam, wherein a substance inducible from a biomass resource is used as a material; the reaction process is short; ammonium sulfate is not produced as a by-product; and production of by-products is suppressed; is disclosed. The method for producing ?-caprolactam comprises the step of reacting a particular compound inducible from a biomass resource, such as ?-hydromuconic acid, 3-hydroxyadipic acid, or 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, or a salt thereof with hydrogen or ammonia.

Abstract: A reactive functional group-containing polyarylene sulfide resin composition having a narrow polydispersity and a low gas generation amount is manufactured by mixing a polyarylene sulfide resin (a) and a polyarylene sulfide resin (b), wherein the polyarylene sulfide (a) has a weight reduction ratio ?Wr of not higher than 0.18% under heating and an increase rate of melt viscosity of less than 1.05 times by addition of a reactive compound (c) having a reactive group relative to melt viscosity prior to addition of the reactive compound (c), and the polyarylene sulfide (b) has the weight reduction ratio ?Wr of not higher than 0.18% under heating and the increase rate of melt viscosity of not less than 1.05 times by addition of the reactive compound (c) having the reactive group relative to melt viscosity prior to addition of the reactive compound (c).

Abstract: A polyarylene sulfide resin composition including a polyarylene sulfide (A) and an alkaline earth metal organic carboxylate (B) in an amount of 0.001 to 10 mol % based on the formula —(Ar—S)—, a repeating unit of polyarylene sulfide, wherein the polyarylene sulfide (A) has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and a weight reduction during heating that satisfies the equation ?Wr=(W1?W2)/W1×100?0.18 (%), wherein ?Wr is a weight reduction ratio (%) determined by a thermogravimetric analysis performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere under normal pressure at a temperature rise rate of 20° C./min from 50° C. to any temperature equal to or higher than 330° C., wherein W1 is a sample weight at 100° C., and W2 is a sample weight at 330° C.

Abstract: A block comprised of a copolymer is obtained by ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic polyarylene sulfide, so that a block copolymer is produced to have a maximum peak molecular weight measured by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in a range of not less than 2,000 and less than 2,000,000 and have a unimodal molecular weight distribution in this range.

Abstract: Such a vapor-deposited barrier film is provided that has a vapor-deposited layer having uniform film quality, a high film density and high barrier performance in the initial stage. The vapor-deposited barrier film contains a substrate having on at least one surface thereof at least one layer of a vapor-deposited layer (a). The vapor-deposited layer (a) contains a metal oxide, has a thickness of from 10 to 500 nm, and has an average value of an elemental ratio of oxygen (O) and the metal (oxygen (O)/metal) of 1.20 or more and 1.90 or less and a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the (oxygen (O)/metal) of 0.35 or less on analysis of the vapor-deposited layer in the depth direction thereof by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) method.

Abstract: There is provided a production method of a cyclic polyarylene sulfide by heating and reacting a raw material mixture (a) including at least a sulfidizing agent, a dihalogenated aromatic compound and an organic polar solvent. The production method continually performs each of an operation (A) of supplying the raw material mixture (a) to a reaction mixture (b) in a reaction vessel which includes a reaction product obtained from the raw material mixture (a), an operation (B) of withdrawing part of the reaction mixture (b) from the reaction vessel, and an operation (C) of heating the reaction vessel.

Abstract: A polyarylene sulfide resin composition including a polyarylene sulfide (A) and an alkaline earth metal organic carboxylate (B) in an amount of 0.001 to 10 mol % based on the formula —(Ar—S)—, a repeating unit of polyarylene sulfide, wherein the polyarylene sulfide (A) has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more and a weight reduction during heating that satisfies the equation ?Wr=(W1-W2)/W1×100?0.18 (%), wherein ?Wr is a weight reduction ratio (%) determined by a thermogravimetric analysis performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere under normal pressure at a temperature rise rate of 20° C./min from 50° C. to any temperature equal to or higher than 330° C., wherein W1 is a sample weight at 100° C., and W2 is a sample weight at 330° C.

Abstract: A heat-resistant, chemical-resistant polyphenylene sulfide block copolymer containing polyphenylene sulfide units and aromatic polyester units, wherein the polyphenylene sulfide units have a number average molecular weight in the range of 6,000 to 100,000. Provided is a polyphenylene sulfide block copolymer that overcomes the disadvantages of block copolymers including a low-molecular-weight polyphenylene sulfide segment and having poor heat resistance and chemical resistance.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a production method that can prevent side etching and delamination of an anisotropic dye coating formed by an application process, thereby providing a polarizing element that exhibits durable performance and rugged reliability and that is less affected by a solvent or the like used in a production process after formation of the anisotropic dye coating, which leads to improved flexibility of the production process. The present invention also provides a polarizing element that includes a substrate, an anisotropic dye coating, and a resin composition layer, wherein the anisotropic dye coating and the resin composition layer are sequentially layered on the substrate, wherein the top surface and all side surfaces of the anisotropic dye coating are covered with the resin composition layer, and wherein the anisotropic dye coating and the resin composition layer are not formed on portions of the substrate.

Abstract: A peptide dimer comprising a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and a peptide consisting of any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 4, wherein the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and the peptide consisting of any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 4 are bound through a disulfide bond between a cysteine residue of each peptide is used as an active ingredient of an agent for promoting proliferation of one or more bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve.

Abstract: A polyarylene sulfide resin composition containing nickel microparticles having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 20 nm is produced by heating a cyclic polyarylene sulfide in the presence of at least one component selected from components (i), (ii) and (iii).

Abstract: A block comprised of a copolymer is obtained by ring-opening polymerization of a cyclic polyarylene sulfide, so that a block copolymer is produced to have a maximum peak molecular weight measured by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in a range of not less than 2,000 and less than 2,000,000 and have a unimodal molecular weight distribution in this range.

Abstract: There is provided a production method of a cyclic polyarylene sulfide by heating and reacting a raw material mixture (a) including at least a sulfidizing agent, a dihalogenated aromatic compound and an organic polar solvent. The production method continually performs each of an operation (A) of supplying the raw material mixture (a) to a reaction mixture (b) in a reaction vessel which includes a reaction product obtained from the raw material mixture (a), an operation (B) of withdrawing part of the reaction mixture (b) from the reaction vessel, and an operation (C) of heating the reaction vessel.

Abstract: There is provided a production method of a cyclic polyarylene sulfide from a reaction mixture including at least a sulfidizing agent (a), a dihalogenated aromatic compound (b) and an organic polar solvent (c). The production method includes: a process 1 of heating the reaction mixture having an arylene unit of not less than 0.80 mol but less than 1.05 mol per 1 mol of the sulfur content in the reaction mixture; and subsequent to the process 1, a process 2 of further causing the reaction to proceed after addition of the dihalogenated aromatic compound (b) to have the arylene unit of not less than 1.05 mol and not greater than 1.50 mol per 1 mol of the sulfur content in the reaction mixture.

Abstract: An antimicrobial activity enhancing agent for lactoferrin or a lactoferrin hydrolysate, which contains ribonuclease-4 as an active ingredient, and a method for producing an antimicrobial activity enhancing agent for lactoferrin or a lactoferrin hydrolysate, which comprises (a) the step of contacting raw milk with a cation exchange resin to adsorb proteins in the raw milk to the cation exchange resin, (b) the step of washing the cation exchange resin having undergone the adsorption treatment, and flowing an elution solvent to elute a protein fraction having an isoelectric point of 8.0 to 10.0, and (c) the step of subjecting the eluted protein fraction to gel filtration using a gel filtration carrier to collect a fraction of a molecular weight of 30 kDa or less.

Abstract: A peptide dimer comprising a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and a peptide consisting of any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 4, wherein the peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and the peptide consisting of any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 4 are bound through a disulfide bond between a cysteine residue of each peptide is used as an active ingredient of an agent for promoting proliferation of one or more bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve.