Abstract: A recording medium comprising on a base material an ink-receiving layer containing an alumina hydrate, said ink-receiving layer being formed by applying a coating liquid containing said alumina hydrate to said base material followed by drying to form a layer to be said ink-receiving layer, swelling said layer to be said ink-receiving layer again, and pressing the swollen layer to a heated mirror-finish drum for drying, the glossiness of the surface of the recording medium on the side of the ink-receiving layer as measured at 20° being 20% or more.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recording medium comprising a base material and an ink-receiving layer containing a particulate material provided on the base material, wherein the particulate material comprises aluminum oxide particles of the &ggr;-crystal structure, the average particle diameter of the aluminum oxide particles is at least 0.21 &mgr;m, but at most 1.0 &mgr;m, at least 90% of all the aluminum oxide particles have a particle diameter of at most 1.0 &mgr;m, and the specular glossiness of the surface of the ink-receiving layer is at least 50% as measured at 75°.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording medium comprising a base material and an ink-receiving layer provided thereon. The ink-receiving layer comprises an upper layer containing an aluminum-based pigment and a lower layer containing an aluminum-based pigment having a BET specific surface area larger than that of the aluminum-based pigment contained in the upper layer.

Abstract: Provided is a fine powder material for forming an ink-receiving layer on a recording medium, wherein a pore radius maximum exists within a range of from 90 to 120 Å in a pore radius distribution of said fine powder material and wherein a total volume of pores having radii not exceeding 50 Å is not more than 6.0% of a volume of all pores.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal element comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal and a pair of substantially parallel substrates having opposite surfaces between which the ferroelectric liquid crystal is sealed. The substrates are provided with electrodes to which voltages are applied, and are subjected to one axis orientation treatment so as to orient the ferroelectric liquid crystal. The ferroelectric liquid crystal has an orientation state represented by the following condition: &thgr;<&agr;+&dgr; wherein &agr; is a pretilt angle of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, &thgr; is a tilt angle, and &dgr; is an inclination angle of an Sm*C layer. The ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibits at least two stable states in orientation. An angle &thgr;a ½ between optical axes of these two stable states and the tilt angle &thgr; of the ferroelectric liquid crystal satisfy the condition &thgr;>&thgr;a>{fraction (&thgr;/2)}.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recording medium comprising a base material and an ink-receiving layer containing a particulate material provided on the base material, wherein the particulate material comprises aluminum oxide particles of the &ggr;-crystal structure, the average particle diameter of the aluminum oxide particles is at least 0.21 &mgr;m, but at most 1.0 &mgr;m, at least 90% of all the aluminum oxide particles have a particle diameter of at most 1.0 &mgr;m, and the specular glossiness of the surface of the ink-receiving layer is at least 50% as measured at 75°.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording medium comprising a base material and an ink-receiving layer provided thereon. The ink-receiving layer comprises an upper layer containing an aluminum-based pigment and a lower layer containing an aluminum-based pigment having a BET specific surface area larger than that of the aluminum-based pigment contained in the upper layer.

Abstract: A recording medium comprising a base material and an ink-receiving layer provided on the base material and containing a particulate material, the particulate material containing particles of crystalline aluminum oxide, the ink-receiving layer being obtained by applying a coating solution containing the particulate material to the base material followed by drying to form a coating layer, applying water to the coating layer to cause swelling and pressing the surface thereof against a heated mirror-surface drum to conduct drying treatment, wherein the specular gloss of the surface of the ink-receiving layer is not less than 20% as measured at 20°.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of transparent substrates each having thereon a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition lacking cholesteric phase disposed between the substrates so as to assume at least two optically stable states. At least one of the substrates is provided with an alignment film which comprises a polyimide represented by a recurring unit of formula (I) shown below and has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. ##STR1## wherein A denotes a tetravalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group free from a planar structure or a tetravalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and n is an integer of at least 1. The chiral smectic liquid crystal composition may preferably contain at least one species of fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound comprising a fluorocarbon terminal portion and a hydrocarbon terminal portion connected with a central core and having a smectic phase or a latent smectic phase.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates including a first substrate provided with a first alignment control layer which has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment and a second substrate provided with a second alignment control layer which has not been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment, a sealing member disposed so as to seal up a peripheral portion of the first and second substrates to form a spacing therebetween, and a dispersion member (e.g., spacer beads or adhesive particles) and a liquid crystal disposed in the spacing while contacting the first and second aligning control layers. The dispersion member has been subjected to a surface treatment with a material constituting the second alignment control layer. The surface-treated dispersion member is effective in suppressing an occurrence of a reverse domain within a display region of the liquid crystal device, thus preventing flickering and improving a contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates having opposing inner surfaces and opposing electrodes thereon, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal assuming two stable states disposed between the opposing electrodes. The opposing inner surfaces of the pair of substrates have been subjected to an aligning treatment such that the liquid crystal placed in one of the two stable states moves under application of an electric field in a direction identical to one in which the liquid crystal placed in the other of the two stable states moves under the application of the electric field. The liquid crystal device has an effective optical modulation region and a peripheral region outside the effective optical modulation region, wherein the effective optical modulation region and the photosensitive member have been subjected to different aligning treatments.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of transparent substrates each having thereon a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition disposed between the substrates so as to assume at least two optically stable states. At least one of the substrates is provided with an alignment film which comprises a polyimide represented by a recurring unit of formula (I) shown below and has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. ##STR1## wherein A denotes a planar tetravalent organic residue group comprising an aromatic ring, an aromatic polycyclic ring, a heterocyclic ring or a condensed polycyclic ring, and B denotes a divalent aliphatic group comprising .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 .paren close-st..sub.n (n: an integer of at least 1) or an alicyclic ring.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device of a cell structure having a suppressed increase of cell thickness along a cell side is constituted by disposing a ferroelectric liquid crystal between a pair of electrode plates each sequentially provided with an electrode, an insulating film and an alignment film on a substrate. The alignment film is provided with a surface unevenness for suppressing a liquid crystal movement causing the increase in cell thickness. The surface unevenness is provided to the alignment film directly or to the insulating film below the alignment film, e.g., by wet forming the relevant film by using at least two solvents having different boiling points or dispersing fine particles within the relevant film, optionally followed by removal of the fine particles.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates having opposing inner surfaces and opposing electrodes thereon, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal assuming two stable states disposed between the opposing electrodes. The opposing inner surfaces of the pair of substrates have been subjected to an aligning treatment such that the liquid crystal placed in one of the two stable states moves under application of an electric field in a direction identical to one in which the liquid crystal placed in the other of the two stable states moves under the application of the electric field. The liquid crystal device has an effective optical modulation region and a peripheral region outside the effective optical modulation region, wherein the effective optical modulation region and the photosensitive member have been subjected to different aligning treatments.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device of a cell structure having a suppressed increase of cell thickness along a cell side is constituted by disposing a ferroelectric liquid crystal between a pair of electrode plates each sequentially provided with an electrode, an insulating film and an alignment film on a substrate. The alignment film is provided with a surface unevenness for suppressing a liquid crystal movement causing the increase in cell thickness. The surface unevenness is provided to the alignment film directly or to the insulating film below the alignment film, e.g., by wet forming the relevant film by using at least two solvents having different boiling points or dispersing fine particles within the relevant film, optionally followed by removal of the fine particles.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates at least one of which is provided with an alignment control film, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between the substrates and contacting the alignment control film. The alignment control film comprises an amide polymer and a pyridine-based polymer. The liquid crystal device using a mixture alignment control film described above is effective in improving a switching characteristic by minimizing a depolarization field while keeping a uniform alignment characteristic.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal held between a pair of parallel substrates each provided with transparent electrodes formed thereon, and color filters formed between the transparent electrode and the substrate at least on one side. In the device, a difference in surface roughness between the color filters for all the pixels is less than 0.1 .mu.m. With this device, the occurrence of orientation defects is prevented and excellent characteristics specific to a ferroelectric liquid crystal are sufficiently developed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing a liquid crystal between a pair of substrates; at least one of which has thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide formed by reaction between at least two acid components including an acid component of formula (1) below and at least one component of formula (2) or (3) below and a diamine component of formula (4) below: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote an alkyl group.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates disposed in parallel and each provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the pair of substrates. At least one of the substrates is provided with a uniaxial alignment control film which have been rubbed in at least two different directions. Liquid crystal molecules may preferably form a pretilt angle of at least 5 degrees with respect to the alignment control film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing a liquid crystal between a pair of substrates; at least one of which has thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide formed by reaction between an acid component and at least two diamine components of formula (1) below: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote an alkyl group or fluoroalkyl group having 1-10 carbon atom.