Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus includes a drawing chamber having a drawing substrate on which an original pattern is drawn, a first temperature control unit having a first temperature regulator to make the temperature of the drawing chamber constant, and a constant-temperature member arranged near the drawing substrate. The pattern forming apparatus further includes a second temperature control unit having a second temperature regulator. The second temperature control unit is configured to control the set temperature of the constant-temperature member independently such that the temperature of the drawing substrate becomes substantially constant when the original pattern is drawn.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus includes a drawing chamber having a drawing substrate on which an original pattern is drawn, a first temperature control unit having a first temperature regulator to make the temperature of the drawing chamber constant, and a constant-temperature member arranged near the drawing substrate. The pattern forming apparatus further includes a second temperature control unit having a second temperature regulator. The second temperature control unit is configured to control the set temperature of the constant-temperature member independently such that the temperature of the drawing substrate becomes substantially constant when the original pattern is drawn.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus includes a drawing chamber having a drawing substrate on which an original pattern is drawn, a first temperature control unit having a first temperature regulator to make the temperature of the drawing chamber constant, and a constant-temperature member arranged near the drawing substrate. The pattern forming apparatus further includes a second temperature control unit having a second temperature regulator. The second temperature control unit is configured to control the set temperature of the constant-temperature member independently such that the temperature of the drawing substrate becomes substantially constant when the original pattern is drawn.

Abstract: A photochromic cured product is produced by subjecting a photopolymerizable composition containing(A) a radical-polymerizable monomer,(B) an ultraviolet polymerization initiator having the main absorption in an ultraviolet region and a molar extinction coefficient at 400 nm of 150 lit./(mol.multidot.cm) or more, and(C) a photochromic compound, to an irradiation with an active energy ray having, as the main spectrum, an emission spectrum of 400 nm or more, to cure the composition, whereby the polymerization can be performed easily in a short time and a cured product having an excellent photochromic property can be obtained.

Abstract: A photopolymerizable composition comprising:(I) a photopolymerizable oligomer represented by the following formula (1), ##STR1## and/or by the following formula (2), ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are organic groups, X is oxygen or sulfur, n is a number of not smaller than 1, and m is a number of not smaller than 2,or a combination of the above photopolymerizable oligomer and other ethylenically unsaturated monomer which is copolymerizable therewith; and(II) a catalytic amount of a photo-initiator, as well as a transparent cured product thereof. The product obtained by curing the photopolymerizable composition exhibits excellent properties and, particularly, excellent surface precision.

Abstract: A process for producing a photochromic cured product by allowing an unpurified, impurities-containing polyfunctional (meth)acrylate monomer such as unpurified polyalkylene glycol dimethacrylate and a photochromic spirooxazine compound to contain a compound having at least one epoxy group in the molecule such as glycidyl methacrylate and then polymerizing the resulting composition. The process can provide a spirooxazine-based photochromic cured product which hardy undergoes initial coloring and is superior in initial color-developing performance.

Abstract: A photochromic curable composition obtained by adding (E) an .alpha.-methylstyrene dimer and (F) a photochromic compound to polymerizable monomers comprising (A) a compound having at least one epoxy group in the molecule, such as glycidyl methacrylate or the like, (B) a polypropylene glycol di(meth)acrylate monomer, (C) a polyethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate monomer and (D) a (meth)acrylate monomer and/or a styryl monomer. This composition is superior in moldability when cured and gives a cured product of excellent durability in photochromism.

Abstract: A fulgide or fulgimide compound having a cyclopropyl group as a substituent. The compound has excellent durability which changes reversibly in color from a colorless form to a colored form by the action of light containing ultraviolet rays such as sunlight or the light from a mercury lamp. There are also provided processes for its production, a composition comprising it, and its use.

Abstract: Spiropyrone compounds represented by the general formula ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## is a substituted or an unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group or a substituted or an unsubstituted unsaturated heterocyclic group, and ##STR3## is a substituted or an unsubstituted 2-bicyclo?3,3,1!9-nonenylidene group, that are starting materials of spiropyran compounds which change from a colorless state into a colored or a densely colored state upon irradiation with the light containing ultraviolet rays such as the sunlight or the light of a mercury lamp, the change being reversible, and a process for preparing the spiropyrone compounds. The process comprises reacting a compound represented by the general formula ##STR4## wherein ##STR5## is as defined above, with a compound of the general formula ##STR6## wherein ##STR7## is as defined above.

Abstract: A polymerizable composition comprising at least two di(meth)acrylate compounds of the specific general formula (I), e.g., dimethacrylate compounds of polyethylene glycol adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, wherein the content of di(meth)acrylate compound of the general formula (I) in which m+n is 2 to 3 is 30 to 80 mol % and the content of di(meth)acrylate compound of the general formula (I) in which m+n is 6 to 12 is 20 to 50 mol %, and organic glass formed of a polymer from the polymerizable composition, the polymerizable composition being suitable as a transparent resin, particularly as a raw material for an ophthalmic lens which is free of optical strain, has sufficient hardness and is excellent in impact resistance and light resistance.

Abstract: A photochromic composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a compound having at least one epoxy group in the molecule and (B) 0.0001 to 10,000 parts by weight of a photochromic compound. The compound (A) is represented by the following general formula ##STR1## wherein A is a residue of an n-valent alcoholic hydroxyl-containing compound, a residue of an n-valent phenolic-hydroxyl-containing compound, or a residue of an n-valent carboxylic acid, R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and n is an integer of 1 to 4.Examples of the (B) photochromic compound include fulgide compounds, spirooxazine compounds and chromene compounds. A polymer obtained by polymerizing the above photochromic composition of the invention by a radical polymerization method has a good durability of photochromic properties, and also possesses a dark color-forming density, a fast color fading speed, is transparent, and has a high surface hardness. Thus, especially, the polymer is suitable for use as a photochromic lens.

Abstract: A photochromic composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a compound having at least one epoxy group in the molecule and (B) 0.0001 to 10,000 parts by weight of a photochromic compound. The compound (A) is represented by the following general formula ##STR1## wherein A is a residue of an n-valent alcoholic hydroxyl-containing compound, a residue of an n-valent phenolic-hydroxyl-containing compound, or a residue of an n-valent carboxylic acid, R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and n is an integer of 1 to 4.Examples of the (A) compound include alcoholic hydroxyl-containing compounds such as monohydric, dihydric or trihydric alcohols, reaction products of phenolic hydroxyl-containing compounds such as phenol or hydroquinone with epichlorohydrin, or reaction products of carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid, or terephthalic acid with epichlorohydrin. Examples of the (B) photochromic compound include fulgide compounds, spirooxazine compounds and chromene compounds.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula (II): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which may be the same or different, represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a benzyl group, a phenethyl group, an alkylamine group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a dialkylamino group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and ##STR2## represents a nobornylidene group or bicyclo [3,3,1]9-nonylidene group which may have a substituent, and ##STR3## represents a pyridine, quinoline, pyrrole or benzothiophene group which may have a substituent.

Abstract: A photochromic compound of the present invention is a spiroxazine compound represented by the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 represent a monovalent organic group such as alkyl group, Y represents a fused heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon group or an unsaturated heterocyclic group if R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are both methyl groups, and represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group or unsaturated heterocyclic group if R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are other than the above mentioned. This compound shows an excellent photochromic characteristics even at high temperatures not less than ambient temperature.

Abstract: A photochromic compound represented by the following general formula [I] ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## represents a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a divalent heterocyclic group each of which may have a substituent,R.sub.1 represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group or a monovalent heterocyclic group each of which may have a substituent, ##STR3## represents a norbornylidene or adamantylidene group which may have a substituent,X represents an oxygen atom or a group of the formula >N--R.sub.3 in which R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent, andR.sub.2 represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent.Also provided are a process for production of the photochromic compound, a composition containing the photochromic compound, and the use of the photochromic compound. The colored form of this photochromic compound has excellent thermal stability.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compound represented by the following general formula(I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which may be the same or different, represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group or a substituted amino group, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which may be the same or different, represent an alkyl group, or R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 together form a nobornylidene group or bicyclo (3, 3, 1) 9-nonylidene group which may have a substituent, and ##STR2## represents a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group or divalent unsaturated heterocyclic group which may have a substituent, with the proviso that when R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 represent an alkyl group, ##STR3## represents a bicyclic aromatic fused ring which is substituted with at least one substituent selected form the group consisting of a halgoen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, --R.sub.5 --S--R.sub.6 and ##STR4## (in which R.sub.5 represents an alkylene group or --O--R.sub.8).sub.n (in which R.sub.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula [I] ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## represents a norbornylidene group or an adamantylidene group each of which may have a substituent, andX represents an oxygen atom, the group >N--R.sub.2, the group >N--A.sub.1 --B.sub.1 --A.sub.2).sub.m (B.sub.2).sub.n R.sub.3, the group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4, or the group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4, provided that when ##STR3## is an adamantylidene group, X is selected from the above groups excepting the oxygen atom and the group >N--R.sub.2 ; and plastic lens containing the compound of the above formula [I].

Abstract: A compound represented by the following general formula [I] ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## represents a norbornylidene group or an adamantylidene group each of which may have a substituent, andX represents an oxygen atom, the group >N-R.sub.2, the group >N-A.sub.1 -B.sub.1 --A.sub.2).sub.m (B.sub.2).sub.n R.sub.3, the group >N-A.sub.3 -A.sub.4, or the group >N-A.sub.3 -R.sub.4, provided that when ##STR3## is an adamantylidene group, X is selected from the above groups excepting the oxygen atom and the group >N-R.sub.2 ; and plastic lens containing the compound of the above formula [I].