Abstract: 2-Butene-1,4-diol and/or 3-butene-1,2-diol are (is) reacted with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a molten catalyst comprising a cuprous halide and a non-aromatic organic amine hydrohalide.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing 1,4-dicyano-2-butene in a high yield and in an industrially advantageous way.The present invention relates to a process for producing 1,4-dicyano-2-butene which comprises reacting a butene derivative represented by the formula [1]R.sub.1 --CH.sub.2 --CH.dbd.CH--CH.sub.2 --R.sub.2 [1]or the formula [2]R.sub.3 --CH.sub.2 --CHR.sub.4 --CH.dbd.CH.sub.2 [2]wherein each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 represents a hydroxy group, lower acyloxy group, lower alkoxy group or cyano group; and each of R.sub.2 and R.sub.4 represents a hydroxy group, lower acyloxy group or lower alkoxy group, with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst comprising a product prepared from a cuprous halide, a non-aromatic amine hydrohalide and at least one member selected from the group consisting of Lewis acids and basic compounds.

Abstract: A heat-resisting optical fiber comprising a core and a cladding, characterized in that the core is made of a polymer comprising units of a methacrylic ester, of which the ester moiety has an alicyclic hydrocarbon group of not less than 8 carbon atoms, and the cladding is made of a transparent polymeric material having a refractive index of at least 3% smaller than that of the core. This optical fiber has excellent heat resistance and good flexibility and can be used at a high temperature over 110.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for production of phenol or nucleus-substituted phenols from benzoic acid or nucleus-substituted benzoic acids by gas-phase catalytic oxidation characterized by using an oxide catalyst of the formula,Mo.sub.a W.sub.b X.sub.c Y.sub.d Z.sub.e O.sub.fwherein Mo is molybdenum, W is at least one of vanadium, niobium and tantalum, X is at least one of copper, silver, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, rhodium, palladium and platinum, Y is at least one of cerium, uranium, zirconium, chromium, tungsten, zinc, cadmium, tin, phosphorus, antimony, bismuth and tellurium, Z is at least one of thallium, alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, and when a is fixed to 12, b is 0.1 to 60, c is 0.1 to 60, d is 0 to 24, e is 0.1 to 120 and f is the number of oxygen atoms satisfying the valence of other elements.

Abstract: Azo compounds of the formula, ##STR1## wherein each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of (1) C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 aliphatic hydrocarbons unsubstituted or substituted with carboxyl, hydroxyl or alkoxy of the formula --OR.sub.4 in which R.sub.4 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 aliphatic hydrocarbon, (2) C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 alicyclic hydrocarbons, (3) C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 aromatic hydrocarbons and (4) C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 alicyclic hydrocarbons formed by combining R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together with the adjacent carbon atom, and R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of nitrile, esters of the formula --COOR.sub.4 in which R.sub.4 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.

Abstract: 2,2'-Azobis(2-methylpropionitrile), which is used as a foaming agent and a radical polymerization initiator, is produced in a high yield and a high purity, by (1) subjecting a crude 2-amino-2-methylpropionitrile product obtained by the reaction between acetone cyanohydrin and ammonia, to reduced pressure distillation, (2) contacting the resulting purified 2-amino-2-methylpropionitrile product having an ammonia content of 1.5% by weight or less with an aqueous metal hypochlorite solution, and then (3) treating the resulting aqueous suspension of 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) with a reducing agent.

Abstract: A coating composition useful for improving the surface properties, such as surface hardness and chemical resistance, of plastic products, wooden products, metallic products, or the like, which comprises (A) silicon compounds partial hydrolyzates comprising a partial hydrolyzate of a tetraalkoxysilane and a partial hydrolyzate of an organic silicon compound of the formula: R.sub.n Si(OR').sub.4.sub.-n wherein R is a hydrocarbon group, R' is an alkyl and n is 1 or 2, and (B) an acrylic copolymer and an etherated methylolmelamine, which are dissolved in a solvent. The coating composition can give a transparent coating film having excellent hardness, water resistance, boiling water resistance, chemical resistance, heat cycle resistance and weatherability, and further antistatic properties onto the formed products.