Abstract: A thermal storage agent used, for example, for air-conditioning systems of buildings, exhibiting excellent thermal storage, thermal conduction and safety, and a manufacturing method thereof. The thermal storage agent contains particulate oil gel bodies prepared by letting an oil absorbent resin absorb, and thus swell with, a thermal storage oil-soluble substance, wherein the oily gel bodies have a unitary volume of not less than 0.01 cm.sup.3 and are in contact with one another. A manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention can produce the thermal storage agent by letting an oil absorbent resin that is prepared by suspension polymerization in a solution containing the oil-soluble substance absorb, and thus swell with, the oil-soluble substance.

Abstract: Inexpensive absorbing agent and method for readily and satisfactorily collecting and removing a surfactant from a solution, such as a surfactant-containing liquid waste, are provided. The absorbing agent includes, for example, a crosslinked polymer having a polyoxyalkylene chain. The surfactant is absorbed by bringing the above-arranged absorbing agent into contact with the solution. A particularly preferable crosslinked polymer is produced by crosslinking polyalkylene glycol or polymerizing a monomeric component including a monomer based on (meta)acrylic ester expressed by General Formula below:CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR--CO--(X.sup.1).sub.n --Y.sup.1where R is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, X.sup.1 is an oxyalkylene group having up to 5 carbon atoms, Y.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, an alkoxy group having up to 5 carbon atoms, a phenoxy group, or an oxyalkylphenyl group having up to 3 alkyl groups each having up to 9 carbon atoms as a substitutional group, and n is a positive number ranging from 3-100 in average.

Abstract: An oil-absorbent composition including 30 to 99.5 parts by weight of (I) an oil-absorbent, cross-linked polymer formed from 96-99.999% by weight of (A) monomer having a polymerizable unsaturated group in the molecule, said monomer (A) containing mainly a monomer having a solubility parameter of not more than 9, and 4-0.001% by weight of (B) a cross-linking monomer having at least two polymerizable unsaturated groups in the molecule, provided the sum of monomer (A) and cross-linking monomer (B) is 100%, and 70 to 0.5 to parts by weight of (IV) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (II) inorganic compounds having a methanol value of not less than 25% and (III) substantially water insoluble organic acid salts, provided the sum of oil-absorbent, cross-linked polymer (I) and compound (IV) is 100 parts by weight.

Abstract: A swellable oil-absorbent agent formed of a cross-linked polymer (P) obtained by polymerizing a monomer component comprising 90 to 99.999% by weight of a monomer having as a main moiety thereof an alkyl (meth)acrylate the alkyl group of which has 10 to 16 carbon atoms and possessing one polymerizable unsaturated group in the molecular unit thereof and 0.001 to 10% by weight of a cross-linkable monomer possessing at least two polymerizable unsaturated groups in the molecular unit thereof (providing that the total of the amount of the polymerizable monomer and that of the cross-linkable monomer is 100% by weight).

Abstract: A swellable oil-absorbent agent formed of cross-linked polymer (P) obtained by polymerizing a monomer component comprising 90 to 99.999% by weight of a monomer having as a main moiety thereof an alkyl (meth)acrylate the alkyl group of which has 10 to 16 carbon atoms and possessing one polymerizable unsaturated group in the molecular unit thereof and 0.001 to 10% by weight of a cross-linkable monomer possessing at least two polymerizable unsaturated groups in the molecular unit thereof (providing that the total of the amount of the polymerizable monomer and that of the cross-linkable monomer is 100% by weight).