Abstract: Disclosed is a curable coating agent composition which exhibits excellent wear resistance and weather resistance when applied as a coating agent to plastic or other substrates to be used outdoors. The curable coating agent composition comprises 95 to 65 parts by mass of a component (A) comprising an urethane adduct compound having weather resistance, 5 to 35 parts by mass of a component (B) comprising a specific organosilicon compound, 0.1 to 10 parts by mass of a component (C) which is a radical polymerization initiator, 1 to 12 parts by mass of a component (D) which is an ultraviolet ray absorber, and 10 to 1,000 parts by mass of a component (E) which is an organic solvent, with respect to 100 parts by mass of the components (A) and (B) in total.

Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Abstract: A compressor includes a swash plate, and a shoe connected to an outer periphery of the swash plate. A surface of the swash plate slides upon a flat surface of the shoe. A sliding film is applied to the surface of the swash plate. The sliding film is formed of binder resin which contains a solid lubricant and titanium oxide powder. This allows the surface of the swash plate and the flat surface of the shoe to smoothly slide upon each other.

Abstract: To provide an industrial purification method of PDC obtained by fermentative production. A method of purifying 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid which comprises including a salt of monovalent to tetravalent cations in a fermentation liquid containing microbially-produced 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid; and a method of purifying 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid which method comprises extracting 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid from a fermentation liquid containing microbially-produced 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid without forming 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate.

Abstract: In an in-liquid plasma film-forming apparatus having: a vessel 1 being capable of accommodating a substrate “S” and a liquid “L” including raw material therein; an electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma, electrode 2 which is disposed in the vessel 1; an electric power device 3 for supplying electricity to the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma; the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma is equipped with: a main electrode 21 having a discharging end 22; an auxiliary electrode 26 not only facing the discharging end 22 but also being disposed between the discharging end 22 and the substrate “S” that face each other; and a plasma generating unit 29 having a space that is demarcated by a surface 22a of the discharging end 22 and a surface 26a of the auxiliary electrode 26 facing the surface 22a, and being for generating plasma by means of electricity being supplied to the main electrode 21.

Abstract: The invention provides biodegradable polyesters, polyurethanes, comprising 3-carboxymuconolactone as a structural unit, 3-carboxymuconolactone esters and a process for their production. Polyesters comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (I): [wherein R represents a hydrocarbon-based divalent residue which, in the structure, optionally contains a heteroatom without an active hydrogen], polyurethanes comprising the polyester structure; 3-carboxymuconolactone esters; and a process for their production.

Abstract: The present invention provides a noninvasive alcohol sensor that measures ethanol concentration with high accuracy by suppressing error dependent on glucose concentration. An alcohol sensor 10 includes first light-emitting means 21, second light-emitting means 22 and third light-emitting means 23. The first light-emitting means 21 radiates light having a wavelength of 1185 nm. This wavelength of 1185 nm is a wavelength at which the light absorbance of water and the light absorbance of ethanol are equal. The second light-emitting means 22 radiates light having a wavelength of 1710 nm. The third light-emitting means 23 radiates light having a wavelength of 1750 nm. Light detection means 30 detects the intensity of each light, and control means 60 calculates ethanol concentration based on the detected light intensity.

Abstract: A production method of an electroless plating material of the present invention is a method for the production of an electroless plating material that has a surface to be plated by electroless plating, and includes an ozone treatment step in which a material body that is made of a resin is brought into contact with a solution that contains ozone to form a modified layer in a surface of the material body, and a superficial layer removal step in which, after the ozone treatment step, the surface of the material body is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to remove a superficial layer of the modified layer.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing workpiece whose surface is to be plated by means of electroless plating includes an ozone-processing step, and a superficial-layer removing step. In the ozone-processing step, a workpiece body including resin and having a surface is processed by means of an ozone treatment by brining the workpiece body into contact with a solution including ozone. Thus, a modified layer is formed on the surface of the workpiece body. Then, in the superficial-layer removing step, a superficial layer is removed from the resultant modified layer by applying energy onto the modified layer.

Abstract: Industrial-scale fermentative production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid from terephthalic acid. Also, a protocatechuate 4,5-ring-cleaving enzyme gene-disrupted strain in which the gene coding for (a) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3, or (b) the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 which has a deletion, substitution, addition and/or insertion of one or more amino acids and exhibits protocatechuate 4,5-ring cleavage activity, present in the chromosomal DNA of microbial cells, has been disrupted; recombinant plasmids comprising the Tph gene and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene; transformants obtained by introducing the recombinant plasmids into the disrupted strain; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of terephthalic acid.

Abstract: A high-elasticity biodegradable polymer comprising PDC, which has excellent solubility in solvents and reactants, in their repeating unit structures is provided in an inexpensive manner. A polymer comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 each independently represent a divalent hydrocarbon residue with no active hydrogens in its structure and optionally containing a heteroatom; X represents O or NH; x represents an integer of at least 1; and m and n represent 0 or 1; and a process for their production.

Abstract: There is provided a process for industrial production of simple 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone from low molecular mixtures derived from plant components such as vanillin, vanillic acid and protocatechuic acid, via a multistage enzyme reaction. A recombinant plasmid containing a vanillate demethylase gene (vanAB genes), benzaldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ligV gene) and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase gene (pcaHG genes); transformants incorporating the plasmid; and a process for production of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid and/or 3-carboxymuconolactone characterized by culturing the transformants in the presence of vanillin, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Abstract: A resin board that consists of at least one of a mixture of a plurality of types of resins having different degrees of susceptibility to erosion by an ozone solution, and a resin having, in a molecule, a plurality of types of components having different degrees of susceptibility to erosion by the ozone solution is treated with ozone water to form a reformed layer, and a catalyst metal is adsorbed by the reformed layer so as to form a resin-metal composite layer, on which a plating process is performed. In the resin board, a component or components that is/are likely to be eroded on by the ozone solution dissolves into the ozone solution, and pores or clearances on the order of nanometers are formed between the component(s) and a component or components that is/are less likely to be eroded by the ozone solution. With the plating deposited in the pores or clearances, the adhesion strength is improved due to an anchoring effect.

Abstract: A laminated body for resin glass comprising a polymer substrate for resin glass, an inorganic layer formed by causing fine particles of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, titanium, an aluminum compound, a silicon compound and a titanium compound to adhere onto the polymer substrate for resin glass, and an alkoxysilane-containing hard coating layer laminated to the polymer substrate for resin glass having the inorganic layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A polyester containing a biomass-derived material in a repeating unit structure and having all of sufficient mechanical strength, easy mold processability into a molded product such as fiber or film, and biodegradability, is provided. A PDC-L-lactic acid copolyester represented by the following formula: —[R1—PDC]x—[OCH(CH3)CO]1-x—??(I) [wherein PDC is a dicarboxylic acid residue represented by the following formula (II): R1 is selected from —O(CH2)nO—, —O(CH2CH2O)m— and —O[CH(CH3)CH2O]m—, where n represents an integer of 3 to 6 and m represents an integer of 1 to 4; and is 0.005?x?0.2 when n?4 or m?2, and is 0.005?x?0.4 in other cases]; and a molded product containing the PDC-L-lactic acid copolyester.

Abstract: A paint composition includes a raw polymer, and a dry solvent for dissolving the raw polymer. The raw polymer is composed of a transparent polymer having a hydroxyl group, and polysilazane. The polysilazane is included in an amount of 10% by weight or more with respect to the entire raw polymer taken as 100% by weight. Also disclosed are a process for producing a transparent protective film using the paint composition, and organic glass using the same. Note that the organic glass exhibits a surface hardness of 0.4 GPa or more.

Abstract: The process for producing an amorphous carbon film of the present invention is a process for producing an amorphous carbon film comprising contacting a surface of a substrate S with bubbles B which have been formed in a liquid L containing an organic compound and inside which plasma has been generated, so as to form an amorphous carbon film on the surface of the substrate S, and the liquid L contains one or more selected from phenols and alcohols having a carbon number of from 1 to 12. According to the present invention, a hard amorphous carbon film can be formed easily.

Abstract: An in-liquid plasma electrode 1 according to the present invention is an in-liquid plasma electrode for generating plasma in a liquid L and has a conductive member 11 having an electric discharge end surface 111 in contact with the liquid L, and an insulating member 16 covering an outer periphery of the conductive member 11 at least except the electric discharge end surface 111. Preferably, d and x satisfy ?2d?x?2d, where d is a length of a minor axis of the cross section when a conductive end portion 110 of the conductive member 11 having the electric discharge end surface 11 has a roughly circular cross section, or d is a length of a short side of the cross section when the conductive end portion 110 has a roughly rectangular cross section, and x is a distance from a reference plane 161 to a plane containing the electric discharge end surface 111 when the reference plane 161 is an end surface 161 of the insulating member 16 in roughly parallel with the electric discharge end surface 111.

Abstract: A slide member of the present invention is characterized in that it has: a substrate, which is made of a metal; an intermediate layer, which is formed on at least one of the surfaces of the substrate, and which is composed a first resinous composition including a thermoplastic polyimide resin and a polyaryl ketone resin; and a superficial layer, which is formed on the intermediate layer, and which is composed of a second resinous composition including a polyaryl ketone resin. Since the slide member of the present invention is such that it is possible to form it at low temperature, the deterioration of the substrate is suppressed; moreover, it is a slide member having a superficial layer, which includes a polyaryl ketone resin which is good in terms of the adhesiveness to a substrate.

Abstract: The slide member of the present invention is a novel slide member having a substrate; and a sliding layer formed on at least a sliding surface side of the substrate and comprising a resin composition comprising a polyamide-imide resin and an organically modified layered clay mineral dispersed uniformly in the polyamide-imide resin, and a solid lubricant held by the resin composition. At this time, preferably, the resin composition has an average linear expansion coefficient of 5×10?5/° C. or less in the range from 100 to 200° C.