Abstract: A method for manufacturing a dispersion, includes a step of forming a reaction product by allowing at least two types of liquids to react with each other, the dispersion including a dispersion medium and particles formed from the reaction product dispersed therein. In the method described above, the at least two types of liquids are ejected from independently provided respective nozzles so that traveling directions of the liquids ejected therefrom intersect with each other at an angle of 120° or less and so that the liquids then flow in an integrated manner, whereby the reaction product is generated.

Abstract: A process for preparing a pigment dispersion, which comprises mixing a first solvent composed of an organic solvent in which a pigment has been dissolved with a second solvent which lowers the solubility of the pigment in the presence of a dispersant, thereby precipitating and dispersing particles of the pigment in a mixed solvent, wherein a pigment derivative to which a hydrophobic substituent having affinity for the first solvent has been bonded is used as the pigment.

Abstract: A process for producing a liquid composition containing polymeric pigment fine particles including a pigment and a polymeric compound which is soluble in an aprotic solvent and hardly soluble in a poor solvent for the pigment is constituted by a step of preparing a solution of the pigment and the polymeric compound in the aprotic solvent in the presence of alkali; and a step of mixing the solution with the poor solvent for the pigment to precipitate the polymeric pigment fine particles comprising the pigment and the polymeric compound in a dispersion state.

Abstract: An organic single-crystalline film useful as a functional film in various devices is produced by selecting a liquid crystal material having a good molecular alignment regularity, disposing the liquid crystal material between a pair of boundaries exerting a thickness regulating force and solidifying the liquid crystal material while imparting a molecular alignment order by phase transition from a liquid crystal phase. The liquid crystal material may preferably be a smectic liquid crystal material which provides a uniform molecular alignment inclusive of the direction of the molecular long axis in a smectic phase.

Abstract: An organic single-crystalline film useful as a functional film in various devices is produced by selecting a liquid crystal material having a good molecular alignment regularity, disposing the liquid crystal material between a pair of boundaries exerting a thickness regulating force and solidifying the liquid crystal material while imparting a molecular alignment order by phase transition from a liquid crystal phase. The liquid crystal material may preferably be a smectic liquid crystal material which provides a uniform molecular alignment inclusive of the direction of the molecular long axis in a smectic phase.

Abstract: An image forming process provides an excellent ink fixation effect for high speed, low energy consumption printing. Two-valued or multi-valued gradation expression of a picture element, or the smallest output unit, is realized by controlling the number of liquid droplets impacting on a recording medium for each dot formed on the recording medium. The liquid droplets are subjected to physical or chemical modification so as to be fixed to the recording medium. The present invention is also directed to an image forming apparatus, an ink for liquid droplet recording and a liquid droplet ejection and projection method that can use the image forming process.

Abstract: A method for producing a pigment dispersion, including the steps of: preparing a fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which a pigment is dissolved; and introducing into a microreactor the fluid in a supercritical or subcritical state in which the pigment is dissolved and a solution containing a dispersant for dispersing the pigment in a dispersing medium, precipitating the pigment in the microreactor, and dispersing the precipitated pigment in the dispersing medium using the dispersant.

Abstract: A process for producing a pigment complex including the steps of dissolving a pigment in a supercritical state or subcritical state fluid and contacting the fluid containing the dissolved pigment with a polymer-containing solution.

Abstract: An organic single-crystalline film useful as a functional film in various devices is produced by selecting a liquid crystal material having a good molecular alignment regularity, disposing the liquid crystal material between a pair of boundaries exerting a thickness regulating force and solidifying the liquid crystal material while imparting a molecular alignment order by phase transition from a liquid crystal phase. The liquid crystal material may preferably be a smectic liquid crystal material which provides a uniform molecular alignment inclusive of the direction of the molecular long axis in a smectic phase.

Abstract: An organic single-crystalline film useful as a functional film in various devices is produced by selecting a liquid crystal material having a good molecular alignment regularity, disposing the liquid crystal material between a pair of boundaries exerting a thickness regulating force and solidifying the liquid crystal material while imparting a molecular alignment order by phase transition from a liquid crystal phase. The liquid crystal material may preferably be a smectic liquid crystal material which provides a uniform molecular alignment inclusive of the direction of the molecular long axis in a smectic phase.

Abstract: A polymeric compound has a hexagonal system order (as its crystal system) in a higher order smectic phase, such as smectic B phase, smectic L phase, smectic E phase, etc. The polymeric compound is produced through polymerization of a liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable functional group, such as an acrylic group or a methacrylic group, in a state of assuming a hexagonal system order. An electronic device, preferably an electroluminescence device, using a layer of the polymeric compound disposed between a pair of electrodes exhibits good luminescence and carrier transport performances while retaining excellent reliability.

Abstract: An organic single-crystalline film usable as a functional film in various devices is produced by selecting a liquid crystal material having a good molecular alignment regularity, disposing the liquid crystal material between a pair of boundaries exerting a thickness regulating force and solidifying the liquid crystal material while imparting a molecular alignment order by phase transition from a liquid crystal phase. The liquid crystal material may preferably be a smectic liquid crystal material which provides a uniform molecular alignment inclusive of the direction of molecular long axis in a smectic phase.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus is constituted by a liquid crystal device comprising a pair of substrates each having thereon an electrode and a liquid crystal disposed between the pair of substrates and providing a tilt angle, driving voltage application means for applying a driving voltage to the liquid crystal, and at least one polarizer having a polarizing axis. The liquid crystal has a voltage-dependent alignment characteristic such that the tilt angle continuously changes depending on the driving voltage applied to the liquid crystal, and the above at least one polarizer is disposed so that the polarizing axis is shifted from positions providing a maximum transmittance and minimum transmittance under application of no electric field to increase the resultant transmittance and contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a highly aligned liquid crystal over an entire area including regions not provided with a uniaxial alignment film. A carrier-transporting device and a light-emitting device incorporate such a liquid crystal device.

Abstract: This invention provides an image forming process that by turn provides an excellent ink fixation effect for high speed low energy consumption printing. Two-valued or multi-valued gradation expression of a picture element, or the smallest output unit, is realized by controlling the number of liquid droplets impacting on a recording medium for each dot formed on the recording medium. The liquid droplets are subjected to physical or chemical modification so as to be fixed to the recording medium. The present invention also provides an image forming apparatus, an ink for liquid droplet recording and a liquid droplet ejection and projection method that can be used for the image forming process.

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: A polymeric compound has a hexagonal system order (as its crystal system) in a higher order smectic phase, such as smectic B phase, smectic L phase, smectic E phase, etc. The polymeric compound is produced through polymerization of a liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable functional group, such as acrylic group or methacrylic group, in a state of assuming a hexagonal system order. An electronic device, preferably an electroluminescence device, using a layer of the polymeric compound disposed between a pair of electrodes exhibits good luminescence and carrier transport performances while retaining an excellent reliability.

Abstract: An active matrix-type liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates, a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition disposed between the pair of substrates so as to form a plurality of pixels, and a plurality of active elements provided to the pixels, respectively, for driving the liquid crystal device in a matrix driving scheme. The chiral smectic liquid crystal composition may preferably comprise at least two specific fluorine-containing mesomorphic compounds and assume two stable states between which a threshold voltage for switching from one of the two stable states to the other stable state is different from a threshold voltage for switching from the other stable state to said one of the two stable states and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal composition change their alignment states so as to provide a halftone state depending on a voltage applied to the chiral smectic liquid crystal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a chiral smectic liquid crystal and a pair of substrates sandwiching the chiral smectic liquid crystal therebetween and each having thereon an electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. At least one of the substrates being provided with an alignment control film comprising a specific aromatic polyimide which has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. The chiral smectic liquid crystal assumes bistability in a chiral smectic temperature range when incorporated in a test cell which is not provided with an alignment control film and has been subjected to shearing treatment. In the liquid crystal device including the polyimide alignment control film, the chiral smectic liquid crystal at least has a voltage-transmittance characteristic such that an effective tilt angle and a transmittance continuously change depending on an electric field applied thereto.

Abstract: An aligning method of a chiral smectic liquid crystal includes the steps of: disposing a chiral smectic liquid crystal between a pair of electrode plates, the chiral smectic liquid crystal having a layer spacing-changing characteristic providing a layer spacing which increases on temperature decrease in a first temperature range in smectic A phase; and subjecting the chiral smectic liquid crystal to a heat treatment including a sequence of cooling from a higher temperature phase to a second temperature range in smectic A phase including at least a portion of the first temperature range, at least one cycle of heating and cooling within the second temperature range, and further cooling to a smectic phase lower than smectic phase. The heat treatment, particularly at least one cycle of heating and cooling in smectic A phase, is effective in suppressing an alignment (orientation) irregularity due to the presence of two regions different in characteristics, thus improving a drive margin.