A styrenic block copolymer composition comprising a hydrogenated high vinyl block copolymer and/or a high vinyl styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer is mixed with a thermoplastic resin to form a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) composition. TPE compositions comprising hydrogenated high vinyl block copolymers with relatively high molecular weight compounded with polypropylene provide compounds with high flow properties, high clarity, low haze, which exhibit higher tensile strength and elongation at break than prior art compositions. High vinyl SEBS TPE compositions exhibiting high melt flow can be used in many applications, either as a neat polymer or in a compound, to produce medical devices including tubes, over molding applications for personal care, soft touch materials, automotive parts, blown film, dipped goods, materials with oxygen absorbing capability, oil gel compositions, radiation curable hot melt adhesive compositions, hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives, sealant formulations, elastic films, fibers and non-woven compounds.

This invention relates to a process to produce an ionomer comprising: 1) contacting, in a reactor, one or more C.sub.2-C.sub.60 -olefins, an optional diene, and a metal alkenyl with a catalyst system comprising an activator, a catalyst compound, and a support; 2) forming a copolymer comprising one or more C.sub.2-C.sub.60 -olefin monomers and about 0.01 wt % to about 20 wt %, based on the weight of the copolymer, of metal alkenyl; 3) functionalizing and quenching the polymerization reaction with one or more electrophilic groups; and 4) obtaining ionomer.

Polyhydric phenol resins (X) containing a polydiene skeleton and a structural unit represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.p1 and R.sup.p3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or an ethyl group, R.sup.p2 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or a bond, one of X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 represents a hydroxy group, the other represents a monovalent group represented by the formula (2) below, and * represents a bond, and the CC bond structure in formula (1) is a part of the polydiene skeleton,

##STR00002##

wherein R.sup.S each independently represents a substituent, * represents a bond, and n represents a number of 0 to 4, afford cured products exhibiting a favorable toughness.

A modifying agent, a modified conjugated diene polymer prepared using the same, a method for preparing a modified conjugated diene polymer, and a rubber composition including a modified conjugated diene polymer are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a modifying agent comprises a compound represented by formula 1. The modifying agent is capable of improving processability of a rubber composition including the polymer prepared using the modifying agent. Fuel consumption properties of a car using tires including the rubber composition may be improved.

Disclosed herein are modified diene-containing (co)polymers, in particular, modified styrene-butadiene copolymer, which can be used as flame retardants for expandable polystyrene polymer compositions. In particular, disclosed is a modified diene-containing (co)polymer, a method for preparing it, and use as a flame retardant for expandable polystyrene. The modified diene-containing (co)polymer claimed in the invention is characterized by high thermostability, namely, a 5% weight loss temperature of at least 180 C., a molecular weight of at least 1500 g/mol and a halogen content of at least 35 wt. %; the content of tertiary and/or allyl halogenides is in the range from 0 to less than 1.5 wt. %, and also does not affect the polymerization process and the formation of polystyrene granules either, and allows to obtain polystyrene granules with a yellowness index of 2 to 6 units, comparable to the yellowness index of polystyrene granules containing HBCD (from 0 to 3 units).

The present invention relates to a functional cyclic olefin polymer obtained from hydrogenation of a cyclic olefin polymer, wherein the cyclic olefin polymer comprises at least a monomeric unit A derived from a monomer A having a norbornene ring and a polar functional group, wherein the amount of the monomeric unit A is in the range of from 20% to 100% by mole, 50% to 100% by mole, from 60% to 100% by mole, or from 70% to 100% by mole, based on the total amount of the monomeric units of the cyclic olefin polymer. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the functional cyclic olefin polymer, a composition comprising the functional cyclic olefin polymer, and the use of the functional cyclic olefin polymer. The functional cyclic olefin polymer of the present invention exhibits improved properties, especially in terms of mechanical properties and barrier properties.

The present invention relates to a catalyst for a hydrogenation reaction and a method for producing the same, and more specifically, to a catalyst for a hydrogenation reaction, wherein the catalyst includes nickel oxide as an active ingredient and copper oxide and sulfur oxide as a promoter, and especially, can control a reduction degree value according to whether or not a passivation layer of a nickel metal is removed.

A heterogeneous catalyst for selectively hydrogenating a copolymer is provided, which includes a porous support, a metal oxide wrapping a part of the surface of the porous support, and a plurality of palladium particles on the porous support and the metal oxide. A method for selectively hydrogenating a copolymer is also provided, which includes contacting a heterogeneous catalyst to a copolymer to process hydrogenation. The copolymer includes aromatic rings and nonaromatic double bonds, and the nonaromatic double bonds are hydrogenated, and the aromatic rings are substantially not hydrogenated. The heterogeneous catalyst includes a porous support, a metal oxide wrapping a part of the surface of the porous support, and a plurality of palladium particles formed on the porous support and the metal oxide.

A thin-film all-organic electrochemical device is disclosed. The device includes one or more polymer chains. Each of the one or more polymer chains has reducing functional groups, oxidizing functional groups, and ionically conducting functional groups. The ionically conducting functional groups are disposed in between the reducing functional groups and the oxidizing functional groups. The device may produce a potential greater than 5 volts.

A corrosion inhibitor composition is provided. The corrosion inhibitor composition includes a polycationic polymeric surfactant. The polycationic polymeric surfactant is a copolymer including polymerized units of cationic heterocyclic monomer units and dicationic heterocyclic comonomer units including a quaternary ammonium group. The cationic heterocyclic monomer units and the dicationic heterocyclic comonomer units are alkyl diallyl ammonium units. The quaternary ammonium group comprises a first C8-C16 alkyl group, a second C4-C8 alkyl group, a third C1-C2 alkyl group, and a fourth C1-C2 alkyl group. A method of corrosion inhibition is also provided.