The particle is a particle including, in a surface layer thereof, a copolymer having a repeating unit A having a side chain A having, at a terminal thereof, a carboxy group to be bonded to a ligand and a repeating unit B having a side chain B having a hydroxy group at a terminal thereof, wherein when the particle is dispersed in ion-exchanged water, the surface layer of the particle is hydrated to form a swollen layer, wherein the density of the carboxy groups to be incorporated into the swollen layer satisfies a value of from 0.04 group/nm.sup.3 to 0.15 group/nm.sup.3, and wherein the ratio of a particle diameter in water to be measured when the particle is dispersed in ion-exchanged water to a dry particle diameter to be measured when the particle is dried satisfies a value of from 1.10 to 1.40.

A modified conjugated diene-based polymer, and more particularly, a modified conjugated diene-based polymer having a unimodal molecular weight distribution curve measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), molecular weight distribution (PDI; MWD) of less than 1.7, and a Si content of 100 ppm or more based on weight, and a rubber composition including the same.

This invention relates to processes for forming hydrogen mediated saline hydride initiated anionic polymer distributions via novel polymerization conditions in which molecular hydrogen is a chain transfer agent and a Lithium Aminoalkoxide Complexed Saline Hydride (LOXSH) forms an anionic polymer chain initiating species by addition of saline hydride to an anionically polymerizable hydrocarbon monomer. This invention further relates to polystyrene compositions having greatly improved microstructures free of co-product polymer chain distributions. This invention also relates to novel hydrocarbon soluble saline hydride catalyst and reagent compositions useful in conducting the hydrogen mediated saline hydride initiated polymerizations of this invention. This invention further relates to hydrocarbon soluble lithium hydride catalysts and reagent compositions formed from dimethylaminoethanol, an alkyllithium reagent and molecular hydrogen. It also relates to the catalyst forming processes, the use of the catalyst in hydrogen mediated anionic polymerization of styrene (HMAPS) and the resulting low molecular weight polystyrene distributions of low asymmetry and high “head to tail” microstructure.

A hydrogenated block copolymer is disclosed comprising a polymer block A and a polymer block B. Prior to hydrogenation, the polymer block A has a first vinyl aromatic compound, and the polymer block B contains monomers a) a styrene compound having a radical reactive group and b) at least one conjugated diene, and optionally (c) a second vinyl aromatic compound that is same or different from the first vinyl aromatic compound. The repeat units of monomer a) forms 10-80 wt. % of the total block copolymer, and 10-70 wt. % of the total weight of block B. After hydrogenation, the polymerized units derived from the monomer b) has a RU of 0-1.5 meq per gram of the hydrogenated block copolymer. The hydrogenated block copolymer exhibits reactivity and higher flow properties before curing, after curing, shows excellent mechanical properties, improved flame resistance, and good solvent resistance.

A method for method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of preparing an active polymerization mixture including a reactive polymer by polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst; introducing a heterocyclic nitrile compound with the reactive polymer to form a functionalized polymer within the polymerization mixture; introducing a quenching agent to the polymerization mixture including the functionalized polymer, where the ratio of water or protic hydrogen atoms in the quenching agent to the lanthanide atoms in the lanthanide-based catalyst is less than 1500 to 1.

The present invention provides a water-soluble packaging film which is capable of preventing appearance defects such as clouding and deterioration of sealing properties, especially heat sealing properties, over a long period of time and achieving less deterioration and excellent water solubility after packaging. The present invention relates to a water-soluble packaging film containing: a polyvinyl alcohol; a plasticizer; and a dicarboxylic acid containing a hydroxy group, the dicarboxylic acid containing a hydroxy group having a hydroxy group coefficient, which is a quotient of dividing a weight average molecular weight by the number of hydroxy groups, of 90 or more, the film containing the dicarboxylic acid containing a hydroxy group in an amount of 1 to 5 parts by weight.

The present invention relates to a fluorescently-tagged (co)polymer and use thereof useful as a scale inhibitor in industrial water systems. Said (co)polymer comprises a (i) reactive fluorescent compound selected from a benzodiazole compound (ii) at least one monoethylenically unsaturated acid monomer, and (iii) optionally, at least one monoethylenically unsaturated acid-free monomer.

Provided are: a gas barrier resin composition having sufficient long-run workability and superior gas barrier properties which compare favorably to those of fossil fuel-derived resins, while containing a biomass-derived raw material; a multilayer structure in which the gas barrier resin is used; and a method for producing such a gas barrier resin composition. The gas barrier resin composition contains at least one type of saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer, wherein of ethylene and a vinyl ester, which are raw materials of the at least one type of saponified ethylene-vinyl ester copolymer, a part is derived from biomass, and a remainder is derived from a fossil fuel.

A PVA is excellent in heat resistance and pressure resistance. A polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer, as a saponificated product of a homopolymer composed of a vinyl ester monomer; a copolymer of a vinyl ester monomer and a monofunctional monomer other than the vinyl ester; a copolymer of a vinyl ester monomer and a polyfunctional monomer; or a copolymer of a vinyl ester monomer, a monofunctional monomer other than vinyl ester, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer has a slope of 1.2 or less in a double logarithmic plot of storage elastic modulus G′ (at 20° C.) in an angular frequency region of 1.0 to 10.0 rad/s, in measurement of an aqueous solution of the polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer filtered through a 100-mesh filter (opening: 0.154 mm) and then adjusted to a concentration of 10.0 mass %.

A bimodal ethylene-co-1-butene copolymer consisting essentially of a higher molecular weight component and a lower molecular weight component and, when in melted form at 190 degrees Celsius, is characterized by a unique melt property space defined by a combination of high-load melt index, melt flow ratio, and melt elasticity properties. A (blown) film consisting essentially of the bimodal ethylene-co-1-butene copolymer and having improved properties. Methods of synthesizing the bimodal ethylene-co-1-butene copolymer and making the blown film. A manufactured article comprising the bimodal ethylene-co-1-butene copolymer.