The present invention generally relates to an eco-friendly wearable article comprising a nutrient complex capable of efficiently able to reduce or eliminate methane gas emission during biodegradation of the article, and a method of making the eco-friendly wearable article containing the nutrient complex. Preferably, the nutrient complex typically comprises anionic sulphate ions and cationic salts of iron(II) and copper(II), thereby facilitating methane oxidation in an anaerobic environment such as a landfill.

To provide a method for producing a multicomponent copolymer with which a multicomponent copolymer having excellent rupture strength can be obtained, and a multicomponent copolymer, a rubber composition and a tire having excellent rupture strength. The method is a method for producing a multicomponent copolymer having a conjugated diene unit, a non-conjugated olefin unit and an aromatic vinyl unit, comprising adding a conjugated diene compound in divided portions into a reactor containing a catalyst and at least one selected from the group consisting of a non-conjugated olefin compound and an aromatic vinyl compound. The multicomponent copolymer is obtained with the production method. The rubber composition comprises the multicomponent copolymer as a rubber component. The tire uses the rubber composition.

Provided is a ring-opened copolymer containing a structural unit derived from a norbornene compound represented by general formula (I) below, a structural unit derived from a monocyclic olefin, and a branched structural unit, wherein the content of the branched structural unit is 0.005 to 0.08 mol % in the total repeating structural units of the ring-opened copolymer:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-20 linear saturated hydrocarbon group, or a substituent containing a halogen atom, a silicon atom, an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, and m is 0 or 1.

Provided is a ring-opened copolymer containing a structural unit derived from a norbornene compound represented by general formula (I) below, a structural unit derived from a monocyclic olefin, and a branched structural unit, wherein the content of the branched structural unit is 0.005 to 0.08 mol % in the total repeating structural units of the ring-opened copolymer:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-20 linear saturated hydrocarbon group, or a substituent containing a halogen atom, a silicon atom, an oxygen atom or a nitrogen atom, and m is 0 or 1.

An ear plug includes an elongated body sized and shaped to be partially inserted into an ear canal of a wearer, in which the body includes a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) polymer foam material having a Poisson's ratio of between 0 and −1. A mouth guard includes an arc-shaped element sized to be received into a mouth of a wearer. The arc-shaped element has an outer wall, an inner wall, and a biting wall connecting the outer wall and the inner wall. The outer wall, the inner wall, and the biting wall define a channel that is sized to receive upper teeth of the wearer or lower teeth of the wearer. The outer wall, the biting wall, or both includes a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) material having a Poisson's ratio between 0 and −1.

An ear plug includes an elongated body sized and shaped to be partially inserted into an ear canal of a wearer, in which the body includes a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) polymer foam material having a Poisson's ratio of between 0 and −1. A mouth guard includes an arc-shaped element sized to be received into a mouth of a wearer. The arc-shaped element has an outer wall, an inner wall, and a biting wall connecting the outer wall and the inner wall. The outer wall, the inner wall, and the biting wall define a channel that is sized to receive upper teeth of the wearer or lower teeth of the wearer. The outer wall, the biting wall, or both includes a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) material having a Poisson's ratio between 0 and −1.

A method for rubber formulating and characterizing, the method comprising (i) providing a plurality of rubber samples including at least three rubber samples each contained within a container; (ii) introducing a compounding additive to at least one of the samples within the plurality of rubber samples to thereby form a plurality of rubber formulations each contained within a container; (iii) mixing at least one of the samples of the plurality of rubber formulations under high-shear conditions to thereby form a plurality of vulcanizable compositions; and (iv) analyzing at least one of the samples plurality of vulcanizable compositions to thereby characterize the compositions of the plurality, where at least one or the plurality of the rubber samples, the plurality of rubber formulations, the plurality of vulcanizable compositions are transferred to a subsequent step through an automated transfer.

Process for preparing a reinforced rubber composition, said process comprising the step mixing, at a temperature of at least 120° C., at least the following compounds: (i) a rubber, (ii) at least one inorganic filler, (iii) at least one organic peroxide, and (iv) at least one anti-oxidant selected from phenolics, para-phenylidene diamines, and nitroxides.

Process for preparing a reinforced rubber composition, said process comprising the step mixing, at a temperature of at least 120° C., at least the following compounds: (i) a rubber, (ii) at least one inorganic filler, (iii) at least one organic peroxide, and (iv) at least one anti-oxidant selected from phenolics, para-phenylidene diamines, and nitroxides.

Provided in the present invention is a shoe that has a ground engaging surface with a simplified structure and that is excellent in lightweight properties since an outsole is composed of an elastomer sheet including a sheet body and foamed polymer particles dispersed in the sheet body.