The notched Izod impact toughness and tensile elongation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-homopolymers are increased by about 2 to about 4 times by blending therewith a PLA-copolymer having a difunctional flexible middle segment such as a polysiloxane or a polyether from about 0.6 wt. % to about 20 wt. %. The PLA-homopolymer-PLA-copolymer blend having a difunctional flexible polymer from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % is thermally annealed to provide impact toughness of at least about 5 kJ/m.sup.2 and tensile elongation of greater than 12%. This exceptional improvement observed in the PLA blend is a synergistic effect of the addition of the difunctional flexible polymer of the copolymer and thermal annealing. The improvement observed in the mechanical properties with high PLA homopolymer content above about 90 to about 98 wt. % is unusual and results in an increased scope of molding and thermoforming applications. The annealed PLA-copolymers having a difunctional flexible middle segment have also been found to have improved notched Izod impact properties.

The present invention relates, in one aspect, to a thermosetting resin composition including an epoxy resin, an isocyanate resin, a polyrotaxane resin, and a curing agent, wherein the isocyanate resin includes a hexamethylene skeleton and at least one selected from a biuret skeleton, an isocyanurate skeleton, an allophanate skeleton, a neopentyl skeleton, a butylene skeleton, and a dicarboxyl skeleton in a structure thereof.

Provided herein are compositions including polymeric binder or a salt thereof, high molecular weight polymer, pharmaceutically active agent and a low molecular weight cross-linking agent, methods for using the compositions to coat a substrate, and methods for making the compositions. Alternatively, the composition may include a polymeric binder or a salt thereof, high molecular weight polymer and a pharmaceutically active agent. In particular, the substrate may form part of an apparatus on which it would be beneficial to limit biofouling and/or protein binding.

Provided herein are compositions including polymeric binder or a salt thereof, high molecular weight polymer, pharmaceutically active agent and a low molecular weight cross-linking agent, methods for using the compositions to coat a substrate, and methods for making the compositions. Alternatively, the composition may include a polymeric binder or a salt thereof, high molecular weight polymer and a pharmaceutically active agent. In particular, the substrate may form part of an apparatus on which it would be beneficial to limit biofouling and/or protein binding.

Provided is an antistatic agent (Z) containing: a block polymer (A) having a block of a hydrophobic polymer (a) and a block of a hydrophilic polymer (b) as structure units; and a sulfonate (S), the sulfonate (S) being a salt of an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid anion which has a C6-C18 alkyl group, the sulfonate (S) including at least two alkylbenzenesulfonates different in the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group in the anion, the sulfonate (S) satisfying the following formula:

0.40≤W(n)/[W(n−1)+W(n)+W(n+1)]≤0.90

wherein n is the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group in the anion of an alkylbenzenesulfonate accounting for the highest proportion by weight in the sulfonate (S); W(n) is a weight of said alkylbenzenesulfonate; and W(n−1) and W(n+1) are respectively a weight of an alkylbenzenesulfonate containing an anion having an alkyl group with (n−1) carbon atoms and a weight of an alkylbenzenesulfonate containing an anion having an alkyl group with (n+1) carbon atoms.

Provided is an antistatic agent (Z) containing: a block polymer (A) having a block of a hydrophobic polymer (a) and a block of a hydrophilic polymer (b) as structure units; and a sulfonate (S), the sulfonate (S) being a salt of an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid anion which has a C6-C18 alkyl group, the sulfonate (S) including at least two alkylbenzenesulfonates different in the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group in the anion, the sulfonate (S) satisfying the following formula:
0.40≤W(n)/[W(n−1)+W(n)+W(n+1)]≤0.90
wherein n is the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group in the anion of an alkylbenzenesulfonate accounting for the highest proportion by weight in the sulfonate (S); W(n) is a weight of said alkylbenzenesulfonate; and W(n−1) and W(n+1) are respectively a weight of an alkylbenzenesulfonate containing an anion having an alkyl group with (n−1) carbon atoms and a weight of an alkylbenzenesulfonate containing an anion having an alkyl group with (n+1) carbon atoms.

A resist composition containing a resin component having a structural unit represented by general formula (a0-1), and a compound represented by general formula (b1). In general formula (a0-1), R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or a halogenated alkyl group, Va.sup.1 is a divalent hydrocarbon group, n.sub.a1 represents an integer of 0 to 2, Ya.sup.0 is a carbon atom, Xa.sup.0 is a group forming a monocyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group together with Ya.sup.0, and Ra.sup.00 is an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a specific unsaturated hydrocarbon group. In general formula (b1), R.sup.b1 represents a cyclic hydrocarbon group, Y.sup.b1 represents a divalent linking group containing an ester bond, V.sup.b1 represents an alkylene group, a fluorinated alkylene group, or a single bond, and M.sup.m+ is an m-valent organic cation.

##STR00001##

A resist composition which generates an acid upon exposure and changes a solubility in a developing solution under an action of the acid, the resist composition containing a base material component whose solubility in the developing solution changes under the action of an acid and an acid generator represented by general formula (b1). In general formula (b-1), R.sup.b1 represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group having at least one alkyl group having 3 or more carbon atoms as a substituent, Y.sup.b1 represents a divalent linking group containing an ester bond (—C(═O)—O— or —O—C(═O)—), V.sup.b1 represents an alkylene group, a fluorinated alkylene group, or a single bond, m is an integer of 1 or more, and M.sup.m+ represents an m-valent organic cation.

R.sup.b1—Y.sup.b1—V.sup.b1—CF.sub.2—SO.sub.3.sup.−(M.sup.m+).sub.1/m  (b1)

A rubber composition for a tire tread of the present technology comprises a rubber component containing not less than 30 mass % of a conjugated diene-based rubber (A), a silica (B), and a predetermined alkyltriethoxysilane (C), the conjugated diene-based rubber (A) containing not less than 5 mass % of a specified structural member (a), the silica (B) having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (N.sub.2SA) from 194 to 225 m.sup.2/g and a CTAB adsorption specific surface area (CTAB) from 180 to 210 m.sup.2/g, a content of the silica (B) being from 60 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and a content of the alkyltriethoxysilane (C) being from 2.5 to 8.0 mass % relative to the silica (B).

A rubber composition for a tire tread of the present technology comprises a rubber component containing not less than 30 mass % of a conjugated diene-based rubber (A), a silica (B), and a predetermined alkyltriethoxysilane (C), the conjugated diene-based rubber (A) containing not less than 5 mass % of a specified structural member (a), the silica (B) having a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area (N.sub.2SA) from 194 to 225 m.sup.2/g and a CTAB adsorption specific surface area (CTAB) from 180 to 210 m.sup.2/g, a content of the silica (B) being from 60 to 150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and a content of the alkyltriethoxysilane (C) being from 2.5 to 8.0 mass % relative to the silica (B).