A polymer-encapsulated pigment dispersion is prepared from a mixture of (a) a carrier; (b) pigment particles; and (c) a polymeric dispersing agent having a polymer backbone, and an alkali-swellable copolymer component. The dispersing agent may provide efficient pigment wetting and dispersion using relatively low and thus economical dispersant amounts, and subsequently enable formation of polymer-encapsulating pigment dispersions that, when used in coatings, provide good opacity and good hiding characteristics, especially in titanium dioxide-containing coating compositions.

A polymer-encapsulated pigment dispersion is prepared from a mixture of (a) a carrier; (b) pigment particles; and (c) a polymeric dispersing agent having a polymer backbone, and an alkali-swellable copolymer component. The dispersing agent may provide efficient pigment wetting and dispersion using relatively low and thus economical dispersant amounts, and subsequently enable formation of polymer-encapsulating pigment dispersions that, when used in coatings, provide good opacity and good hiding characteristics, especially in titanium dioxide-containing coating compositions.

An object is to provide a steel cord coating rubber composition that provides excellent workability and excellent peel resistance under heat aging conditions. The steel cord coating rubber composition includes, per 100 parts by mass of a diene-based rubber, 1 to 5 parts by mass of 1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate and 0.1 to 1 part by mass of 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol, and the content ratio between 1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate and 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol (1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate/1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol) on a mass basis is 1.6 or more.

An object is to provide a steel cord coating rubber composition that provides excellent workability and excellent peel resistance under heat aging conditions. The steel cord coating rubber composition includes, per 100 parts by mass of a diene-based rubber, 1 to 5 parts by mass of 1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate and 0.1 to 1 part by mass of 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol, and the content ratio between 1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate and 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol (1,6-hexamethylenediamine-sodium dithiosulfate dihydrate/1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trithiol) on a mass basis is 1.6 or more.

The present invention relates to a coating material containing a resin component ? and an oil component. An SP value of the resin component ? is 7.5 to 11.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2, and the oil component can exude out from a cured or dried coating film layer to which the coating material has been applied when a temperature drops to a predetermined value or less.

A flexographic printing raw plate including: a support; a photosensitive resin composition layer on the support; an intermediate layer; and an infrared ablation layer in the presented order, wherein in a tensile stress-strain curve diagram measured by molding the intermediate layer into dumbbell shape No. 8 with a thickness of 100 ?m in accordance with JIS K 6251 (2017), an elongation at a breaking point is 5% or more and 200% or less, an elongation at a point where the stress is maximized is 3% or more and 200% or less, and a maximum value of the stress is 1.0 MPa or more and 15 MPa or less.

A flexographic printing raw plate including: a support; a photosensitive resin composition layer on the support; an intermediate layer; and an infrared ablation layer in the presented order, wherein in a tensile stress-strain curve diagram measured by molding the intermediate layer into dumbbell shape No. 8 with a thickness of 100 ?m in accordance with JIS K 6251 (2017), an elongation at a breaking point is 5% or more and 200% or less, an elongation at a point where the stress is maximized is 3% or more and 200% or less, and a maximum value of the stress is 1.0 MPa or more and 15 MPa or less.

An imaging device (100) is disclosed comprising an ultrasound transducer array (101, 120, 130) having a plurality of ultrasound transducer elements defining an ultrasound emitting surface of the ultrasound transducer array; and an acoustic window (220) on the ultrasound emitting surface, said acoustic window comprising: a first layer (221) of a hydrocarbon elastomer contacting the ultrasound emitting surface, said first layer further containing an antioxidant; and a second layer (223) of a further hydrocarbon elastomer on the first layer, said second layer having a greater Shore A hardness than the first layer. Also disclosed are an ultrasound imaging system (10) comprising such an imaging device, such as catheter (100), and a method (300) of forming an acoustic window (220) on an ultrasound transducer array (101, 120, 130) for such a device (100).

A weather resistive barrier (WRB) for the exterior protection of building substrates can have a water vapor permeability that decreases with increasing temperature. In an embodiment, the WRB includes a coating comprising a LCST polymer, and may further include a second polymer. The WRB can be part of a building assembly, part of a sheet, or a sheet itself, the sheet having an air permeability of less than 0.02 L/(s m.sup.2) at a pressure of 75 Pa. Furthermore a liquid coating composition can include a LCST polymer and a second polymer, wherein the liquid coating composition can be adapted that a solid coating formed by the liquid coating composition has an air permeability of less than 0.02 L/(s m.sup.2) at a pressure of 75 Pa and a water vapor permeability that decreases with increasing temperature.

A weather resistive barrier (WRB) for the exterior protection of building substrates can have a water vapor permeability that decreases with increasing temperature. In an embodiment, the WRB includes a coating comprising a LCST polymer, and may further include a second polymer. The WRB can be part of a building assembly, part of a sheet, or a sheet itself, the sheet having an air permeability of less than 0.02 L/(s m.sup.2) at a pressure of 75 Pa. Furthermore a liquid coating composition can include a LCST polymer and a second polymer, wherein the liquid coating composition can be adapted that a solid coating formed by the liquid coating composition has an air permeability of less than 0.02 L/(s m.sup.2) at a pressure of 75 Pa and a water vapor permeability that decreases with increasing temperature.