The present invention concerns block and/or tapered block copolymers comprising pendant hydrocarbyl, trisubstituted epoxide-containing moieties, and methods of preparing these and their precursors. The invention also concerns curable compositions comprising such copolymers as modified solution styrene butadiene rubbers and silica and/or carbon black and articles formed from curing these formulations. Such articles may be tyres.

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.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass compositions containing one or more polycycloolefinic monomers and at least one multifunctional olefinic monomer which when subjected to a suitable temperature undergoes mass polymerization to provide a three-dimensional insulating article which exhibits hitherto unattainable low dielectric constant and low-loss properties, and very high thermal properties. The compositions of this invention may additionally contain one or more organic or inorganic filler materials, which provide improved thermo-mechanical properties in addition to very low dielectric properties. The compositions are stable at room temperature and undergo mass polymerization only when subjected to suitable higher temperatures generally above 100° C. The compositions of this invention are useful in various applications, including as insulating materials in millimeter wave radar antennas, among others.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass compositions containing one or more polycycloolefinic monomers and at least one multifunctional olefinic monomer which when subjected to a suitable temperature undergoes mass polymerization to provide a three-dimensional insulating article which exhibits hitherto unattainable low dielectric constant and low-loss properties, and very high thermal properties. The compositions of this invention may additionally contain one or more organic or inorganic filler materials, which provide improved thermo-mechanical properties in addition to very low dielectric properties. The compositions are stable at room temperature and undergo mass polymerization only when subjected to suitable higher temperatures generally above 100° C. The compositions of this invention are useful in various applications, including as insulating materials in millimeter wave radar antennas, among others.

Provided is a plastic lens obtained by curing a curable composition including a curable compound, wherein the curable composition includes 50 parts by mass or more of a (meth)acrylic curable compound relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the curable compound, and in the plastic lens, the absorbance ratio of the maximum absorbance Abs1 at a wave number of 1680 to 1620 cm.sup.−1 relative to the maximum absorbance Abs2 at a wave number of 1800 to 1690 cm.sup.−1 in an infrared spectrum obtained by measurement with a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer is 7.0% or less, as calculated by using the following Formula 1:
Absorbance ratio (%)=(Abs1/Abs2)×100.

Provided is a plastic lens obtained by curing a curable composition including a curable compound, wherein the curable composition includes 50 parts by mass or more of a (meth)acrylic curable compound relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the curable compound, and in the plastic lens, the absorbance ratio of the maximum absorbance Abs1 at a wave number of 1680 to 1620 cm.sup.−1 relative to the maximum absorbance Abs2 at a wave number of 1800 to 1690 cm.sup.−1 in an infrared spectrum obtained by measurement with a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer is 7.0% or less, as calculated by using the following Formula 1:
Absorbance ratio (%)=(Abs1/Abs2)×100.

An aqueous polymer dispersion is composed of (i) an emulsion polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 30,000 daltons, wherein the emulsion polymer comprises as polymerized units, based on the dry weight of the emulsion polymer, (a) from 10% to 90% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated ionic monomer, (b) from 5% to 90% by weight of a photosensitive monomer, and (c) from 0 to 85% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated nonionic monomer; and (ii) from 3.5% to 50% by weight of TEMPO and/or a derivative thereof, based on the total dry weight of the aqueous polymer dispersion. An aqueous coating composition comprising the aqueous polymer dispersion and a binder provides coatings with improved durability.

An aqueous polymer dispersion is composed of (i) an emulsion polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 30,000 daltons, wherein the emulsion polymer comprises as polymerized units, based on the dry weight of the emulsion polymer, (a) from 10% to 90% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated ionic monomer, (b) from 5% to 90% by weight of a photosensitive monomer, and (c) from 0 to 85% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated nonionic monomer; and (ii) from 3.5% to 50% by weight of TEMPO and/or a derivative thereof, based on the total dry weight of the aqueous polymer dispersion. An aqueous coating composition comprising the aqueous polymer dispersion and a binder provides coatings with improved durability.

Disclosed are a photosensitive polymer including a repeating unit of Chemical Formula 1 or Chemical Formula 2 derived from a vinyl heteroaromatic compound and a resist composition including the same.

##STR00001##

In Chemical Formula 1 or 2, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen or a methyl group, X is a carbon, sulfur, or a nitrogen atom, and n is 1 or 2.

Disclosed are a photosensitive polymer including a repeating unit of Chemical Formula 1 or Chemical Formula 2 derived from a vinyl heteroaromatic compound and a resist composition including the same.

##STR00001##

In Chemical Formula 1 or 2, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen or a methyl group, X is a carbon, sulfur, or a nitrogen atom, and n is 1 or 2.