A composition contains a phenolic compound represented by General Formula (1), an epoxy compound, and an inorganic substance.

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a method for increasing the reactivity of lignin, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) forming, under heating at a temperature of 30-70° C., an aqueous dispersion comprising alkali and lignin, wherein the alkali comprises a hydroxide of an alkali metal; and b) heating the dispersion formed in step a) at a temperature of 50-95° C. for producing alkalated lignin.

The present invention relates to a method for increasing the reactivity of lignin, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) forming, under heating at a temperature of 30-70° C., an aqueous dispersion comprising alkali and lignin, wherein the alkali comprises a hydroxide of an alkali metal; and b) heating the dispersion formed in step a) at a temperature of 50-95° C. for producing alkalated lignin.

To provide an epoxy resin composition that exhibits excellent low dielectric properties and that is excellent in copper foil peel strength and interlayer cohesion strength in a printed-wiring board application, a phenol resin and an epoxy resin for providing the composition, and a method for producing such a resin. A phenol resin containing a dicyclopentenyl group and represented by the following general formula (1): wherein each R.sup.1 independently represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; each R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a dicyclopentenyl group, and at least one R.sup.2 is a dicyclopentenyl group; i is an integer of 0 to 2; and n represents the number of repetitions and an average value thereof is a number of 10 to 10.

##STR00001##

To provide an epoxy resin composition that exhibits excellent low dielectric properties and that is excellent in copper foil peel strength and interlayer cohesion strength in a printed-wiring board application, a phenol resin and an epoxy resin for providing the composition, and a method for producing such a resin. A phenol resin containing a dicyclopentenyl group and represented by the following general formula (1): wherein each R.sup.1 independently represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; each R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a dicyclopentenyl group, and at least one R.sup.2 is a dicyclopentenyl group; i is an integer of 0 to 2; and n represents the number of repetitions and an average value thereof is a number of 10 to 10.

##STR00001##

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film includes: (A) a cross-linking compound that is represented by formula (I); and (D) a solvent. [In formula (I), m is an integer from 1 to 30, T is a single bond, a saturated hydrocarbon group, an aromatic group, or an unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon group, G.sup.1, G.sup.2, G.sup.3, G.sup.4, G.sup.5, and G.sup.6 are each independently (i) or (ii), the n's are each independently an integer from 1 to 8, the n R's are each independently a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, the A's are each independently an aryl group that may be interrupted by an alkylene group, and Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, Z.sup.3, Z.sup.4, Z.sup.5, and Z.sup.6 are each independently an alkyl group, an aryl group, a hydroxy group, an epoxy group, or a hydrogen atom.]

A method for producing a polyphenol derivative, including reacting a polyphenol-containing composition and an aromatic compound having an ortho-para directionality in a solvent, a polyphenol derivative produced by the method for producing a polyphenol derivative, and a polyphenol derivative-containing resin composition material containing the polyphenol derivative.

A method for producing a polyphenol derivative, including reacting a polyphenol-containing composition and an aromatic compound having an ortho-para directionality in a solvent, a polyphenol derivative produced by the method for producing a polyphenol derivative, and a polyphenol derivative-containing resin composition material containing the polyphenol derivative.

A resist underlayer film forming composition characterized by containing (A) a compound represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), independently, R.sup.1 represents a C1 to C30 divalent group; each of R.sup.2 to R.sup.7 represents a C1 to C10 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group, a C6 to C10 aryl group, a C2 to C10 alkenyl group, a thiol group, or a hydroxyl group; at least one R.sup.5 is a hydroxyl group or a thiol group; each of m.sup.2, m.sup.3, and m.sup.6 is an integer of 0 to 9; each of m.sup.4 and m.sup.7 is an integer of 0 to 8; m.sup.5 is an integer of 1 to 9; n is an integer of 0 to 4; and each of p.sup.2 to p.sup.7 is an integer of 0 to 2) and a cross-linkable compound represented by formula (2-1) or (2-2) (in formula (2), Q.sup.1 represents a single bond or an m.sup.12-valent organic group; each of R.sup.12 and R.sup.15 independently represents a C2 to C10 alkyl group or a C2 to C10 alkyl group having a C1 to C10 alkoxy group; each of R.sup.13 and R.sup.16 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; each of R.sup.14 and R.sup.17 represents a C1 to C10 alkyl group or a C6 to C40 aryl group; n.sup.12 is an integer of 1 to 3; n.sup.13 is an integer of 2 to 5; n.sup.14 is an integer of 0 to 3; n.sup.15 is an integer of 0 to 3, with these ns having a relationship of 3≤(n.sup.12+n.sup.13+n.sup.14+n.sup.15)≥6; n.sup.16 is an integer of 1 to 3; n.sup.17 is an integer of 1 to 4; n.sup.18 is an integer of 0 to 3; n.sup.19 is an integer of 0 to 3, with these ns having a relationship of 2≤(n.sup.16+n.sup.17+n.sup.18+n.sup.19)≤5; and m.sup.12 is an integer of 2 to 10).

A resist underlayer film forming composition characterized by containing (A) a compound represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), independently, R.sup.1 represents a C1 to C30 divalent group; each of R.sup.2 to R.sup.7 represents a C1 to C10 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group, a C6 to C10 aryl group, a C2 to C10 alkenyl group, a thiol group, or a hydroxyl group; at least one R.sup.5 is a hydroxyl group or a thiol group; each of m.sup.2, m.sup.3, and m.sup.6 is an integer of 0 to 9; each of m.sup.4 and m.sup.7 is an integer of 0 to 8; m.sup.5 is an integer of 1 to 9; n is an integer of 0 to 4; and each of p.sup.2 to p.sup.7 is an integer of 0 to 2) and a cross-linkable compound represented by formula (2-1) or (2-2) (in formula (2), Q.sup.1 represents a single bond or an m.sup.12-valent organic group; each of R.sup.12 and R.sup.15 independently represents a C2 to C10 alkyl group or a C2 to C10 alkyl group having a C1 to C10 alkoxy group; each of R.sup.13 and R.sup.16 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; each of R.sup.14 and R.sup.17 represents a C1 to C10 alkyl group or a C6 to C40 aryl group; n.sup.12 is an integer of 1 to 3; n.sup.13 is an integer of 2 to 5; n.sup.14 is an integer of 0 to 3; n.sup.15 is an integer of 0 to 3, with these ns having a relationship of 3≤(n.sup.12+n.sup.13+n.sup.14+n.sup.15)≥6; n.sup.16 is an integer of 1 to 3; n.sup.17 is an integer of 1 to 4; n.sup.18 is an integer of 0 to 3; n.sup.19 is an integer of 0 to 3, with these ns having a relationship of 2≤(n.sup.16+n.sup.17+n.sup.18+n.sup.19)≤5; and m.sup.12 is an integer of 2 to 10).