There is provided a composition for forming an EUV resist overlayer film that is used in an EUV lithography process, that does not intermix with the EUV resist, that blocks unfavorable exposure light for EUV exposure, for example, UV light and DUV light and selectively transmits EUV light alone, and that can be developed with a developer after exposure. A composition for forming an EUV resist overlayer film used in an EUV lithography process including a resin containing a naphthalene ring in a main chain or in a side chain and a solvent, in which the resin may include a hydroxy group, a carboxy group, a sulfo group, or a monovalent organic group having at least one of these groups as a hydrophilic group.

The present invention employs a compound represented by the following formula (1) and/or a resin comprising the compound as a constituent: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is a 2n-valent group of 1 to 60 carbon atoms or a single bond; R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 are each independently a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a thiol group, a hydroxy group, or a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group, provided that at least one selected from R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 is a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group; m.sup.2 and m.sup.3 are each independently an integer of 0 to 8; m.sup.4 and m.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 9, provided that m.sup.2, m.sup.3, m.sup.4, and m.sup.5 are not 0 at the same time; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and p.sup.2 to p.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 2.

The present invention relates to a process for lignin dissolution in which partial methylolation of lignin is carried out during the step of preparing a solution of lignin in an aqueous medium comprising alkali and phenol. The lignin prepared according to the process of the present invention can be used to manufacture lignin-based phenolic resins, which are particularly useful in the manufacture of laminates.

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.

Provided is a lignin resin composition including a lignin derivative having a weight-average molecular weight of 500 or more and 4000 or less and a novolac-type phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 1000 or more and 3000 or less, in which the content of the lignin derivative is not higher than the content of the novolac-type phenolic resin. In particular, the cured product (molded product) of a lignin resin composition obtained by melt-mixing such a lignin resin composition, adding hexamethylenetetramine thereto and then heating the resulting mixture has a high bending strength. Such a lignin resin composition is utilizable as a thermosetting resin substituting a phenolic resin.

Provided is a lignin resin composition including a lignin derivative having a weight-average molecular weight of 500 or more and 4000 or less and a novolac-type phenolic resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 1000 or more and 3000 or less, in which the content of the lignin derivative is not higher than the content of the novolac-type phenolic resin. In particular, the cured product (molded product) of a lignin resin composition obtained by melt-mixing such a lignin resin composition, adding hexamethylenetetramine thereto and then heating the resulting mixture has a high bending strength. Such a lignin resin composition is utilizable as a thermosetting resin substituting a phenolic resin.

The invention relates to an in-situ process for preparing an alkylphenol-aldehyde resin. The process comprises the step of providing a raw alkylphenol composition. The raw alkylphenol composition comprises one or more alkylphenol compounds and at least about 1 wt % phenol. Each alkylphenol compound has one or more alkyl substituents. The raw alkylphenol composition is reacted directly, without pre-purification, with one or more aldehydes to form an in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin. The invention also relates to an in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin formed from the in-situ process, and its use in a tackifier composition and rubber composition. The tackifier composition and rubber composition containing the in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin show, inter alia, improved tack performance.

The invention relates to an in-situ process for preparing an alkylphenol-aldehyde resin. The process comprises the step of providing a raw alkylphenol composition. The raw alkylphenol composition comprises one or more alkylphenol compounds and at least about 1 wt % phenol. Each alkylphenol compound has one or more alkyl substituents. The raw alkylphenol composition is reacted directly, without pre-purification, with one or more aldehydes to form an in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin. The invention also relates to an in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin formed from the in-situ process, and its use in a tackifier composition and rubber composition. The tackifier composition and rubber composition containing the in-situ alkylphenol-aldehyde resin show, inter alia, improved tack performance.

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.