Polymers, including polyesters and polycarbonates comprising residue of bis-furan diol, which is produced from renewable furfural feedstock, and methods of making and using those polyesters and polycarbonates are described. The method includes reacting a bis-furan diol with a dicarboxylic acid in the presence of a carbodiimide to produce the bis-furan containing polymers. In certain embodiments, the dicarboxylic acid is succinic acid, the bis-furan diol is the 5,5-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(furan-2,5-diyl) dimethanol, and the carbodiimide is of N,N-diisopropylcarbodiimide.

The present invention provides a novel polycarbonate diol and a polyurethane using the polycarbonate diol as raw materials. The novel polycarbonate diol produces polycarbonate diol-based polyurethane which has a high degree of hardness, superior abrasion resistance, and superior hydrophilicity, and is usable for an application such as a paint, a coating agent, a synthetic leather, an artificial leather, and a highly-functional elastomers, or the like. The present invention also provides an active-energy radiation curable polymer composition giving a cured film having a superior contamination resistance and high degree of hardness. The present invention is obtained, for example, by reacting specific two types of diols with diester carbonate in the presence of a transesterification catalyst being a compound using a metal of Group 1 or 2 on the periodic table. The present invention provides a polycarbonate diol wherein the metal content of the transesterification catalyst is 100 weight ppm or less, a polyurethane obtainable by using this polycarbonate diol and an active-energy radiation curable polymer composition containing the urethane(meth)acrylate oligomer which is obtained from the polycarbonate diol.

The present invention relates to a polymer and the associated polymerization process, and to the use of the polymers according to the invention for example as foam suppressant, for the dispersion of solids or as surfactant for washing or cleaning purposes. The polymer is prepared by polymerization of a) at least one alkylene oxide or a cyclic carbonate of the formula (I) ##STR00001## where n is 1 to 10, m is 0 to 3 and R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.10-alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10-alkenyl, aryl or aralkyl, b) glycerol carbonate, where the polymerization is carried out in the presence of at least one base.

The present invention aims at providing a polycarbonate resin composition having excellent transparency and possessing high levels of biogenic substance content rate, heat resistance, wet heat resistance and impact resistance in a balanced manner, a production method thereof, and a molded body of the polycarbonate resin composition. The present invention is a polycarbonate resin composition including a polycarbonate resin (A) containing a constitutional unit derived from a compound represented by the following formula (1), and an aromatic polycarbonate resin (B), a production method thereof, and a molded body of the resin composition:

##STR00001##

Alkylene carbonates are removed from polyether-carbonate polymers by contacting the polyether-carbonate with an absorbent at a temperature of 30 to 150 C. The process is effective and inexpensive. The purified polyether-carbonate is useful for making polyurethanes as well as in many other applications.

A method for preparing a film of solid polymer electrolyte, including: (i) providing a composition including, in one or more solvents, at least one (co)polymer of at least one cyclic monomer selected from lactones and cyclic carbonates with five to eight ring members; the (co)polymer or (co)polymers having free terminal hydroxyl functions; at least one crosslinking agent, at least one ionic conductive salt; and optionally, in the case of a crosslinking agent bearing at least one photosensitive reactive function, at least one photoinitiator compound; (ii) forming a dry film from the composition, in conditions unfavourable to crosslinking of the (co)polymer or (co)polymers; and (iii) bringing the film into conditions favourable to crosslinking of the (co)polymer or (co)polymers to form the film of solid polymer electrolyte. Also disclosed is a film of solid polymer electrolyte and use thereof in an electrochemical system, in particular in a lithium battery.

The polycarbonate copolymer of the present invention comprises: a unit derived from at least one type of primary dihydroxyl compound; and a unit derived from at least two types of secondary dihydroxyl compounds, wherein the polycarbonate copolymer has a pencil hardness of H or greater, when a specimen is measured according to the pencil hardness test (ISO 15184), and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of about 90 C. to about 160 C., measured according to ISO 11357. The polycarbonate copolymer has excellent heat resistance, scratch resistance, moldability, light resistance, weather resistance, transparency, mechanical strength, and the like.

The present invention relates to a polycarbonate copolymer, a method for producing same, and a molded product comprising same, and more specifically, to: a polycarbonate copolymer exhibiting biodegradability and improved tensile strength and elongation compared to conventional polycarbonate copolymers due to including repeating units derived from a carbonate diester component and a diol component containing anhydrosugar alcohol, anhydrosugar alcohol-alkylene glycol, and aromatic diol in a specific content ratio; a method for producing the polycarbonate copolymer; and a molded article comprising the polycarbonate copolymer.

The polycarbonate copolymer of the present invention comprises: a unit derived from at least one type of primary dihydroxyl compound; and a unit derived from at least two types of secondary dihydroxyl compounds, wherein the polycarbonate copolymer has a pencil hardness of H or greater, when a specimen is measured according to the pencil hardness test (ISO 15184), and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of about 90 C. to about 160 C., measured according to ISO 11357. The polycarbonate copolymer has excellent heat resistance, scratch resistance, moldability, light resistance, weather resistance, transparency, mechanical strength, and the like.

This invention relates to a process for preparation of polyether alkoxylated carbonates. These products may also be referred to as polyether polycarbonates. This process simultaneously transcarbonates and alkoxylates a mixture of one or more carbonate compounds, and one more hydroxyl group containing compounds, with at least one alkylene oxide in the presence of a mixture of catalysts. The catalyst mixture contains at least one DMC catalyst and at least one non-alkaline transesterification catalyst. This invention also relates to novel polyether polycarbonates, a process for preparing polyurethane foams from these novel polyether polycarbonates and to foams comprising these novel polyether polycarbonates.