The invention relates to aqueous compositions comprising a) at least one polymer PALK in the form of dispersed polymer particles, wherein the polymer PALK is obtainable by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of at least one cyclic olefin monomer, and b) at least one polymer P2 in the form of dispersed polymer particles, wherein the polymer P2 comprises no olefinically unsaturated CC-bond and has repeating units bearing at least one polar group.

The aqueous compositions are suitable in particular for producing sheetings and barrier coatings having a very good barrier action toward gases, such as air, oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and in particular toward oxygen and oxygenous gases, such as air. The sheetings and coatings also have very good mechanical properties, in particular a high elongation at break coupled with good tear strength.

A microporous polymeric composition including a matrix polymer having a fractional free volume of at least 0.1 and dispersed particles having a hypercrosslinked polymer.

An oxygen-absorbing composition of the present invention contains: a gas barrier resin (A) having an oxygen transmission rate of 500 mL.Math.20 m/(m.sup.2.Math.day.Math.atm) or less as measured at 20 C. and 65% RH; a thermoplastic resin (B) including repeating units represented by General Formula (I) below ##STR00001## (where X is a methylene group or an oxygen atom, R.sup.1 is an alkenylene group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 5 to 5000); at least one type of metal salt (C) selected from the group consisting of an iron salt, a nickel salt, a copper salt, a manganese salt, and a cobalt salt; and a bifunctional processing stabilizer (D) that is a compound having an acrylate structure and a hindered phenol structure in a same molecule. The oxygen-absorbing resin composition of the present invention performs excellent oxygen-absorbing properties, and enables to reduce generation of an unpleasant odor caused by decomposition of the oxygen-absorbing composition during oxygen absorption.

An oxygen-absorbing composition of the present invention contains: a gas barrier resin (A) having an oxygen transmission rate of 500 mL.Math.20 m/(m.sup.2.Math.day.Math.atm) or less as measured at 20 C. and 65% RH; a thermoplastic resin (B) including repeating units represented by General Formula (I) below

##STR00001## (where X is a methylene group or an oxygen atom, R.sup.1 is an alkenylene group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 5 to 5000); at least one type of metal salt (C) selected from the group consisting of an iron salt, a nickel salt, a copper salt, a manganese salt, and a cobalt salt; and a bifunctional processing stabilizer (D) that is a compound having an acrylate structure and a hindered phenol structure in a same molecule. The oxygen-absorbing resin composition of the present invention performs excellent oxygen-absorbing properties, and enables to reduce generation of an unpleasant odor caused by decomposition of the oxygen-absorbing composition during oxygen absorption.

Disclosed herein are ladder polymers comprising fused aromatic and non-aromatic rings. Also disclosed are the manufacture and use of these ladder polymers, e.g., in separation membranes, such as membrane for gas separation.