A resin composition for a solar cell encapsulant containing an ethylene.-olefin copolymer and an organic peroxide or a silane coupling agent or the like, and having superior heat resistance, transparency, flexibility and adhesion property to a glass substrate, as well as good balance between rigidity and cross-linking efficiency, the solar cell encapsulant and a solar cell module using the same. It is provided by a resin composition for the solar cell encapsulant characterized by containing the ethylene.-olefin copolymer (A) having the characteristics of the following (a1) to (a5), and the organic peroxide (B) and/or the silane coupling agent (C). (a1) a density of 0.860 to 0.920 g/cm.sup.3 (a2) a ratio, (Mz/Mn), of Z average molecular weight (Mz) and number average molecular weight (Mn) determined by a gel permeation chromatography (GPC), of 8.0 or less (a3) a melt viscosity (*.sub.1) measured at 100 C. under a shear rate of 2.4310 s.sup.1 of 1.210.sup.5 poise or more (a4) a melt viscosity (*.sub.2) measured at 100 C. under a shear rate of 2.4310.sup.2 s.sup.1 of 2.010.sup.4 poise or more (a5) a branch number (N) derived from a comonomer in a polymer satisfying the expression (a).

Curable sealant compositions having low temperature sealing ability improved over convention curable sealing compositions. The composition is flowable and can be cured to a cross linked form to provide cured reaction products that exhibit elastomeric properties. The curable elastomeric sealant composition can include a cross linkable elastomeric oligomer; an initiator or cross-linking agent; a glassy monomer and/or a rubbery monomer; and optionally one or more additives. Cured reaction products of the composition have a single Tg and retain a higher sealing force at low temperatures (but above the cured product Tg) as compared to a curable composition made from the same cross linkable elastomeric oligomer but without the glassy and/or rubbery monomer.

A sealing sheet having a resin layer comprising a resin part (A) formed by a resin composition containing one or more resins selected from the group consisting of an acrylic-based resin and a urethane-based resin, and a resin part (B) having a water vapor transmission rate measured in conformity with JIS K 7129 of 15 g/m.sup.2/day or less, in which the resin part (A) and the resin part (B) are present on at least one surface of the resin layer. The sealing sheet excels in a suppressing effect on moisture intrusion of the sealing sheet itself, and, when manufacturing a sealing structure, excels in an effect to prevent moisture intrusion into the sealing structure from between a substrate (adherend) and the sealing sheet.

A roofing membrane and a method of making the same is provided. The roofing membrane includes a top layer having a flame retardant and a first silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer with a density less than 0.90 g/cm.sup.3; a scrim layer; and a bottom layer having a flame retardant and a second silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer with a density less than 0.90 g/cm.sup.3. The top and bottom layers of the roofing membrane both exhibit a compression set of from about 5.0% to about 35.0%, as measured according to ASTM D 395 (22 hrs @ 70 C.).

An elastomeric article is provided that includes a composition having a silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer with a density less than 0.90 g/cm.sup.3. The elastomeric article can exhibit a compression set of from about 5.0% to about 35.0%, as measured according to ASTM D 395 (22 hrs @70 C.). The silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer can include a first polyolefin having a density less than 0.86 g/cm.sup.3, a second polyolefin having a crystallinity less than 40%, a silane crosslinker, a grafting initiator, and a condensation catalyst.

A shoe sole composition and method for making a shoe sole are provided. The shoe sole includes a composition comprising a foamed silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer having a density less than 0.50 g/cm.sup.3. The shoe sole exhibits a compression set of from about 5.0% to about 20.0%, as measured according to ASTM D 395 (6 hrs @ 50 C.). The foamed silane-crosslinked polyolefin elastomer can be produced from a blend including a first polyolefin having a density less than 0.86 g/cm.sup.3, a second polyolefin, having a crystallinity less than 40%, a silane crosslinker, a grafting initiator, a condensation catalyst, and a foaming agent.

Methods, compositions, apparatuses, and systems are provided for a hybrid thermoplastic gel or sealant. The methods comprise providing (a) a base polymer having at least one functional group capable of crosslinking, (b) a functionalized extender, and (c) heat, and reacting the base polymer and functionalized extender in the presence of the heat to form the hybrid thermoplastic gel. The gel composition may comprise 5-40 wt % of a base polymer, 60-95 wt % of a functionalized extender, and 0-10 wt % of a crosslinker. A closure or interconnect system may comprise a housing, a cable, and a hybrid thermoplastic gel or sealant. A telecommunications apparatus may comprise a telecommunications component and a sealant that forms a seal with the telecommunications component. The sealant may comprise a sealant material having a first range of elongation followed by a second range of elongation.

A sealing resin composition simultaneously having good transparency, resistance to moisture permeability, and adhesiveness resistant to heat and humidity, and a sealing resin composition sheet obtained therefrom. Using a resin composition containing (A) a styrene-isobutylene modified resin and (B) a tackifier resin as a sealing resin composition, a resin composition layer composed of the resin composition may be formed on a support to give a sealing resin composition sheet.

The invention relates to a method for producing a vessel closure for vessels comprising an opening that is to be closed by the vessel closure, an inner diameter of more than two cm and surrounds a polymer-based sealing element that is arranged in the vessel closure in such a manner that is sealingly rests on the opening of the vessel in the closed state. A polymer material becomes sufficiently free-flowing by warming and is applied to the vessel closure in the region of the sealing element that is to be produced, and optionally, is mechanically formed into the desired shape which it maintains after cooling. The invention also relates to a metal or plastic vessel closures for vessels for receiving drinks or food, and comprises a sealing insert, the material thereof being selected so that the migration of material components into the drink or food, that are a health risk, is prevented. The invention also relates to corresponding materials for said type of sealing inserts and to the use of specific polymers for producing the above-mentioned sealing inserts.

A sealing material for secondary battery contains a conjugated diene-based polymer and a cyclic olefin-based polymer. The weight ratio between the conjugated diene-based polymer and the cyclic olefin-based polymer, as expressed in (conjugated diene-based polymer/cyclic olefin-based polymer), ranges from 40/60 to 80/20, and the total amount of the diene-based polymer and the cyclic olefin-based polymer is 80 wt % or more of an entire amount.