In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to a centrally-functionalizable living cationic polymer or copolymer having a centrally-substituted tetraene group having the formula

##STR00001##

wherein each R is selected from the group consisting of a polymer or a copolymer, such as a polyisobutylene polymer or a poly(isobutylene-b-styrene) copolymer.

The present invention relates to a method of producing an alkoxylene derivative and an application thereof. A mixture is firstly subjected to a first reaction for obtaining a first intermediate. The mixture includes an alkyl alcohol compound and a glycidyl ether compound. A second reaction is performed to the first intermediate and an epoxyalkyl compound, thereby obtaining the alkoxylene derivative. The alkoxylene derivative can effectively improve antistatic property and anti-fogging property.

A cross-linked rubber obtained by cross-linking a polyether rubber composition containing a polyether rubber and a cross-linking agent, wherein the polyether rubber contains an epihalohydrin monomer unit and an ethylene oxide monomer unit and has a ratio of content of the ethylene oxide monomer unit of 50 to 80 mol % in a total monomer unit, and an acetone extraction amount when the cross-linked rubber is immersed in acetone at 23 C. for 72 hours is 3.5 wt % or less.

A copolymer comprising about 50 to about 80 mol % alkylene oxide, about 5 to about 50 mol % halo epoxide, and 0 to about 15 mol % diene-epoxide. The copolymer has a water-soluble amount of less than 10 wt %. In some embodiments, the volume resistivity of a semi-conductive composition made from the copolymer is between about 1.0*10.sup.5 about to 3.5*10.sup.7 ohms*cm.

The present invention discloses a monoepoxy compound represented by the following Formula (1), a curable composition containing the same, a cured product therefrom, a method of producing the monoepoxy compound, and a reactive diluent containing the monoepoxy compound. The monoepoxy compound represented by the Formula (1) is useful in that it is capable of reducing the viscosity of a curable composition containing the monoepoxy compound, while preventing a reduction in the heat resistance of the curable composition as well as a reduction in the weight of the curable composition upon curing.

##STR00001##

(In the Formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, and an alkoxy group.)

Provided is a material which exhibits excellent ion conductivity and excellent processability and which can provide an electrolyte that exhibits excellent water-resistant shape retention properties after processing. A polyether copolymer having polyether segment blocks having cationic groups and hydrophobic polyether segment blocks. The polyether segments having cationic groups preferably have oxirane monomer units represented by general formula (1). The polyether copolymer may have oxirane monomer units having crosslinkable groups. An electrolyte is obtained by crosslinking a composition containing the polyether copolymer and a crosslinking agent. (In general formula (1), A+ denotes a group having an onium cation structure having a cationic nitrogen atom, and X denotes an anion). ##STR00001##

Provided is a material which exhibits excellent ion conductivity and excellent processability and which can provide an electrolyte that exhibits excellent water-resistant shape retention properties after processing. A polyether copolymer having polyether segment blocks having cationic groups and hydrophobic polyether segment blocks. The polyether segments having cationic groups preferably have oxirane monomer units represented by general formula (1). The polyether copolymer may have oxirane monomer units having crosslinkable groups. An electrolyte is obtained by crosslinking a composition containing the polyether copolymer and a crosslinking agent. (In general formula (1), A+ denotes a group having an onium cation structure having a cationic nitrogen atom, and X denotes an anion). ##STR00001##

The present invention aims to provide rubber compositions and tires which provide improved overall performance in terms of wet grip performance, dry grip performance, and fuel economy. The present invention relates to a rubber composition having a hardness that reversibly changes with water and satisfying the following relationships (1) and (2):
Hardness when dry?Hardness when water-wet?1(1)
wherein each hardness represents the JIS-A hardness at 25? C. of the rubber composition; and
tan ? at 70? C. when dry<0.14(2)
wherein the tan ? at 70? C. represents the loss tangent measured at 70? C., an initial strain of 10%, a dynamic strain of 2%, and a frequency of 10 Hz.

The present invention provides a compound represented by the general formula (I), and a polymerizable composition containing the compound. When the polymerizable composition containing the compound represented by the formula (I) is used to form a filmy product, the resulting filmy product exhibits less change over time in phase difference and reverse wavelength dispersion and when the filmy polymer is irradiated with UV light, peeling from a substrate is unlikely to be caused. Further, the invention provides a polymer obtained through polymerization of the polymerizable composition and an optically anisotropic body obtained using the polymer.

There is provided a composition for gel electrolyte that has excellent coatability, gelation properties, and liquid retention properties, has a high film strength after gelation, and can impart excellent power characteristics and a high capacity retention ratio to an electrochemical capacitor. The composition for gel electrolyte comprises an electrolyte salt and a polyether copolymer having an ethylene oxide unit, wherein the polyether copolymer has a weight-average molecular weight of 100,000 to 1,000,000, and the composition for gel electrolyte has a viscosity at 25 C. of 1 to 12 Pa.Math.s.