The present invention provides a rubber composition that can offer excellent abrasion resistance when applied to a tire member such as a tread, without deteriorating rolling resistance. To solve the problem, a rubber composition according to the present invention contains a rubber component, hydrous silicate, and a surfactant, in which the hydrous silicate is modified by the surfactant before being kneaded with the rubber component.

This disclosure is to provide a method of manufacturing a rubber composition comprising kneading a rubber composition that includes 100 parts by mass (pbm) of a rubber component (A) including 50 mass % or more of natural rubber, 5-50 pbm of at least one kind of thermoplastic resin (B) selected from among C5-based resins, C5-C9-based resins, C9-based resins, terpene-based resins, terpene-aromatic compound-based resins, rosin-based resins, dicyclopentadiene resins, and alkylphenol-based resins; 20-120 pbm of a filler (C) including silica; at least one kind of vulcanization accelerator (D) selected from among guanidines, sulfenamides, thiazoles, thiourea and diethyl thiourea; a silane coupling agent (E); and a vulcanizing agent (F). The kneading comprises a kneading stage A for kneading components (A)-(C), part or all of component (D), and 2 pbm or more of component (E), and a kneading stage B for kneading component (F) with a kneaded product of the kneading stage A.

Provided are modified plant fibers suitable for addition to rubber; an additive for rubber comprising the modified plant fibers which can be micronized and dispersed easily and highly when adding to rubber; a method of preparing the additive for rubber; and a rubber composition comprising the additive for rubber. Modified plant fibers (A) in which plant fibers (a) and a modified synthetic rubber (B) are covalently bonded wherein the ratio of the modified synthetic rubber (B) relative to 100 parts by weight of the plant fibers (a) is 5 to 100 parts by weight. An additive for rubber comprising 20 to 75 weight % of the modified plant fibers (A) according to claim 1 and 25 to 80 weight % of a processing agent for rubber (C), wherein the number average molecular weight of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 400 to 60,000, and the glass transition point of the processing agent for rubber (C) is 100 C. or less, and wherein the additive for rubber includes plant fibers in the ratio of 10 to 65 weight %.

Provided is a method of producing a polycarbonate that enables efficient drying of a polycarbonate powder and has no risk of deteriorating the quality of a polycarbonate molded article to be obtained. The method of producing a polycarbonate includes: a step of causing an alkali aqueous solution of a dihydric phenol and phosgene to react with each other in the presence of an organic solvent to produce an organic solvent solution containing a polycarbonate; a powdering step of powdering the organic solvent solution containing the polycarbonate to provide a polycarbonate powder; and a pre-drying step of drying the polycarbonate powder to remove the remaining organic solvent, in which a drying temperature in the pre-drying step is set to a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature of the polycarbonate containing 1.5 mass % of the organic solvent by from 5 C. to 15 C.

Provided is a positive-electrode material for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary batteries, the positive-electrode material being capable of achieving both high capacity and high output when used for a positive electrode for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary batteries. Also, provided is a method for manufacturing the positive-electrode material for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary batteries, wherein a lithium metal composite oxide powder is mixed with lithium tungstate, the lithium metal composite oxide powder being represented by a general formula Li.sub.zNi.sub.1-x-yCo.sub.xM.sub.yO.sub.2 (wherein 0.10x0.35, 0y0.35, 0.97z1.20, and M is an addition element and at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti, and Al) and comprising primary particles and secondary particles composed of aggregation of the primary particles.

An apparatus for removing material residue from an external mixing element as it is being withdrawn from an external vessel containing the material mixed by the mixing element. The apparatus includes a stationary support member, a repositionable support assembly, and a rotatable material stripping element held captive by at least one element of the repositionable support assembly.

In a method for controlling shrinkage of a composite, a dried hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber is exposed to a slow acting resin system having a first curing time. An excess amount of the slow acting resin system is removed to separate out the pre-wetted hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber. The pre-wetted hydrophobically modified cellulose-based fiber is mixed with a fast acting resin system to form a mixture. The fast acting resin system has a second curing time that is less than the first curing time. The mixture is molded at a predetermined temperature. The fast acting resin system is cured prior to the slow acting resin system, and the slow acting resin system flows into free space within the curing fast acting resin system prior to the slow acting resin system being cured.

An improved process for dispersing filler particles in a resin composition is disclosed. The filler particles, for instance electrically conductive or metal particles, are mixed with a resin material or blend of materials including a resin material to form a mixture that is subjected to an acceleration force. The acceleration force can be generated by passing the mixture through a static nozzle having particular dimensions to generate an acceleration of the mixture in the nozzle in excess of 400,000 m/sec.sup.2. The treated particles become uniformly dispersed in the resin composition and a reduction in average particle size of the filler material can be achieved.

Provided are a polymer ready for introduction into a kneading machine which is milled with good milling efficiency in a kneading machine and which provides a kneaded mixture with excellent filler dispersion, and a rubber composition and a pneumatic tire containing the polymer. The present invention relates to a polymer ready for introduction into a kneading machine, excluding natural rubber, the polymer having a temperature within the range of 20 C. to 80 C. and satisfying the following formula (I):

(Tip clearance d of kneading machine).sup.3(Volume V of polymer ready for introduction into kneading machine)2.010.sup.4 cm.sup.3 (I).

An elastomeric composition and method incorporating a hydrocarbon polymer modifier with improved permanence. The composition comprises elastomer, filler and silane-functionalized hydrocarbon polymer modifier (Si-HPM) made in a pre-reaction adapted to couple the Si-HPM to the elastomer, filler or both, wherein the Si-HPM comprises an interpolymer of monomers chosen from piperylenes, cyclic pentadienes, aromatics, limonenes, pinenes, amylenes, and combinations thereof.