A sulfonic acid modified polyvinyl alcohol resin comprising up to 15 mol % of a first comonomer comprising sulfonic acid groups. The modified polyvinyl alcohol resin has a hydroxyl unit content of at least 65 mol % and a gel fraction of 3.2 or less. Further, the modified polyvinyl alcohol resin has a disintegration time of 85 seconds or less, as measured in a mixture of 50 vol % water and 50 vol % isopropyl alcohol at 23° C. Additionally, the modified polyvinyl alcohol resin has a hard component present in a component ratio of 10% or greater and 55% or less and having a relaxation time of 0.0091 milliseconds or greater and 0.0104 milliseconds or less, as measured by the pulsed NMR Solid Echo method at 80° C. Also disclosed are methods for producing the sulfonic acid modified polyvinyl alcohol resins, which may advantageously be used in inks, paints, paper coatings, emulsions, or films.

Fracturing fluid comprising, in solution in water, a proppant and an associative amphoteric polymer, the said polymer and comprising: 0.01 to 10 mol % of at least one cationic monomer containing a hydrophobic chain, from 0.09 to 89.99 mol % of at least one anionic monomer, and from 10 to 99.9 mol % of at least one nonionic water-soluble monomer, the total amount of monomer being 100 mol %. Fracturing process using this fluid.

Described herein are cationic polymers having a plurality of quaternary amino groups, methods of making such polymers, and uses of such polymers as ion exchange membranes in electrochemical devices.

The invention relates to a copolymer of ethylene and of a 1,3-diene of formula CH.sub.2═CR—CH═CH.sub.2, which copolymer bears an amine function, the symbol R representing a hydrocarbon chain having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms. Such a copolymer improves the compromise between the content of ethylene in the polymer, its crystallinity and the stiffness of a rubber composition containing it.

Methods for treating fluids used in the production and/or transport of petroleum products and natural gas, and methods for the removal of acidic gases encountered in fluids used and encountered in such operations are provided. In one embodiment, the methods include introducing a treatment fluid including a polymeric swellable acid scavenger that includes at least one polymeric composition into a wellbore penetrating at least a portion of a subterranean formation in which an acidic gas, an acid-containing fluid, or both, are present.

The invention relates to methods of lubricating biological tissue, such as joints, bone, ocular tissue, nasal tissue, tendons, tendon capsule, and vaginal tissue, by contacting the biological tissue with an effective amount of a block copolymer lubricating composition which functions at least or better than lubricin. In particular embodiments, the method is used to treat osteoarthritis. In specific embodiments, the block copolymer has an ammonium-containing polymer block and a non-ionic hydrophilic polymer block, or the copolymer has a carboxylic acid-containing polymer block and a non-acid non-ionic hydrophilic polymer block.

The present invention relates to a polymer composition, to an article comprising the polymer composition, preferably to an article which is a photovoltaic (PV) module comprising at least one layer element (LE) comprising the polymer composition and to a process for producing said article, preferably said photovoltaic (PV) module.

Provided is a hydrogenated block copolymer, which is a hydrogenation product of a block copolymer including a polymer block (A) containing more than 70 mol % of a structural unit derived from an aromatic vinyl compound and a polymer block (B) containing 30 mol % or more of a structural unit derived from at least one selected from the group consisting of a conjugated diene compound and isobutylene, the hydrogenated block copolymer being satisfied with the following requirements (1) and (2): Requirement (1): the content of the polymer block (A) in the block copolymer is 1 to 30% by mass; and Requirement (2): when the polymer block (B) is regarded as having a structure with a hydrogenation rate of 100 mol %, an average value of a methylene chain length of a main chain of the structural unit derived from at least one selected from the group consisting of a conjugated diene compound and isobutylene is 1.0 to 6.0.

Disclosed herein are compositions to use in biofouling-resistant coatings, biofouling-resistant coatings, methods of making biofouling-resistant coatings, biofouling-resistant devices, and methods of making biofouling-resistant devices.

A copolymer including fluorinated units of formula (I):

—CX.sub.1X.sub.2—CX.sub.3X.sub.4—  (I)

in which each of the X.sub.1, X.sub.2, X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 is independently chosen from H, F and alkyl groups including from 1 to 3 carbon atoms which are optionally partially or totally fluorinated; and fluorinated units of formula (II):

—CX.sub.5X.sub.6—CX.sub.7Z—  (II)

in which each of the X.sub.5, X.sub.6 and X.sub.7 is independently chosen from H, F and alkyl groups including from 1 to 3 carbon atoms which are optionally partially or totally fluorinated, and in which Z is a photoactive group of formula —Y—Ar—R, Y representing an oxygen atom or an NH group or a sulfur atom, Ar representing an aryl group, and R being a monodentate or bidentate group including from 1 to 30 carbon atoms. Also, a process for preparing this copolymer, a composition including this copolymer, and a film obtained from this copolymer.