Low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins are provided. Also provided are catalyst-mediated methods of making the low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins and a catalyst system for carrying out the methods. The catalyst system is a homogeneous catalytic system that includes a single-site organozirconium complex and hydrocarbon-soluble perfluoroarylborate co-catalyst that is highly active for the oligomerization of olefin monomers in non-polar media.

A partial oxidative coupling catalyst has a structure in which a component represented by M.sub.2ZrO.sub.3 is supported on a support, where M represents an alkali metal.

Provided is a PSA sheet that can be separated well from the adherend after a curing treatment and that can prevent adhesive transfer during separation even when exposed to a high temperature. Provided is a PSA sheet having a PSA layer. The PSA layer of the PSA sheet comprises a polymer having a glass transition temperature of −63° C. or higher. The PSA sheet has an adhesive strength reduction rate 17% or higher after a heating/curing treatment.

Provided are: a composition for forming an underlayer film in an imprinting method, which includes a high-molecular-weight compound having a polymerizable functional group and a monomer having a plurality of crosslinking functional groups capable of being bonded to the polymerizable functional group, and in which a Hansen solubility parameter distance, which is a difference between a Hansen solubility parameter of the high-molecular-weight compound and a Hansen solubility parameter of the monomer, is 5.0 or less, and regarding the two crosslinking functional groups among the plurality of crosslinking functional groups, the number of atoms, which constitute a shortest atom chain mutually linking crosslinking points in the respective crosslinking functional groups, is 7 or more; a laminate including a layer formed of the composition for forming an underlayer film; and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor element, in which a semiconductor element is manufactured using a pattern obtained by a pattern producing method.

There is provided a method for producing a modified polyvinyl alcohol resin, comprising step (A) of acetalizing polyvinyl alcohol particles swollen with a solvent capable of swelling the polyvinyl alcohol particles by reacting them with a carbonyl compound and/or an acetalized carbonyl compound in the presence of the solvent, wherein a content of an organic solvent in the solvent is 5% by mass or more.

Low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins are provided. Also provided are catalyst-mediated methods of making the low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins and a catalyst system for carrying out the methods. The catalyst system is a homogeneous catalytic system that includes a single-site organozirconium complex and hydrocarbon-soluble perfluoroarylborate co-catalyst that is highly active for the oligomerization of olefin monomers in non-polar media.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a paper substrate suitable for binding silicone in a catalytic hydrosilation reaction and products thereof, wherein the molecular weight of polyvinyl alcohol is used to control the viscosity of the water-based acetalization reaction, such that a paper substrate may be coated with acetalized polyvinyl alcohol that contains high amount of functional vinyl groups, wherein the functional vinyl groups are part of catenated carbon structures which contain at least 4 carbon atoms and which have an acetal connectivity with the backbone chain of the acetalized polyvinyl alcohol.

The present invention provides a modified block copolymer composition comprising a modified block copolymer containing at least one aromatic vinyl polymer block and at least one conjugated diene polymer block, and having at least one modified terminal modified with a compound having a silicon atom and an acrylic group and/or a methacrylic group.

A (meth)acrylate functional copolymer is useful as a dispersant for solid particulates in paints, inks and coatings. The copolymers have (meth)acrylate functionality positioned pendant to the polymer chain. Also positioned pendant to the polymer backbone chain are non-(meth)acrylate-functional hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic pendant groups. The copolymers are useful as dispersants in dispersions of particulate solids in organic media and aqueous media, such in paints and printing inks.

The present invention discloses a photosensitive composition, comprising polyvinyl acetate (0% saponified) having a styryl type nitrogen-containing heterocyclic groups such as a styrylpyridinium or/and styrylquinolinium that possesses high UV light energy sensitivity with a small photosensitive group content, high solid content, high water resistance, and very sharp imaging characteristics and produced therefrom photosensitive compositions such as a photo-resist, photolithographic plates, screen printing stencil emulsion and film, and abrasion resistant photosensitive emulsion and film, and other photosensitive compositions being used for commercial and industrial applications.