A lignin-phenol-formaldehyde resin, which is obtained by polycondensation of formaldehyde, phenol and lignin in the presence of a basic or acidic catalyst, is characterized in that the lignin is a lignin that is not chemically modified at the available functional groups. This lignin has a low molecular mass and includes available functional groups chosen from the group including aliphatic hydroxyls and phenolic hydroxyls. The degree of substitution by weight of phenol with the lignin is between 50% and 60%. The weight proportion of the lignin and of phenol in the resin is equal to the weight proportion of phenol in a lignin-free phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin.

Provided is a charge-transporting varnish which includes a charge-transporting material including fluorine atoms, a charge-transporting material not including fluorine atoms, a dopant material comprising heteropoly acid, and an organic solvent, said charge-transporting material including fluorine atoms being a polymer of weight-average 1,000 to 200,000 molecular weight obtained by condensing a triarylamine compound, an aryl aldehyde compound including fluorine atoms, and a fluorine derivative having a carbonyl group, and said charge-transporting material not including fluorine atoms being an oligoaniline compound. The charge-transporting varnish provides a thin film which, even in a case of being used as a single layer in contact with and in between an anode and a luminescent layer, is capable of achieving an organic EL element having superior luminance characteristics and durability.

A resist underlayer film for lithography does not cause intermixing with a resist layer, has high dry etching resistance and high heat resistance, and generates a low amount of sublimate. A resist underlayer film-forming composition containing a polymer having a unit structure of the following formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein A is a divalent group having at least two amino groups, the group is derived from a compound having a condensed ring structure and an aromatic group for substituting a hydrogen atom on the condensed ring, and B.sup.1 and B.sup.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a benzene ring group, a condensed ring group, or a combination thereof, or B.sup.1 and B.sup.2 optionally form a ring with a carbon atom bonded to B.sup.1 and B.sup.2.

A functionalized ketone-aldehyde condensation resin is produced by condensing a ketone and an aldehyde in the presence of at least one alcohol or alkoxylate thereof, wherein the alcohol comprises amino alcohols and derivatives thereof, hydroxybutyl vinyl ether, OH-functional acrylates, OH-functional terpenes, OH-functional halogen compounds, hydroxycarboxylic acids, sulphur-containing alcohols, hydroxyl-containing urea derivatives, carbohydrates, siloxanes, OH-functional phosphorus compounds or unsaturated alcohols.

Polymeric materials and methods for making the polymeric materials utilizing bisphenolic stillbottoms, lignosulfonates, or both are disclosed. In one embodiment, a polymer is provided that includes a condensate of bisphenolic stillbottoms, an optional phenolic compound independent of bisphenolic stillbottoms, an aldehyde, and a lignosulfonate compound. The condensate may further include an amino compound, a catalyst, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, the polymer may be free of a phenolic compound independent of bisphenolic stillbottoms. The polymers may be used in the manufacture of articles including composites, laminates and paper products.

A tribologically modified polyoxymethylene polymer composition is disclosed. The polyoxymethylene polymer composition is comprised of a polyoxymethylene polymer and at least one tribological modifier. The tribological modifier may comprise at least one tribological modifier comprising an ultra-high molecular weight silicone having a kinematic viscosity of greater than 100,000 mm.sup.2s.sup.1. The composition may exhibit a dynamic coefficient of friction against a counter-material of from about 0.01 to about 0.15. The polyoxymethylene polymer compositions provide polymer articles with improved tribological properties and mechanical properties.

A compound or a resin represented by the following formula (1).

##STR00001##

(in formula (1), each X independently represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or an uncrosslinked state, each R.sup.1 is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen group, a cyano group, a nitro group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group, a thiol group, a heterocyclic group, an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 40 carbon atoms, and combinations thereof, in which the alkyl group, the alkenyl group and the aryl group optionally include an ether bond, a ketone bond or an ester bond, each R.sup.2 independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 40 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, a thiol group or a hydroxyl group, in which at least one R.sup.2 represents a group including a hydroxyl group or a thiol group, each m is independently an integer of 0 to 7 (in which at least one m is an integer of 1 to 7.), each p is independently 0 or 1, q is an integer of 0 to 2, and n is 1 or 2.)

A tribologically modified polyoxymethylene polymer composition is disclosed. The polyoxymethylene polymer composition is comprised of a polyoxymethylene polymer and at least one tribological modifier. The tribological modifier may comprise at least one tribological modifier comprising an ultra-high molecular weight silicone having a kinematic viscosity of greater than 100,000 mm.sup.2s.sup.1. The composition may exhibit a dynamic coefficient of friction against a counter-material of from about 0.01 to about 0.15. The polyoxymethylene polymer compositions provide polymer articles with improved tribological properties and mechanical properties.

A method for making a multi-part resin system includes forming a lignin-formaldehyde resin, forming a phenol-formaldehyde resin, and mixing the lignin-formaldehyde resin and the phenol-formaldehyde to form the multi-part resin system.

Methods and materials for patterning a substrate are disclosed herein. A poly(thioaminal) material may be utilized as a thermal resist material for patterning substrates in a thermal scanning probe lithography process. The poly(thioaminal) material may be functionalized with an electron withdrawing group and various monomers may be volatilized upon exposure to a thermal scanning probe.