Provided herein are dispersible copolymer powders and asphalt compositions comprising the same. The dispersible copolymer powders comprise a core polymer having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of 40° C. or less and a shell comprising a water soluble protective colloid polymer having a T.sub.g of 50° C. or greater. The core polymer can be derived from a vinyl aromatic monomer, a 1,3-diene monomer, and optionally one or more ethylenically-unsaturated monomers. The protective colloid polymer can be selected from a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a polysaccharide, other water soluble polymers, or a combination thereof. Methods of preparing a styrene-butadiene modified asphalt without significantly increasing the viscosity, comprising adding the dispersible copolymer powder to an asphalt composition, wherein the addition of the copolymer polymer increases the viscosity of the asphalt by 100% or less at 135° C. within 2 hours of mixing are also described herein.

Provided is a conductive material dispersion liquid that has excellent viscosity stability and is capable of forming an electrode that can cause an electrochemical device to display excellent rate characteristics. The liquid contains a conductive material including CNTs, a dispersant, and a dispersion medium. The CNTs have a thermal decomposition time of not less than 1.5 min/mg and less than 10 min/mg. The time T is calculated by preparing a thermogravimetric curve and a derivative thermogravimetric curve through thermogravimetric analysis and using formula (I): T=(T.sub.1−T.sub.0)/W.sub.0 (T.sub.0: elapsed time (min) at which derivative thermogravimetric curve takes local minimum value directly before final peak; T.sub.1: time taken (min) for mass Mi of measurement sample at elapsed time T.sub.0 minutes to decrease to M.sub.1×0.10 as determined from thermogravimetric curve; W.sub.0: weight (mg) of measurement sample when heat treatment at 600° C. in air atmosphere begins).

Provided is an aqueous polyester resin dispersion composition that maintains high rot-proofness and adhesiveness over a long period of time. More specifically, provided is an aqueous polyester resin dispersion composition containing pyrithione or a salt thereof.

A polyurethane resin includes a reaction product of a raw material component containing a polyisocyanate, a macropolyol, a hydrophilic group-containing polyol, and a chain extender. The polyisocyanate is an alicyclic polyisocyanate. The macropolyol contains a plant-derived macropolyol. A biomass degree of the reaction product is 30% or more.

Provided is an aqueous ink composition for writing instruments which is excellent in an antibacterial property and an antifungal property without damaging storage stability and writing performances. The aqueous ink composition for writing instruments according to the present invention is characterized in that at least particles comprising principally a polymer represented by the following Formula (I) are contained as an active ingredient and that a content thereof is 0.1 to 30 mass %:

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wherein R is an alkyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms.

A removal composition and process for cleaning post-chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) contaminants and ceria particles from a microelectronic device having said particles and contaminants thereon. The composition achieves highly efficacious removal of the ceria particles and CMP contaminant material from the surface of the microelectronic device without compromising the low-k dielectric, silicon nitride, or tungsten-containing materials.

A method of growing plants in a coherent growth substrate product is provided and includes: providing at least one coherent growth substrate product comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; positioning one or more seeds, seedlings, cuttings or plants in contact with the growth substrate product; and irrigating the growth substrate product. The aqueous binder composition prior to curing includes a component (i) in the form of one or more oxidized lignins, a component (ii) in the form of one or more cross-linkers, and a component (iii) in the form of one or more plasticizers.

The present invention pertains to a dispersion of polyester particles in an aqueous dispersion medium, wherein the particles have a number average particle size below 1000 nm, and wherein the polyester particles are composed of a polyester material that has a HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) value between 7.6 and 10.5.

Provided is a method for efficiently producing an aqueous polyester resin dispersion composition in an excellent emulsification state with excellent adhesiveness. More specifically, provided is a method for producing an aqueous polyester resin dispersion composition, including mixing a melt-kneaded material of polyester and polyvinyl alcohol further with an aqueous solution of 3 to 10 mass% polyvinyl alcohol such that the total content of the polyester and the polyvinyl alcohol in the obtained mixture is 78 to 88 mass%.

A skin- or hair-cleansing composition including a component (A), which is an aqueous gelling agent represented by general formula (1) described in the specification, and a component (B), which is an anionic surfactant, wherein the component (A) presents a viscosity of an aqueous solution containing 1 mass % of at 25° C. of 1,000 to 5,000 mPa.Math.s and a clouding point of the aqueous solution containing 1 mass % of component (A) of 60° C. to 80° C., and has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 30,000; a method for producing the aqueous gelling agent and a method for producing the skin- or hair-cleansing composition are provided.