An object of the present invention is to provide a composition capable of allowing for production of a crosslinked foamed product suitable for applications of footwear parts such as soles and excellent in properties such as lightweight properties, heat shrinkability, compression set and mechanical strength in a well-balanced manner, a foamed product using the composition and a footwear part using the same. An ethylene copolymer composition including an ethylene copolymer (A) satisfying all the following requirements (A-a), (A-b), (A-c) and (A-d), ethylene/α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms/non-conjugated polyene copolymer rubber (B), and, if necessary, an ethylene/polar monomer copolymer (C); (A-a) a vinyl group content per 1,000 carbon atoms is 0.025 to 0.3, (A-b) MFR.sub.10/MFR.sub.2.16 is 7 to 20, (A-c) a density is 0.850 to 0.910 g/cm.sup.3, and (A-d) a melt flow rate is 0.01 to 200 g/10 min.

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition capable of allowing for production of a crosslinked foamed product suitable for applications of footwear parts such as soles and excellent in properties such as lightweight properties, heat shrinkability, compression set and mechanical strength in a well-balanced manner, a foamed product using the composition and a footwear part using the same. An ethylene copolymer composition including an ethylene copolymer (A) satisfying all the following requirements (A-a), (A-b), (A-c) and (A-d), ethylene/α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms/non-conjugated polyene copolymer rubber (B), and, if necessary, an ethylene/polar monomer copolymer (C); (A-a) a vinyl group content per 1,000 carbon atoms is 0.025 to 0.3, (A-b) MFR.sub.10/MFR.sub.2.16 is 7 to 20, (A-c) a density is 0.850 to 0.910 g/cm.sup.3, and (A-d) a melt flow rate is 0.01 to 200 g/10 min.

A method for producing gradient copolymers can include polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising a monomer and a comonomer in the presence of a metallocene catalyst in a loop reactor, wherein in the loop reactor a gradient monomer weight percent in the reaction mixture is about 3 wt % to about 50 wt %, thereby forming a gradient copolymer.

A method for producing gradient copolymers can include polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising a monomer and a comonomer in the presence of a metallocene catalyst in a loop reactor, wherein in the loop reactor a gradient monomer weight percent in the reaction mixture is about 3 wt % to about 50 wt %, thereby forming a gradient copolymer.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing blends of recycled polymeric material and virgin polyethylene. Post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) can vary widely with respect to composition which includes mixtures of variable amounts of different polar and non-polar polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and polyamide. Mixing PCR and virgin polyethylene is inconsistent, partially due to variability, and frequently results in a final product with poor mechanical and optical properties. The process described herein of adding PCR to a solution polymerization process provides another option for blending PCR and virgin polyethylene that offers an ability to exert greater control on the properties of the final product, independent of the composition of the PCR.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing blends of recycled polymeric material and virgin polyethylene. Post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) can vary widely with respect to composition which includes mixtures of variable amounts of different polar and non-polar polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and polyamide. Mixing PCR and virgin polyethylene is inconsistent, partially due to variability, and frequently results in a final product with poor mechanical and optical properties. The process described herein of adding PCR to a solution polymerization process provides another option for blending PCR and virgin polyethylene that offers an ability to exert greater control on the properties of the final product, independent of the composition of the PCR.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing blends of recycled polymeric material and virgin polyethylene. Post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) can vary widely with respect to composition which includes mixtures of variable amounts of different polar and non-polar polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and polyamide. Mixing PCR and virgin polyethylene is inconsistent, partially due to variability, and frequently results in a final product with poor mechanical and optical properties. The process described herein of adding PCR to a solution polymerization process provides another option for blending PCR and virgin polyethylene that offers an ability to exert greater control on the properties of the final product, independent of the composition of the PCR.

The present disclosure relates to water-absorbent resin particles in which a contact angle of 0.9% by mass saline at 25° C.±2° C. is 100 degrees or larger, and an absorbent material containing the water-absorbent resin particles.

A 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer particle (X) which satisfies the following requirements (X-a), (X-b) and (X-c): (X-a) being composed of a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer which has a content of a constitutional unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene being 30.0 to 99.7% by mol, and a content of a constitutional unit derived from at least one olefin selected from ethylene and an α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms (except for 4-methyl-1-pentene) being 0.3 to 70.0% by mol; (X-b) having, when measured in a cross fractionation chromatograph apparatus (CFC) using an infrared spectrophotometer as a detector part, at least one peak A of an amount of a component eluted present in the range of 100 to 140° C., and at least one peak B of an amount of a component eluted present at lower than 100° C.; and (X-c) having a meso diad fraction (m) measured by .sup.13C-NMR falling within the range of 95.0 to 100%.

A 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer particle (X) which satisfies the following requirements (X-a), (X-b) and (X-c): (X-a) being composed of a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer which has a content of a constitutional unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene being 30.0 to 99.7% by mol, and a content of a constitutional unit derived from at least one olefin selected from ethylene and an α-olefin having 3 to 20 carbon atoms (except for 4-methyl-1-pentene) being 0.3 to 70.0% by mol; (X-b) having, when measured in a cross fractionation chromatograph apparatus (CFC) using an infrared spectrophotometer as a detector part, at least one peak A of an amount of a component eluted present in the range of 100 to 140° C., and at least one peak B of an amount of a component eluted present at lower than 100° C.; and (X-c) having a meso diad fraction (m) measured by .sup.13C-NMR falling within the range of 95.0 to 100%.