In one embodiment the invention relates to a method of preparing a polyrotaxane, said method comprising: performing a radical copolymerization of at least (a) a first polymerizable monomer having a stopper group, and of at least (b) a second polymerizable hydrophobic monomer, wherein said second monomer is complexed by a ring-shaped molecule, and of at least (c) a third polymerizable hydrophilic monomer; wherein during said copolymerization a copolymer threading said ring-shaped molecule is formed, wherein during said copolymerization said first monomer having a stopper group is incorporated into the chain of said copolymer at least partially between the ends thereof, and wherein said stopper groups prevent said ring-shaped molecule from disassembling from the copolymer; and wherein the amount of said first monomer having a stopper group is of from 0.1 mol % to 20 mol % based on 100 mol % of the total amount of polymerizable monomers. In another embodiment the invention relates to a method of preparing a polyrotaxane, said method comprising: performing a radical copolymerization of at least (a) a first polymerizable monomer having a stopper group, and of at least (b) a second polymerizable partially hydrophilic monomer, wherein said second monomer is complexed by a ring-shaped molecule, and wherein said second monomer has a solubility in water at 20° C. of from 5 g/L to 40 g/L; wherein during said copolymerization a copolymer threading said ring-shaped molecule is formed, wherein during said copolymerization said first monomer having a stopper group is incorporated into the chain of said copolymer at least partially between the ends thereof, and wherein said stopper groups prevent said ring-shaped molecule from disassembling from the copolymer; and wherein the amount of said first monomer having a stopper group is of from 0.1 mol % to 20 mol % based on 100 mol % of the total amount of polymerizable monomers. Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of preparing cross-linked polyrotaxanes and cross-linked polyrotaxanes which can be prepared using such methods. Thus, the present invention also relates to polyrotaxane and crosslinked polyrotaxanes. The invention also relates to products which contain the polyrotaxanes or cross-linked polyrotaxanes or which can be prepared from the polyrotaxanes or the cross-linked polyrotaxanes. The present invention further relates to the use of polyrotaxanes or cross-linked polyrotaxanes in various applications, such as the use as a self-healing material.

An acryl-based copolymer composition is provided. The acryl-based copolymer composition includes an acryl-based copolymer, an aggregation inducing agent, and an aggregating agent, wherein the acryl-based copolymer includes a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester monomer-derived repeating unit, a (meth)acrylic acid alkoxy alkyl ester monomer-derived repeating unit, and a crosslinkable monomer-derived repeating unit. The aggregation inducing agent includes a siloxane-based monomer-derived repeating unit and an ether-based monomer-derived repeating unit, and the aggregating agent includes a monovalent ionic metal salt.

An ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer has a portion having a melting temperature of 94° C. or higher. A content of the portion having the melting temperature of 94° C. or higher measured by a Successive Self-nucleation and Annealing (SSA) analysis is 1.5% or less. A water-dispersive composition includes the ethylene (meth)acrylic acid copolymer, a neutralizing agent and an aqueous medium.

An ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer has a portion having a melting temperature of 94° C. or higher. A content of the portion having the melting temperature of 94° C. or higher measured by a Successive Self-nucleation and Annealing (SSA) analysis is 1.5% or less. A water-dispersive composition includes the ethylene (meth)acrylic acid copolymer, a neutralizing agent and an aqueous medium.

An aqueous dispersion of a multistage polymer and an aqueous coating composition comprising the aqueous dispersion and providing coating films with good scratch resistance and balanced properties.

An aqueous dispersion of a multistage polymer and an aqueous coating composition comprising the aqueous dispersion and providing coating films with good scratch resistance and balanced properties.

What is provided is a method for producing a composite-particle composition including a first step of obtaining a dispersion liquid of fine fibers; a second step of coating a surface of liquid droplets of a polymerizable monomer or a polymer with the fine fibers in the dispersion liquid to stabilize the liquid droplets as an emulsion; a third step of polymerizing the liquid droplets of the polymerizable monomer or the polymer to obtain composite particles including the polymer coated with the fine fibers; and a fourth step of adsorbing a compound that forms an ionic bond in a pair with an ionic functional group of the fine fibers onto the fine fibers in the surface of the composite particles.

What is provided is a method for producing a composite-particle composition including a first step of obtaining a dispersion liquid of fine fibers; a second step of coating a surface of liquid droplets of a polymerizable monomer or a polymer with the fine fibers in the dispersion liquid to stabilize the liquid droplets as an emulsion; a third step of polymerizing the liquid droplets of the polymerizable monomer or the polymer to obtain composite particles including the polymer coated with the fine fibers; and a fourth step of adsorbing a compound that forms an ionic bond in a pair with an ionic functional group of the fine fibers onto the fine fibers in the surface of the composite particles.

An aqueous coating composition is provided that is preferably substantially free of bisphenol A. The coating composition is preferably a latex-based coating composition that includes a latex polymer formed from ingredients including an anionic and/or zwitterionic surfactant that includes one or more acid groups neutralized with a metallic base. The coating composition is useful in coating metal substrates such as, for example, interior and/or exterior surfaces of food or beverage containers.

A method for producing a fluoropolymer, which includes polymerizing a monomer (I) represented by the general formula (I) in an aqueous medium to produce the fluoropolymer of the monomer (I), wherein an oxygen concentration in a reaction system of the polymerization is maintained at 500 ppm by volume or less:

CX.sub.2═CY—CF.sub.2—O—Rf-A   General formula (I):

wherein X and Y are independently H, F, CH.sub.3, or CF.sub.3, and at least one of X and Y is F; Rf is a fluorine-containing alkylene group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, or a fluorine-containing alkylene group having 2 to 100 carbon atoms and having an ether bond; and A is —COOM, —SO.sub.3M, —OSO.sub.3M, or —C(CF.sub.3).sub.2OM, wherein M is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.7.sub.4, imidazolium optionally having a substituent, pyridinium optionally having a substituent, or phosphonium optionally having a substituent, and R.sup.7 is H or an organic group.