Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer pellets comprise an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and water, and have a water content of not higher than 0.5 wt. %, wherein the ratio (Y/Z) of a lactone ring content (Y) to the sum (Z) of a carboxylic acid content (X) and the lactone ring content (Y) in terminal structures of the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer is not less than 60 mol %. The pellets are excellent in high-temperature thermal decomposition-suppressing effect and thermal stability, and are free from odor emanation and coloration even if being processed at a higher temperature.

The present invention relates to a bundled yarn, comprising plural fibers integrated by a sizing agent, wherein the sizing agent is a modified polyvinyl alcohol comprising a structural unit (X) derived from an unsaturated carboxylic acid or derivative thereof in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by mole, taking the amount of all monomer units as 100% by mole, which modified polyvinyl alcohol has a saponification degree of 85% by mole or higher.

The present invention relates to a bundled yarn, comprising plural fibers integrated by a sizing agent, wherein the sizing agent is a modified polyvinyl alcohol comprising a structural unit (X) derived from an unsaturated carboxylic acid or derivative thereof in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by mole, taking the amount of all monomer units as 100% by mole, which modified polyvinyl alcohol has a saponification degree of 85% by mole or higher.

There is provided a vinyl alcohol-based polymer having an olefin in side chain, comprising 0.001 to 10 mol % of a structural unit represented by Formula (1) based on the total amount of structural units, wherein the total carbon number of X, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is 2 or more. The vinyl alcohol-based polymer having an olefin in side chain has excellent storage stability, good solubility in water or an organic solvent even after thermal treatment, and excellent reactivity to high energy beam. In Formula (1), X represents an optionally substituted divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, or a group consisting of two or more of these groups which are linked via at least one bond selected from the group consisting of an amide bond, an ester bond, an ether bond, and a sulfide bond; R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, independently of each other, represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted alicyclic hydrocarbon group, or an optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group; and X, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 can be arbitrarily combined to form a ring structure). ##STR00001##

There is provided a vinyl alcohol-based polymer having an olefin in side chain, comprising 0.001 to 10 mol % of a structural unit represented by Formula (1) based on the total amount of structural units, wherein the total carbon number of X, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is 2 or more. The vinyl alcohol-based polymer having an olefin in side chain has excellent storage stability, good solubility in water or an organic solvent even after thermal treatment, and excellent reactivity to high energy beam. In Formula (1), X represents an optionally substituted divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, or a group consisting of two or more of these groups which are linked via at least one bond selected from the group consisting of an amide bond, an ester bond, an ether bond, and a sulfide bond; R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, independently of each other, represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon group, an optionally substituted alicyclic hydrocarbon group, or an optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group; and X, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 can be arbitrarily combined to form a ring structure). ##STR00001##

A modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder having a structural unit derived from a derivative of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, and containing a reduced amount of methanol, and a trace amount of a component that does not dissolve in water. The present invention relates to a modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder containing a structural unit derived from a derivative (A) of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid in a content (X) of 0.05 mol % or more and 10 mol % or less, and having a degree of saponification of 80.0 mol % or more and 99.9 mol % or less, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder has a methanol content of 0.01 weight % or more and less than 3.0 weight %, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder contains 0.1 ppm or more and less than 2,000 ppm of a component that is insoluble in a 90° C., 5 weight % aqueous solution.

A modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder having a structural unit derived from a derivative of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, and containing a reduced amount of methanol, and a trace amount of a component that does not dissolve in water. The present invention relates to a modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder containing a structural unit derived from a derivative (A) of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid in a content (X) of 0.05 mol % or more and 10 mol % or less, and having a degree of saponification of 80.0 mol % or more and 99.9 mol % or less, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder has a methanol content of 0.01 weight % or more and less than 3.0 weight %, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder contains 0.1 ppm or more and less than 2,000 ppm of a component that is insoluble in a 90° C., 5 weight % aqueous solution.

A modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder having a structural unit derived from a derivative of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, and containing a reduced amount of methanol, and a trace amount of a component that does not dissolve in water. The present invention relates to a modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder containing a structural unit derived from a derivative (A) of an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid in a content (X) of 0.05 mol % or more and 10 mol % or less, and having a degree of saponification of 80.0 mol % or more and 99.9 mol % or less, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder has a methanol content of 0.01 weight % or more and less than 3.0 weight %, the modified vinyl alcohol polymer powder contains 0.1 ppm or more and less than 2,000 ppm of a component that is insoluble in a 90° C., 5 weight % aqueous solution.

A methacrylic resin having a cyclic structure in a main chain thereof, a shaped article, and an optical component or automotive part, in which the glass transition temperature is higher than 120 C. and 160 C. or lower, and the sign of the orientational birefringence when being oriented so as to have a degree of orientation of 0.03 is different from the sign of the orientational birefringence when being oriented so as to have a degree of orientation of 0.08.

A methacrylic resin having a cyclic structure in a main chain thereof, a shaped article, and an optical component or automotive part, in which the glass transition temperature is higher than 120 C. and 160 C. or lower, and the sign of the orientational birefringence when being oriented so as to have a degree of orientation of 0.03 is different from the sign of the orientational birefringence when being oriented so as to have a degree of orientation of 0.08.