To provide a novel production method for a hydrogenated petroleum resin that does not cause filter clogging and is also capable of suppressing a significant decrease in catalytic activity in hydrogenation in a production method for a dicyclopentadiene/vinyl aromatic compound-based hydrogenated resin to be used as a tackifier. A production method for a dicyclopentadiene/vinyl aromatic compound-based hydrogenated petroleum resin, in which a reaction product obtained by reacting a dicyclopentadiene with a vinyl aromatic compound is subjected to thermal polymerization, thereby obtaining a thermal polymerization reaction product, followed by hydrogenation thereof, characterized in that as the thermal polymerization reaction product, an oligomer-removed thermal polymerization reaction product obtained by removing a dicyclopentadiene oligomer from the thermal polymerization reaction product is used as a hydrogenation raw material.

To provide a novel production method for a hydrogenated petroleum resin that does not cause filter clogging and is also capable of suppressing a significant decrease in catalytic activity in hydrogenation in a production method for a dicyclopentadiene/vinyl aromatic compound-based hydrogenated resin to be used as a tackifier. A production method for a dicyclopentadiene/vinyl aromatic compound-based hydrogenated petroleum resin, in which a reaction product obtained by reacting a dicyclopentadiene with a vinyl aromatic compound is subjected to thermal polymerization, thereby obtaining a thermal polymerization reaction product, followed by hydrogenation thereof, characterized in that as the thermal polymerization reaction product, an oligomer-removed thermal polymerization reaction product obtained by removing a dicyclopentadiene oligomer from the thermal polymerization reaction product is used as a hydrogenation raw material.

A polymer composition comprising a star-branched copolymer having a plurality of arms is disclosed. Each polymer arm has a molecular weight Mp of from 1 kg/mol to 50 kg/mol and comprises polymerized units (i) derived from a first vinyl aromatic monomer comprising a radical-reactive group, wherein from greater than 10 mol % to 100 mol % of the units (i) are unhydrogenated; and optionally, polymerized units (ii) comprising hydrogenated and unhydrogenated forms of polymerized units derived from a high Tg monomer, and hydrogenated form of polymerized units (i) or hydrogenated form of polymerized styrene units; and optionally, polymerized units (iii) comprising (a) hydrogenated form of polymerized units derived from one or more acyclic conjugated dienes, and (b) polymerized units derived from one or more of a second vinyl aromatic monomer; wherein less than 10 wt. % of units (a) are unhydrogenated.

Acoustic wave sensors comprise: a piezoelectric layer, first and second electrodes arranged with the piezoelectric layer in a piezoelectric transducer circuit; and a polymeric sensing layer for adsorbing a gas-phase analyte, the adsorption of which analyte causes a change in resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer circuit, wherein the polymeric sensing layer comprises: (a) a polymer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: polyarylenes comprising the reaction product of monomers comprising a first monomer comprising an aromatic acetylene group and a second monomer comprising a cyclopentadienone group; polyamides; polypyrazoles; or novolacs; or a cured product thereof; (b) a polymer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: polyamic acids; or polyamic acid-polyimide copolymers; (c) a polymer formed from one or more monomers comprising a monomer comprising a polar group-substituted arylcyclobutene group, or a cured product thereof; or (d) a polymer comprising polymerized units of a monomer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: maleimides; or norbomenes; or a cured product thereof. The acoustic wave sensors and methods of using such sensors find particular applicability in the sensing of gas-phase analytes.

Acoustic wave sensors comprise: a piezoelectric layer, first and second electrodes arranged with the piezoelectric layer in a piezoelectric transducer circuit; and a polymeric sensing layer for adsorbing a gas-phase analyte, the adsorption of which analyte causes a change in resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer circuit, wherein the polymeric sensing layer comprises: (a) a polymer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: polyarylenes comprising the reaction product of monomers comprising a first monomer comprising an aromatic acetylene group and a second monomer comprising a cyclopentadienone group; polyamides; polypyrazoles; or novolacs; or a cured product thereof; (b) a polymer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: polyamic acids; or polyamic acid-polyimide copolymers; (c) a polymer formed from one or more monomers comprising a monomer comprising a polar group-substituted arylcyclobutene group, or a cured product thereof; or (d) a polymer comprising polymerized units of a monomer chosen from substituted or unsubstituted: maleimides; or norbomenes; or a cured product thereof. The acoustic wave sensors and methods of using such sensors find particular applicability in the sensing of gas-phase analytes.

A polymer obtained by a solution polymerization process comprising within a range from 0.5 to 20 wt % of cyclic olefin derived units, within a range from 0 wt % to 15 wt % C4 to C12 -olefin derived units, the remainder being ethylene derived units; and having a Mw/Mn of less than 2.5; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 80,000 to 300,000 g/mole; and a g value of greater than 0.95. The polymer may be formed in a solution polymerization process comprising combining in a solution cyclic olefins, ethylene, hydrogen and optionally C4 to C12 -olefins with a single-site catalyst to form the polymer, wherein the single-site catalyst is most preferably selected from unsymmetrical Group 4 bis-bridged cyclopentadienyl metallocenes.

A polymer obtained by a solution polymerization process comprising within a range from 0.5 to 20 wt % of cyclic olefin derived units, within a range from 0 wt % to 15 wt % C4 to C12 -olefin derived units, the remainder being ethylene derived units; and having a Mw/Mn of less than 2.5; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 80,000 to 300,000 g/mole; and a g value of greater than 0.95. The polymer may be formed in a solution polymerization process comprising combining in a solution cyclic olefins, ethylene, hydrogen and optionally C4 to C12 -olefins with a single-site catalyst to form the polymer, wherein the single-site catalyst is most preferably selected from unsymmetrical Group 4 bis-bridged cyclopentadienyl metallocenes.

The present disclosure provides copolymers comprising from about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt % cyclic olefin content and films comprising the copolymers. In one embodiment, a copolymer includes a C.sub.2-C.sub.40 monomer content of from about 75 wt % to about 99.5 wt %; and a C.sub.5-C.sub.40 cyclic olefin comonomer content of from about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt %. The copolymer has a density of about 0.91 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.933 g/cm.sup.3. Films of the present disclosure can have advantageous mechanical properties (such as melt strength) and optical properties (such as haze %).

This invention relates to blend, and films thereof, comprising: 1) semicrystalline cyclic olefin copolymer comprising less than 15 wt % of a C.sub.5-C.sub.40 cyclic olefin comonomer and greater than 85 wt % of a C.sub.2-C.sub.40 linear and/or branched olefin monomer content having a density of about 0.92 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.94 g/cm.sup.3, modulus less than 20-80 kpsi, an elongation at break of 150-500%, and a glass transition temperatures less than 38 C.; 2) an amorphous cyclic olefin copolymer comprising more than 25 wt % of a C.sub.5-C.sub.40 cyclic olefin comonomer and less than 75 wt % of a C.sub.2-C.sub.40 linear and/or branched olefin monomer having a density greater than 1.0 g/cm.sup.3, a modulus of 260-380 kpsi, an elongation at break of <4%, and a glass transition temperature of 54 to 138 C.; and 3) a semicrystalline olefin copolymer comprising C.sub.2-C.sub.40 monomers having a density of about 0.90 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.96 g/cm.sup.3, a modulus less than 150 kpsi, an elongation at break of greater than 400%, and a glass transition temperatures less than 32 C.

A process for preparing a random copolymer based on at least one acyclic diene monomers and on at least one cyclic diene monomer is provided. The process comprises a step of copolymerization, in the presence of a polar agent and an anionic initiator in a polymerization solvent, of at least one acyclic diene monomer and of at least one cyclic diene monomer of which one CC double bond is endocyclic and conjugated to an exocyclic CC double bond, at a polymerization temperature below 80 C. A molar ratio of the polar agent/function(s) of the anionic initiator capable of initiating anionic polymrization being greater than 0.1.

Copolymers based on at least one acyclic diene monomer and on at least one cyclic diene monomer and the compositions containing them are also provided.