The present invention relates to a modified conjugated diene-based polymer having controlled degree of branching, excellent affinity with a filler, and excellent processability properties and compounding properties, a method for preparing the same, and a rubber composition including the same. The modified conjugated diene-based polymer is prepared using a modifier represented by Formula 1 to include a functional group derived from the modifier in at least one terminal of the polymer chain:

##STR00001##

1—wherein R.sub.1 to R.sub.3 and n are described herein.

The invention provides a composition for forming a coating film having compatibility with a biological substance which comprises a block copolymer having unit structures represented by the formula (1) and the formula (2):

##STR00001##

(wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.3, U.sup.1 and U.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 represent an alkylene group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and n1 represents an integer of 1 to 10), and a solvent. The invention also provides a coating film using the same, a substrate for cell culture using the same, a method for producing the substrate for cell culture, and a method for producing a cell aggregate.

Provided is a coating material composition that enables an efficient repair operation of a coating film after coating, a (meth)acrylic copolymer that is suitable for obtaining the coating material composition, and a coated article and a method for forming a multilayer coating film using the coating material composition. The (meth)acrylic copolymer includes: a constituent unit derived from a macromonomer (a); and a constituent unit derived from a vinyl monomer (b), a hydroxyl value of the (meth)acrylic copolymer is equal to or greater than 120 mgKOH/g and equal to or less than 260 mgKOH/g, and the content of a constituent unit that has a primary hydroxyl group of the (meth)acrylic copolymer is equal to or less than 30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the constituent unit derived from the macromonomer (a) and the constituent unit derived from the vinyl monomer (b).

The present invention relates to a composition comprising components a), b) and c). The component a) is a block copolymer or a blend of block copolymers. The component b) is a low T.sub.g additive selected from the group consisting of an oligo random oligo random copolymer b-1), an oligo diblock copolymer b-2), an oligo diblock copolymer b-3) and a mixture of at least two of these. The component c) is a is a spin casting organic solvent. The invention also pertains to the use of said compositions in directed self-assembly. The invention further pertains to the novel oligo diblock copolymer b-2) which is an oligo diblock copolymer of block A-b) and block B-b), wherein block A-b) is a random copolymer of repeat units having structures (III), and (IV and block B-b) is a random copolymer of repeat units having structures (V), and (VI). Formulas (III), (IV), (V), (VI).

##STR00001##

Sufficiently antiblock pellets are provided that include an acrylic block copolymer which has a polymer block including methyl acrylate units. A shaped article is provided from the pellets with high productivity while avoiding deterioration in the outstanding characteristics of the acrylic block copolymer. The pellets include an acrylic block copolymer (I) including at least one polymer block (A1) including methacrylic acid ester units, and at least one polymer block (B1) including acrylic acid ester units, and an acrylic polymer (II) containing 35 mass % or more methyl methacrylate units and having a melt flow rate (MFR) measured at 230° C. under 3.8 kg load of not less than 10 g/10 min. The acrylic acid ester units present in the polymer block (B1) of the acrylic block copolymer (I) consist solely of methyl acrylate units and acrylic acid ester (1) units represented by the general formula CH.sub.2═CH—COOR.sup.1 (1) (wherein R.sup.1 represents a C4-C12 organic group). The mass ratio (I)/(II) of the acrylic block copolymer (I) to the acrylic polymer (II) is 90/10 to 40/60.

A composition for film formation includes a polymer and a solvent. The polymer includes a first repeating unit, a second repeating unit, a third repeating unit, and a structural unit on at least one end of a main chain of the polymer. The first repeating unit includes a crosslinkable group. The second repeating unit differs from the first repeating unit. The third repeating unit differs from the first repeating unit and has higher polarity than polarity of the second repeating unit. The structural unit includes an interacting group capable of interacting with Si—OH, Si—H or Si—N.

An amphiphilic branched star polymer drilling additive includes a crosslinked, polymerized reaction product of crosslinker C, hydrophobic monomer B, and hydrophilic monomer A. The crosslinked polymerized reaction product includes a plurality of block copolymer segments of hydrophobic monomer B and hydrophilic monomer A interconnected via crosslinker C.

A method of preparing a modified polyvinyl acetate includes subjecting a mixed liquor L1 containing a functional monomer to a first reaction with a first vinyl acetate monomer, followed by adding a first initiator to carry out a second reaction to obtain a mixed liquor L2; subjecting an acrylate monomer, a second vinyl acetate monomer, a second initiator and the mixed liquor L2 to carry out a third reaction to obtain a mixed liquor L3; and subjecting a third initiator and the mixed liquor L3 to carry out a fourth reaction under the air-tight and ultrasonic conditions. The functional monomer is selected from acrylic acid, oleic acid or butenedioic acid. Uses of modified polyvinyl acetate obtained by the method and oil-based drilling fluid containing the modified polyvinyl acetate are also disclosed.

The invention provides a laminating acrylic thermoplastic polymer composition which is favorably laminated together with a layer including a plasticizer-containing polymer composition while ensuring that the migration of the plasticizer into the acrylic thermoplastic polymer composition layer is small and the resultant laminate attains excellent durability, and also provides a laminate obtained by laminating a layer including the laminating acrylic thermoplastic polymer composition onto one or both sides of a layer including the plasticizer-containing polymer composition. Further, the invention provides a polymer composition which, when the plasticizer-containing polymer described above is a vinyl chloride-based polymer, can keep sufficient adhesive force after being adhered to a layer including such a vinyl chloride-based polymer, and also provides an adhesive product using the composition. The laminating acrylic thermoplastic polymer composition is a composition for lamination with a layer including a plasticizer-containing polymer composition. The acrylic thermoplastic polymer composition includes an acrylic block copolymer (I) including at least one polymer block (A) containing methacrylic acid ester units and at least one polymer block (B) containing acrylic acid ester units; and the acrylic acid ester units constituting the polymer block (B) in the acrylic block copolymer (I) include an acrylic acid ester (1) unit represented by the general formula CH.sub.2═CH—COOR.sup.1 (1) (wherein R.sup.1 is an organic group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms).

A laminate production method is provided which can sufficiently prevent the occurrence of blocking without causing deterioration in the outstanding characteristics of acrylic block copolymers such as adhesive performance, and can also ensure excellent processability during extrusion. The laminate production method includes a step (1) of bringing raw pellets of an acrylic block copolymer (A) into contact with an aqueous dispersion (C) containing acrylic resin particles (B) and no surfactants, the acrylic block copolymer (A) including at least one polymer block (a1) including acrylic acid alkyl ester units and at least one polymer block (a2) including methacrylic acid alkyl ester units, a step (2) of removing water attached to the pellets and thereby obtaining pellets (D), and a step (3) of preparing an adhesive composition using an adhesive feedstock including the pellets (D) from the step (2), and extruding the adhesive composition to form an adhesive layer and thereby producing a laminate including the adhesive layer and a substrate layer.