Provided are a (meth)acrylic block copolymer exhibiting good active energy ray curability, in particular, curability of a blend thereof with an acrylate monomer, and an active energy ray curable composition comprising the (meth)acrylic block copolymer. The (meth)acrylic block copolymer includes a methacrylic polymer block (A) having an active energy ray curable group including a partial structure represented by the general formula (1) below wherein R.sup.1 denotes a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and W denotes a saturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an acrylic polymer block (B) having no active energy ray curable groups.

##STR00001##

Disclosed are copolymers of alkyl methacrylate monomers wherein said alkyl methacrylate monomers comprise at least:

a. Monomers (A) selected from C6-C10 alkyl methacrylate monomers, and
b. Monomers (B) selected from C10-C18 alkyl methacrylate monomers, wherein the mass ratio of Monomers (B) in the copolymer to Monomers (A) in the copolymer is about 99:1 to about 60:40 by weight. In some cases, the copolymers are of lauryl methacrylate and C.sub.8alkyl methacrylate. Also disclosed are methods for the preparation of the copolymers.

A block copolymer of the formula R.sub.f-PEG-PAA is disclosed, where R.sub.f comprises a perfluoroalkyl group having at least 3 carbon atoms, bound to an ether oxygen atom directly or through a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, PEG is a poly(alkylene glycol) unit having a weight average molecular weight or number average molecular weight of from 1 to 20 kDa, and PAA is one or more poly([meth]acrylic acid) units having a total weight average molecular weight or number average molecular weight of from 0.3 to 10 kDa. A polymer mixture including the block copolymer, a co-hydrogel and a drug delivery vehicle including the polymer mixture, and methods of synthesizing the block copolymer, forming a sol-gel two-phase co-hydrogel, forming a drug delivery vehicle, and delivering a drug to a patient in need thereof are also disclosed.

A pattern-forming method includes forming a base pattern having recessed portions on a front face side of a substrate directly or via other layer. The recessed portions of the base pattern are filled with a first composition to form a filler layer. Phase separation of the filler layer is allowed to form a plurality of phases of the filler layer. A part of the plurality of phases of the filler layer is removed to form a miniaturized pattern. The forming of the base pattern includes: forming a resist pattern on the front face side of the substrate; forming a layer of a second polymer on lateral faces of the resist pattern; and forming a layer of a third polymer that differs from the second polymer on a surface of the substrate or on a surface of the other layer.

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.2CHCOOR.sup.1 (1) (wherein R.sup.1 is an organic group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms).

A method for forming a cover film includes applying a composition including a first polymer and a solvent on a surface of a base material to form a coating film. The base material includes a surface layer which includes a first region and a second region having a surface condition that differs from a surface condition of the first region. The coating film is heated. A portion of the coating film is desorbed with a rinse agent after the heating. The portion is formed on the second region of the coating film. The first polymer includes a first structural unit represented by formula (1), or includes a monovalent organic group which bonds to at least one end of a main chain of the first polymer and which includes a nitrogen atom.

##STR00001##

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.2CHCOOR.sup.1 (1) (wherein R.sup.1 is an organic group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms).

An object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous pigment dispersion that provides an aqueous ink for inkjet recording that contains a reduced number of coarse particles, is excellent in ejection stability, and is applicable to a printer equipped with a high-resolution inkjet head and to provide the aqueous ink for inkjet recording. The present invention relates to an aqueous pigment dispersion containing: a polymer (A) that has anionic groups, has a solubility in water of 0.1 g/100 mL or less and a number average molecular weight within the range of 1,000 to 6,000, and forms fine particles in water when the degree of neutralization of the anionic groups with a basic compound is 100%; a polyhalogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment or a diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment; and water. The invention also relates to an aqueous ink for inkjet recording.

An object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous pigment dispersion that provides an aqueous ink for inkjet recording that contains a reduced number of coarse particles, is excellent in ejection stability, and is applicable to a printer equipped with a high-resolution inkjet head and to provide the aqueous ink for inkjet recording. The present invention relates to an aqueous pigment dispersion containing: a polymer (A) that has anionic groups, has a solubility in water of 0.1 g/100 mL or less and a number average molecular weight within the range of 1,000 to 6,000, and forms fine particles in water when the degree of neutralization of the anionic groups with a basic compound is 100%; a polyhalogenated metal phthalocyanine pigment or a diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment; and water. The invention also relates to an aqueous ink for inkjet recording.

An intermediate film for laminated glasses, the intermediate film having at least a sound insulation layer that comprises a resin composition A containing 100 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin and 10 to 1000 parts by mass of a damping-property-imparting agent, wherein the damping-property-imparting agent has a molecular weight of 100 to 10000 and does not have a melting point at a temperature higher than 30 C., and the resin composition A has a maximum value of tan at a temperature of 30 C. or lower, and the maximum value is more than 3.1.