A bend sensor comprising a sensor section in which a polymer electrolyte film is sandwiched between a pair of electrode films, wherein each of the electrode films contains: a block copolymer (Z) having a polymer block (S) composed of a structural unit derived from an aromatic vinyl compound, and containing an ion-conducting group, and an amorphous polymer block (T) composed of a structural unit derived from an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon; and a conducting particle; which block copolymer (Z) forms a lamellar structure, which bend sensor therefore allows generation of enhanced voltage between the electrode films when deformation of the sensor occurs as it follows movement of an object, is provided.

A material is provided having a lamellar, non-centrosymmetric macroscopic structure, essentially consisting of a mixture of at least two populations of objects that are heterogeneous in blocks along an axis, each object consisting of at least two blocks, characterized in that each of the objects is connected to adjacent objects via interactions that involve at least two mutually incompatible blocks of the object and two blocks that are compatible one-to-one with the first of the blocks, and mutually incompatible along the chain of each one of said adjacent objects. The objects can be, in particular, block co-oligomers or copolymers.

Disclosed are an asphalt modifying agent and an asphalt composition containing the same. More specifically, disclosed are an asphalt modifying agent comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer and a low-molecular weight conjugated diene rubber (LCDR), and an asphalt composition containing the same. Advantageously, the present invention provides an asphalt modifying agent for greatly improving low-temperature properties and modification workability of a modified asphalt and an asphalt composition containing the same.

Disclosed are an asphalt modifying agent and an asphalt composition containing the same. More specifically, disclosed are an asphalt modifying agent comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer and a low-molecular weight conjugated diene rubber (LCDR), and an asphalt composition containing the same. Advantageously, the present invention provides an asphalt modifying agent for greatly improving low-temperature properties and modification workability of a modified asphalt and an asphalt composition containing the same.

A rubber composition for tires of the present technology contains a diene rubber, silica, and a predetermined alkyltrialkoxysilane; the diene rubber containing a butadiene rubber and a particular conjugated diene rubber, a content of the butadiene rubber in the diene rubber being 20 mass % or greater and a content of the particular conjugated diene rubber in the diene rubber being from 30 to 80 mass %; an average glass transition temperature of the diene rubber being from −65 to −45° C.; the particular conjugated diene rubber being a conjugated diene rubber produced by a particular production method and having predetermined ranges of aromatic vinyl unit content, vinyl bond content, and weight average molecular weight.

A rubber composition for tires of the present technology contains a diene rubber, silica, a silane coupling agent, a fatty acid metal salt, and a predetermined alkyltrialkoxysilane; the diene rubber containing 60 mass % or greater of a modified conjugated diene rubber and 30 mass % or greater of a particular conjugated diene rubber which corresponds to a part or all of the modified conjugated diene rubber; an average glass transition temperature of the diene rubber being from −45 to −20° C.; the particular conjugated diene rubber being a conjugated diene rubber produced by a particular production method and having predetermined ranges of aromatic vinyl unit content, vinyl bond content, and weight average molecular weight.

Provided is a method for producing an anionic polymer in an industrially advantageous manner, whereby at the time of anionically polymerizing monomers using a solvent whose boiling point at atmospheric pressure is higher than the polymerization temperature, temperature control can be achieved by quickly removing the heat of the polymerization reaction using a simple device. The method for producing an anionic polymer includes anionically polymerizing a conjugated diene, an aromatic vinyl compound, or a mixture thereof under a condition where the amount of an inert gas present with respect to 1 kg of a solvent whose boiling point at atmospheric pressure is higher than the polymerization temperature is 20 mmol or less.

Provided is a method for producing an anionic polymer in an industrially advantageous manner, whereby at the time of anionically polymerizing monomers using a solvent whose boiling point at atmospheric pressure is higher than the polymerization temperature, temperature control can be achieved by quickly removing the heat of the polymerization reaction using a simple device. The method for producing an anionic polymer includes anionically polymerizing a conjugated diene, an aromatic vinyl compound, or a mixture thereof under a condition where the amount of an inert gas present with respect to 1 kg of a solvent whose boiling point at atmospheric pressure is higher than the polymerization temperature is 20 mmol or less.

A copolymer having properties (durability (fracture resistance, abrasion resistance, and crack-growth resistance)) similar to those of natural rubber and a method of producing the copolymer are provided. An isoprene copolymer has a styrene block or a butadiene block at a terminal thereof, wherein styrene monomers account for less than 5 mol % of all monomers forming the isoprene copolymer having the styrene block; butadiene monomers account for 10 mol % or less of all monomers forming the isoprene copolymer having the butadiene block; and cis-1,4 bond content of a portion derived from isoprene accounts for at least 95% in total.

A hydrogenated block copolymer is disclosed comprising a polymer block A and a polymer block B. Prior to hydrogenation, the polymer block A has a first vinyl aromatic compound, and the polymer block B contains monomers a) a styrene compound having a radical reactive group and b) at least one conjugated diene, and optionally (c) a second vinyl aromatic compound that is same or different from the first vinyl aromatic compound. The repeat units of monomer a) forms 10-80 wt. % of the total block copolymer, and 10-70 wt. % of the total weight of block B. After hydrogenation, the polymerized units derived from the monomer b) has a RU of 0-1.5 meq per gram of the hydrogenated block copolymer. The hydrogenated block copolymer exhibits reactivity and higher flow properties before curing, after curing, shows excellent mechanical properties, improved flame resistance, and good solvent resistance.