A living radical polymer that has a low molecular weight distribution and has a specific functional group at least at one end, and a resin-coated pigment has high dispersibility of a resin composition including the living radical polymer, is excellent in properties such as preservation stability, discharge stability, and color developability in a dispersed state, and is suitably used in a pigment dispersion. A living radical polymer has a specific functional group structure, the living radical polymer includes a polymerization initiator-derived specific organic compound moiety at one end or in a backbone of the living radical polymer and is obtained by reacting a radical generator having a specific functional group with at least any end, for example, an iodine end ascribable to a precursor. A living radical polymer composition includes the same; a resin-coated pigment is obtained by coating with the living radical polymer composition; and a method produces the living radical polymer.

An alkoxylated polyamidoamine obtainable by a) reacting a polycarboxylic compound having a total number TN of carboxylic groups of 3 to 10 with a primary diamine of formula I H.sub.2NZNH.sub.2 wherein Z represents a bond or an organic group with 1 to 20 carbon atoms in a ratio of 0.3 TN to TN mols of the diamine per 1 mol of the polycarboxylic compound and b) alkoxylating the product obtained in a) with at least 0.5 mol of alkyleneoxide per 1 mol of primary amino groups.

Provided is a water-based coating composition capable of forming a multilayer coating film having an excellent finished appearance and having excellent storage stability. A water-based coating composition to be used as a water-based first colored coating (X) in a 3-coat-1-bake multilayer coating formation method which sequentially applies a water-based first colored coating (X), a water-based second colored coating (Y), and a clear coating (Z) and heats and cures the obtained three-layer multilayer coating film simultaneously, wherein the water-based coating composition contains at least one resin selected from acrylic resins (A) and polyester resins (B), a curing agent (C), and urethane resin particles (D) obtained from structural components including a polyisocyanate component (d1) containing at least one diisocyanate (d1-1) selected from xylylene diisocyanate and hydrogenated xylylene diisocyanate and a polyol component (d2).

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a cationic electrodeposition coating composition that contains a bismuth compound and exhibits excellent coating material stability, curability, coating film appearance and the like. The present invention provides a method for preparing a cationic electrodeposition coating composition, which comprises a step for mixing a resin emulsion (i) and a pigment-dispersed paste, and wherein: the resin emulsion (i) contains an aminated resin (A) and a blocked isocyanate curing agent (B); the pigment-dispersed paste contains a bismuth mixture (C) that is obtained by mixing a bismuth compound (c1) and an organic acid (c2) in advance, a pigment-dispersed resin (D), an amine-modified epoxy resin emulsion (ii) that contains an amine-modified epoxy resin (E), and a pigment (F); the pigment-dispersed resin (D) has a hydroxyl number of 20-120 mgKOH/g; and the amine-modified epoxy resin (E) has a hydroxyl number of 150-650 mgKOH/g.

Provided is a layered product with high jet-black. A layered product according to the present invention is a layered product (10) including at least a first layer (1) and a second layer (2) that are stacked. A value of L* in a L*a*b* color system defined by JIS Z8729 of the first layer (1) is ten or less. The second layer (2) is formed on the first layer (1) and 0.1 to 1 mass % of carbon nanotubes are contained in a material constituting the second layer (2). In the L*a*b* color system defined by JIS Z8729, when values are measured from a side of a plane of the second layer (2), a value of L* is 2.5 or less, a value of a* is 2.0 or greater and 2.0 or less, and a value of b* is 2.0 or greater and 0.5 or less.

The present invention provides a pigment water dispersion that is excellent in dispersion stability, and also excellent in ejection properties even when used as an ink for ink-jet printing. The present invention relates to [1] a pigment water dispersion containing (A) a pigment, (B) a carboxy group-containing crosslinked polymer and (C) an alkyl group-containing ethanolamine having a pKa of not less than 8.7, [2] a water-based ink containing the pigment water dispersion, an organic solvent and a surfactant, and [3] a process for producing a pigment water dispersion, including step (I) of subjecting a mixture containing the pigment (A), a crosslinkable polymer, the aforementioned ethanolamine (C), an organic solvent and water to dispersion treatment, thereby obtaining a dispersion of pigment-containing polymer particles containing the pigment (A) and the crosslinkable polymer that is adhered onto the pigment (A); step (II) of removing the organic solvent from the obtained dispersion, thereby obtaining a water dispersion of the pigment-containing polymer particles; and step (III) of further subjecting the polymer to crosslinking reaction with a crosslinking agent, thereby obtaining the pigment water dispersion containing pigment-containing crosslinked polymer (B) particles.

The present invention relates to a water-based pigment dispersion containing a polymer dispersant and a pigment, the polymer dispersant being prepared by crosslinking a carboxy group-containing water-insoluble polymer (A) with a water-insoluble polyfunctional epoxy compound, in which carboxy groups of the water-insoluble polymer (A) are at least partially neutralized by an alkali metal compound, and the water-based pigment dispersion satisfies the following conditions 1 to 3. The water-based pigment dispersion of the present invention can exhibit excellent redispersibility capable of suppressing solidification of the pigment or the polymer in ink ejection nozzles and can ensure good storage stability under high-temperature conditions. The conditions 1 to 3 are as follows: Condition 1: a value calculated according to the formula: {[100(neutralization degree)(crosslinking degree)]/100}[acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 30 to 30 mgKOH/g: Condition 2: a value calculated according to the formula: [(neutralization degree)/100][acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 80 to 180 mgKOH/g; and Condition 3: a value calculated according to the formula: [(crosslinking degree)/100][acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 80 to 180 mgKOH/g.

The present invention relates to [1] a process for producing a pigment water dispersion, including step 1 of mixing a water dispersion (A) formed by dispersing a pigment (I) with a water-dispersible polymer and a water dispersion (B) of a self-dispersible pigment (II) to obtain a water dispersion (C); and step 2 of subjecting the water dispersion (C) obtained in the step 1 to heat treatment at a temperature of not lower than 40 C. to obtain the pigment water dispersion, and [2] a pigment water dispersion containing a pigment (I) dispersed with a water-dispersible polymer and a self-dispersible pigment (II), in which the water-dispersible polymer is adsorbed onto the pigment (I) and the self-dispersible pigment (II).

The method prepares an aqueous pigment dispersion. The method includes the following steps: providing a silica liquid including a hydrophilic fumed silica, potassium hydroxide and ion exchanged water; providing a styrene-acrylic acid copolymer obtained by copolymerizing monomers including a styrene monomer at an amount of 50 to 90 mass %; providing an aqueous medium; mixing a pigment with the styrene-acrylic acid copolymer and the aqueous medium to prepare a first mixture; and subsequently mixing the first mixture with the silica liquid to prepare the aqueous pigment dispersion.

Described are sealing primer compositions that can be used to reduce paint defects such as pops or vapor boil on painted plastic substrates, as well as related methods for sealing plastic substrates, and sealed plastic substrates. Sealing primer compositions of the invention include a functionalized polydiene polymer such as a hydroxylated or other functional-group-containing polybutadiene polymer.