Disclosed are low-viscosity foamable polyurethane-forming compositions containing a polyol composition having monomeric and higher polyol components and optionally a polyhydroxylated aromatic compound; a polyisocyanate or latent polyisocyanate component or a combination thereof; a blowing agent; and optionally a cyclic carbonate having one or more hydroxyl groups. The monomeric and higher polyols each contain three or more hydroxyl groups, the higher polyol containing residues of the monomeric polyol and optionally residues of the polyhydroxylated aromatic compound, the residues being linked by one or more carbonate and/or ether groups. The Disclosed foamable polyurethane-forming compositions may contain the polyol compositions disclosed; an isocyanate functional component; and a blowing agent. The foamable compositions afford high strength, heat-resistant, low to moderate density foamed-polyurethane compositions useful in a variety of applications including construction, vehicle and packaging applications.

The present invention provides a resin composition for an adhesive, being useful as a component of an adhesive having a favorable adhesion property to glass and giving favorable appearance after adhesion. The resin composition for an adhesive contains a polyhydroxyurethane resin. This polyhydroxyurethane resin contains a structural unit formed by polymerizing a compound (A) having at least two five-membered cyclic carbonate structures and a compound (B) having at least two primary amino groups, the polyurethane resin contains a urethane bond, a hydroxy group, and a secondary amino group in the structural unit. Further, this polyhydroxyurethane resin has an amine number of 1 to 50 mgKOH/g and has a hydroxyl number of 10 to 230 mgKOH/g.

The present invention provides a resin composition for an adhesive, being useful as a component of an adhesive having a favorable adhesion property to glass and giving favorable appearance after adhesion. The resin composition for an adhesive contains a polyhydroxyurethane resin. This polyhydroxyurethane resin contains a structural unit formed by polymerizing a compound (A) having at least two five-membered cyclic carbonate structures and a compound (B) having at least two primary amino groups, the polyurethane resin contains a urethane bond, a hydroxy group, and a secondary amino group in the structural unit. Further, this polyhydroxyurethane resin has an amine number of 1 to 50 mgKOH/g and has a hydroxyl number of 10 to 230 mgKOH/g.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member, which is suppressed in occurrence of fogging and is excellent in abrasion resistance. In the electrophotographic photosensitive member, an outermost surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a polymerized product of a composition comprising at least a polyrotaxane and a monomer having a polymerizable reactive group, and a chain molecule of the polyrotaxane has two blocking groups at both terminals thereof, and a (meth)acryloyloxy group of a cyclic molecule of the polyrotaxane forms a bond.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a 4-hydroxybutyrate pathway and being capable of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate, wherein the microbial organism comprises one or more genetic modifications. The invention additionally provides methods of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate or related products using the microbial organisms.

A polymerizable composition for optical materials of the present invention includes a polymer (a) comprised of one or more compounds selected from compounds represented by the following General Formulas (1) to (4), a compound (b) of which light absorption characteristics vary by sensing changes in environment; and a polymerization reactive compound (c) (except for the polymer (a)). ##STR00001##

The present invention provides a carbodiimide composition containing a water-soluble modified polycarbodiimide (A) and a water-insoluble polycarbodiimide (B), a curing agent composition using the same, a coating composition, and a resin cured product.

A method of treating a substrate comprising contacting the substrate with a composition comprising i) a wax which provides a surface effect and ii) a polymer extender composition comprising a urethane based compound, a composition for treating a substrate, and treated substrates thereof.

The present invention relates to a thickener composition comprising a hydrophobically modified alkylene oxide polyurethane obtained by reacting a water-soluble polyalkylene glycol, a diisocyanate and a polyester end-capping agent which is a reaction product of a lactone compound and a monhydroxy compound. The present invention further relates to a process for the preparation of the hydrophobically modified alkylene oxide polyurethane.

Provided is an adhesive which, in a metal foil-containing laminated composite film used in a high temperature sterilization treatment, is resistant to the effects of moisture in the air during curing, has good workability when used as a solvent-free adhesive, and exhibits excellent adhesive strength and acid resistance. Provided is a method for producing an adhesive composition, the method including: a step of obtaining an alcohol-added isocyanate (E) by reacting a trifunctional or higher isocyanate compound (C2) and a monofunctional alcohol (D) at an equivalence ratio of isocyanate groups in the trifunctional or higher isocyanate compound (C2):monofunctional alcohol (D)=100 mol %:25 to 65 mol %, and a step of mixing a polyisocyanate (A) containing a trifunctional or higher isocyanate compound (C1) and the alcohol-added isocyanate (E), and an alcohol (B) having an acid value of 0.5 to 30 mgKOH/g, so that the equivalence ratio between isocyanate groups in the polyisocyanate (A) and hydroxyl groups in the alcohol (B) (isocyanate groups/hydroxyl groups) is within a range from 0.7 to 2.5.