POLYMERS Vol.61 No.12
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COVER STORY
Fantastic Gifts of Polymer
COVER STORY: Topics and Products
Development of the Spreading Type Organic Insulator Yumi OSAKU
<Abstract> We have developed the transparent low outgassing organic insulator ZEOCOATR, which is suitable for various OLED displays. Until now, there was no insulator available that has a good process compatibility and made it possible to fabricate long life time, low power consumption OLED panels. In this report we describe the development of the new material ZEOCOATR that satisfies all above-mentioned characteristics.
Keywords: Organic Insulator / Planarization Layer / Pixel Defined Layer / Light Transparent / Low Dielectric Constant / Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
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Functionalized Elastomer for Fuel-Efficient Tires Toshihiro TADAKI
<Abstract> Recently, the reduction of rolling resistance of tires has become more significant in the tire industry, because it has a close relation to the fuel consumption efficiency and CO2 emission of motor vehicles. Rolling resistance of tires is closely related to hysteresis loss properties of tire tread
compounds. Dispersibility of filler is considered to affect hysteresis loss. Some styrene butadiene copolymers with functional groups at chain ends have been developed by solution polymerization systems (modified S-SBRs) to achieve improved interaction with silica or carbon black. They showed significant reduction in the hysteresis loss of filled compounds. Especially, the modified S-SBR with both primary amino group and alkoxysilyl group introduced at the same chain-end exhibited excellent lower hysteresis loss properties.
Keywords: Functionalized SBR / Chain-End Modification / Hysteresis Loss Reduction / Silica / Carbon Black
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Development of New Water Filter Products Hatsumi TAKEDA
<Abstract> In the 1950s household water filter was sold for the first time, and today, it became the necessities of life in Japan. In 2004, Mitsubishi Rayon put the world's first pitcher type filter applying both activated carbon and the hollow fibre membrane on sale. The most important part of the product development of water filters was not only the elemental technology but also the combinatorial technology. The main feature of the pitcher type is to purify the water without supplying pressure on the tap water. However faucet type is the most popular style in Japan in recent years; so more people use the pitcher type as it is so easy to do, and the sales volume grew for more than 20 percent of the market. In the future, pitcher type filters will be very popular around the world, for they to provide safe drinking water and create a better life for people.
Keywords: Water Filter / Pitcher / Hollow Fibre Membrane / Combinatorial Technology
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Observing Dialyzer Membranes Using an Electron Microscope Hirohide OTOBE
<Abstract> Asahi-KASEI and its group companies provide many kinds of polymer products to a wide variety of industrial field, such as automobiles, electronics, textiles, foods and medical devices. For support of their development and production, electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) is one of the most important analytical techniques. Increase of the demand for high-quality images sometimes requires new developments of sample preparation and observation techniques for SEM and TEM.
As an example of such developments, we report sophisticated techniques applied for the analysis of dialyzer membranes:
(1) high resolution analysis of phase separation structure,
(2) observation under wet condition.
Keywords: Electron Microscope / SEM / TEM / STEM / Dialyzer Membranes / High Resolution Analysis / Wet Condition
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Production of Highly Pure β-1,3-1,6-D-glucan, “Aqua β” Toshio SUZUKI
<Abstract> Mass production of β-1,3-1,6-D-glucan from a black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans was performed on an industrial scale. The production depended on amounts of sucrose as a carbon source. The culture showed high viscosity in increasing β-glucan production, so that its purification seemed to be difficult. On the other hand, its purification method was completed under alkaline conditions, especially removal of cells, because of lowering the viscosity by treatment with alkaline solution. Finally, the β-glucan powder named “Aqua βTM” was highly purified to more than 80% and supplied as an ingredient for functional food from DS Wellfoods Co., Ltd. It has high efficacy enhancing intestinal immunity and protecting allergy. Recently, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was found to be induced on a surface of stomach to protect from stomach ulcer.
Keywords: β-Glucan / Black Yeast / Intestinal Immunity / IgA / Allergy / Stomach Ulcer / Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70)
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The World's 1st Transdermal Patch for Treatment of Asthma Yoshihisa NAKANO
<Abstract> DDS is the technology that can optimize drug administration and reduce undesired side effects. Now we cannot develop a therapeutically-effective drug product without this technology. One of the most important materials supporting the DDS technology is a polymer. Nitto Denko developed the world's first transdermal patch, the HokunalinR Tape, based on an unique DDS technology which enables to absorb the required dosage of an asthma treatment drug via the skin. When the patch is applied to the skin, the drug penetrates the skin and is absorbed into the blood stream through the capillaries to flow throughout the body. Unlike conventional oral and inhaled formulations, the HokunalinR Tape has the advantage of appropriately controlling the concentration of the drug in the body. This means that users can better control asthma attacks, which frequently occur in the early morning, and that the burden on caregivers is also greatly reduced. This proprietary technology is subsequently applied in the development of other transdermal patches.
Keywords: DDS / Transdermal Patch / Chronotherapy / Asthma Bronchodilator
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Development of Aluminum Based Catalyst for PET Shoichi GYOBU
<Abstract> PET catalysts remain in PET after polymerization and cause negative impacts on the performance of PET, the processability for thermoforming process and the performance of final products.
After a global development race from 1950s to 1970s, Antimony compounds were selected as effective PET catalysts and have been used for many decades.
We started the fundamental study about PET catalysts and created a new concept for PET catalyst chemistry, that is, “activating the less active metal compounds by combining with co-catalysts”.
We re-examined the periodic table based on this concept and found that Aluminum compounds can be activated by combining with co-catalysts, though Aluminum compounds have been believed to be less active as PET catalysts. We also found that PET made with this new Aluminum catalyst system has higher thermal stability and higher transparency.
PET made with this new catalyst system are now used in photovoltaic backsheet film and PET bottle. We have also started to license this technology.
Keywords: Polyester / PET / Catalyst / Aluminum / Antimony / Co-Catalyst
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Development of Edge-LED Lighting ‘SumilookR Katsuhiko IWASAKI, Kazunari KAWABE
<Abstract> Edge-LED lighting fixtures, successfully developed by Sumitomo Chemical in cooperation with Koizumi Lighting Technology Corp. and others, and launched in 2010, attract increasing attention, amidst the rising public awareness about energy austerity, especially following the nuclear power plant accident. LED lighting fixtures can be divided roughly into edge-LED and direct-LED types. Edge-LED type has LED arrays installed near an edge of a light guide plate that emits light through it. The plate has a uniquely-designed dotted pattern on the back surface for reflection purposes. In both types, a diffuser plate is used. Sumitomo Chemical is a global producer of acrylic sheets used for these plates. Edge-LED lighting fixtures have the advantage of emitting soft and uniform non-glare light, in addition to the small thickness of the fixture. Capitalizing on its abundant expertise in the polymer design through control of optical properties of acrylic sheets, Sumitomo Chemical is working to make edge-LED fixtures available to wider market applications.
Keywords: LED Lighting Fixture / Edge-LED Lighting Fixture / Sign / Light Guide Plate / Diffuser Plate / Acrylic Sheet
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Polymer Science and I: A Personal Account
Look Back on My Research Life at Yamagata University Satoshi INAYAMA
<Abstract> I look back at my research life at Yamagata University in the past 12 years. Experiences and impressions in the laboratories, where I did my research works in undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral periods, are described.
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Front-Line Polymer Science
Application of Functional Amyloid for Bio-Nanotechnology Naoki TANAKA
<Abstract> Amyloid fibril, a fibrous cross-β sheet protein aggregate, was first discovered in the context of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. Later studies showed that a variety of peptides and proteins unrelated diseases also forms amyloid fibril, indicating that the amyloid fibril formation is a common phenomenon of the polypeptide. Recently, growing studies showed that organisms from bacteria to mammals utilized these nonpathological protein self-assemblies as “functional amyloid”, which is applicable in the field of bio-nanotechnology. In this review, the basic knowledge from the studies about the amyloid fibril is explained, and the applications of functional amyloid for the cell culture technology and the treatment of Alzheimer diseases are introduced.
Keywords: Amyloid Fibril / Neurodegenerative Diseases / Functional Amyloid / Bio-nanotechnology / Chaperone Amyloid / Cell Culture Technology
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