Author: claimsbot

1. A PEM water electrolyser module comprising a plurality of structural plates each having a sidewall extending between opposite end faces with a half cell chamber opening, at least one oxygen degassing chamber opening, and at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold opening, extending through said structural plate between said opposite end faces;
said structural plates being arranged in face to face juxtaposition between opposite end plates,
each said half cell chamber opening at least partially housing electrolytic half cell components comprising at least a MEA, a bipolar plate in electrical communication with said MEA, said structural plates and half cell components defining an array of series connected electrolytic cells surmounted by at least one oxygen degassing chamber, and at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold;
said structural plates defining at least when in said face to face juxtaposition, respective gas-liquid passages extending between a top part of the anode half cell chambers and a bottom part of said upper section of at least one of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber to provide fluid communication between the anode half cell chambers and said at least one of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber;
said structural plates further defining, at least when in said face to face juxtaposition discrete degassed liquid passages extending between a bottom part of at least one of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber and a bottom part of said anode half cell chambers for degassed liquid return from at least one of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber to said anode half cell chambers;
said structural plates further defining, at least when in face to face juxtaposition hydrogen gas passages extending between a top part of the cathode half cell chambers and at least one of said at least one gas collection manifold;
said PEM water electrolyser module further comprising oxygen gas discharge and feed water passages extending therethrough and fluidly communicating with said degassing chamber for oxygen gas discharge from said at least one oxygen degassing chamber and for feed water introduction into said degassing chamber; and,
said PEM water electrolyser module further comprising hydrogen gas passages extending therethrough for hydrogen gas discharge from said at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold.
2. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one intermediate pressure plate interspersed between said structural plates along said length of said PEM water electrolyser module; each said at least one intermediate pressure plate comprising opposite end faces with a sidewall extending therebetween, said intermediate pressure plate defining at least one oxygen-water degassing chamber opening and at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold opening extending between its opposite end faces for registering with said at least one oxygen degassing chamber and said at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold for receiving oxygen gas and hydrogen gas, respectively, therefrom.
3. The PEM water electrolyser module of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said gas-liquid, degassed liquid, and hydrogen gas passages are partially defined by channels extending into at least one of said opposite end faces of said structural plates.
4. The PEM water electrolyser module of claim 3 wherein said passages are defined by surface channels extending into at least some of said opposite end faces of said structural members in conjunction with the adjacent of said opposite end faces of said structural plates.
5. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1 wherein said degassing chamber opening further comprises a fluid flow directing means where said gas-liquid passages enter said degassing chamber.
6. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising holding features in said body around the periphery of said half cell chamber opening for locating and holding said electrolytic half cell components.
7. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising holding features in at least said structural plates for locating and holding sealing gaskets.
8. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structural plates are comprised of plastic.
9. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structural plates are comprised of fibre reinforced plastic.
10. A PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said structural plates are comprised of silicon carbide.
11. A method of producing hydrogen gas and oxygen gas using a PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 1 comprising the steps of:
(a) generating hydrogen gas and oxygen gas by electrolysis of water in a plurality of electrolytic cells contained in said PEM water electrolyser module;
(b) transferring said hydrogen gas directly from the top part of each cathode half cell chamber to at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold integrally contained in said PEM water electrolyser module structure through respective hydrogen gas passages extending directly from said each cathode half cell chamber to said at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold;
(c) removing said hydrogen gas from said at least one hydrogen gas collection manifold;
(d) transferring a mixture of said oxygen gas and liquid water directly from the top part of each anode half cell chamber to a bottom part of an upper section of at least one oxygen degassing chamber contained in said electrolyser module structure through respective gas-liquid passages extending directly from said each anode half cell chamber to said at least one oxygen degassing chamber;
(e) separating said oxygen gas from said liquid water in said at least one oxygen degassing chamber to produce oxygen gas and degassed liquid water;
(f) removing said oxygen gas from the top part of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber;
(g) transferring said degassed liquid water directly from a bottom part of a lower section of said at least one oxygen degassing chamber to the bottom part of each of said anode half cell chambers through respective discrete degassed liquid passages extending directly from said at least one oxygen degassing chamber to said each anode half cell chamber.
12. A method of operating a PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 11 wherein the hydrogen side and the oxygen side of said PEM water electrolyser module are operated at substantially equal pressures.
13. A method of operating a PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 11 wherein the hydrogen side and the oxygen side of said PEM water electrolyser module are operated at different pressures.
14. A method of operating a PEM water electrolyser module as claimed claim 11 wherein said pressures are greater than atmospheric pressure.
15. A method of operating a PEM water electrolyser module as claimed in claim 11 wherein cooling is provided by at least one of cooling tubes and cooling coils in said oxygen degassing chamber.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved ink jet ink composition comprising:
(a) from about 60% to about 98% by total weight of a water-based carrier medium, wherein said medium comprises:
(1) up to about 30% by total weight of the medium of water-soluble organic component selected from the group consisting of alcohols, amides, carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, glycerine, glycols, glycol esters, glycol ethers, ketones, lactams, lactones, sulfones, organosulfoxides, and combinations thereof, and
(2) the balance of the medium being water;

(b) from about 1% to about 20% by total weight of at least one pigment; and
(c) wherein the improvement comprises the addition of from about 0.1% to about 20% by total weight of polymer produced by reacting in a polymerization reaction a mixture comprising:
(1) from about 30% to about 60% by weight of the mixture of styrene,
(2) from about 20% to about 50% by weight of the mixture of acrylic acid,
(3) from about 5% to about 20% by weight of the mixture of butyl acrylate, and
(4) a catalytic amount of at least one polymerization initiator.
2. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the water-based carrier medium comprises about 70% to about 95% by total weight of the ink jet ink composition.
3. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the pigment comprises about 2% to about 5% by total weight of the ink jet ink composition.
4. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises about 1% to about 10% by total weight of the ink jet ink composition.
5. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises about 2% to about 5% by total weight of the ink jet ink composition.
6. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer is produced by reacting in a polymerization reaction a mixture comprising:
(1) from about 40% to about 55% by weight of the mixture of styrene,
(2) from about 30% to about 45% by weight of the mixture of acrylic acid,
(3) from about 8% to about 15% by weight of the mixture of butyl acrylate, and
(4) a catalytic amount of at least one polymerization initiator.
7. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer is produced by reacting in a polymerization reaction a mixture comprising:
(1) from about 49% to about 51% by weight of the mixture of styrene,
(2) from about 39% to about 41% by weight of the mixture of acrylic acid,
(3) from about 9% to about 11% by weight of the mixture of butyl acrylate, and
(4) a catalytic amount of at least one polymerization initiator.
8. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has an acid number in the range of about 200 to about 300.
9. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight in the range of about 3,000 to about 20,000.
10. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a softening point in the range of about 100 C. to about 150 C.
11. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature of less than about 150 C.
12. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the ink jet ink composition has an alkaline pH.
13. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the pH within the range of about 7 to about 10.
14. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the ink jet ink composition has a surface tension from about 20 to about 70 dynescm
15. The ink jet ink composition of claim 1 wherein the ink jet ink composition has a viscosity below about 15 cP at 25 C.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymerization initiator comprises from about 0.5% to about 5.0% by total weight of the mixture and is a member selected from the group consisting of thermal initiators, redox initiators, and combinations thereof.

1. A device for dispensing a product (3), said device comprising:
an elongated package (1) made of yieldable material and containing the product (3),
a discharge device (2) for discharging the product (3) from the package (I) when the package (1) is located in a container (12),
the package (1) having an end portion (11) and a coupling member (4) with a coupling portion (5),
the coupling member (4) being provided on the end portion (11) and being located within an unbroken portion (6) of a wall (7) of the package (1),
the discharge device (2) having a conduit (13) for dispensing the product (3) from the package (1),
the conduit (13) having a coupling member (8) with a coupling portion (9),
the package (1) and the discharge device (2), before being located in the container (12), being connected to each other by placing the coupling member (8) on the conduit (13), the coupling member (8) penetrating the unbroken portion (6) of the wall (7) of the package (1) as the coupling member (8) cooperates with the coupling member (4) within the wall (7),
the package (1) with the discharge device (2) connected to the package (1) being located in the container (12) such that the discharge device (2) is located in an upper part of the container (12),
the end portion (11) of the package (1) with the coupling member (4) defining a lower portion of the package (1) when the package (1) is located within the container (12),
the coupling portions (5, 9) of the coupling members (4, 8) having non-circular openings (19) such that the conduit (13) is placed in a predetermined position relative to the package (1), the conduit (13) being directed upwards in the container (12) from the end portion (11) of the package (1) to the discharge device (2) when the package (1) is located in the container (12),
the non-circular opening of the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8) defining a non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9), the non-circular exterior surface being complimentary to, and received by, the non-circular opening (19) of the coupling member (4),
the non-circular opening (19) of the coupling portion (5) of the coupling member (4) defining a non-circular interior surface complimentary to the non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8), the non-circular interior surface receiving the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8),
the non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9) being shaped identically to the non-circular interior surface of the coupling portion (5).
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the coupling portions (5, 9) are interconnected such that the conduit (13) is set in a position substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the package (1).
3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the opening of the coupling member (4) of the package (1) has a non-circular shape such that, if a coupling portion (9) of a coupling member (8) with a circular opening is connected to the coupling portion (5) on the coupling member (4) of the package (1), it is not possible to interconnect the coupling portions (5, 9) of the coupling members (4, 8).
4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the coupling portion (5) of the coupling member (4) of the package (1) has such a non-circular opening such that visual inspection may determine that the coupling portion (9) having a circular opening does not fit with the coupling portion (5) on the coupling member (4) of the package (1).
5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8) of the discharge device (2) has a tube member (20) with a non-circular opening for fitting into the opening (19).
6. The device according to claim 5 wherein the opening (19) of the coupling member (4) has an oval opening (19) and the tube member (20) has a corresponding oval opening.
7. The device according to claim 5 wherein the opening (19) has a partly circular, partly non-circular shape and the tube member (20) has a corresponding partly circular, partly non-circular opening.
8. The device according to claim 5 wherein the opening (19) has a polygonal shape and the tube member (20) has a corresponding polygonal opening.
9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the opening (19) has a heptagonal shape and the tube member (20) has a corresponding heptagonal opening.
10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the coupling member (4) of the package (1) has an outer part (26) provided on the unbroken portion (6) of the wall (7) of the package (1), the outer part (26) defining the coupling portion (5) on the coupling member (4) of the package (1), the coupling member (4) of the package (1) further having an inner annular part (27) located within the outer part (26), the outer part (26) and the inner annular part (27) being interconnected two connecting parts (28) defining openings (29) for through-flow of the product (3).
11. The device according to claim 10 wherein the outer part (26) has a substantially circular outer edge, the inner annular part (27) having an opening (30) for the product (3) and a substantially circular outer edge, the diameter of the outer edge of the outer part (26) being less than the diameter of the outer edge of the inner annular part (27), the connecting parts (28) being located opposite each other, the connecting parts (28) being connected to the outer edge of the outer part (26) and to the inner annular part (27) at the opening (30).
12. The device according to claim 10 wherein the outer part (26) has a collar (31) directed towards the inner annular part (27) and the connecting parts (28) are connected to an inner edge of the collar (31).
13. The device according to claim 1 wherein the discharge device (2) has pump device (14).
14. Device according to claim 13 wherein the pump device (14) has a suction (15) operated by a manual pump member (16) for pumping product (3) from the package (1).
15. A coupling assembly comprising:
an elongated package (1) made of synthetic material,
a discharge device (2) for discharging a product (3) from the package (1) when the package (1) is located in a container (12),
the package (1) having an end portion (11) and a coupling member (4) with a coupling portion (5),
the coupling member (4) being provided on the end portion (11) and being located within an unbroken portion (6) of a wall (7) of the package (1),
the discharge device (2) having a conduit (13) for dispensing the product (3) from the package (1),
the conduit (13) having a coupling member (8) with a coupling portion (9),
the package (1) and the discharge device (2), before being located in the container (12), being connected to each other by placing the coupling member (8) on the conduit (13), the coupling member (8) penetrating the unbroken portion (6) of the wall (7) of the package (1) as the coupling member (8) cooperates with the coupling member (4) within the wall (7),
the package (1) with the discharge device (2) connected to the package (1) being located in the container (12) such that the discharge device (2) is located in an upper part of the container (12),
the end portion (11) of the package (1) with the coupling member (4) defining a lower portion of the package (1) when the package (1) is located within the container (12),
the coupling portions (5, 9) of the coupling members (4, 8) having non-circular openings (19) such that the conduit (13) is placed in a predetermined position relative to the package (1), the conduit (13) being directed upwards in the container (12) from the end portion (11) of the package (1) to the discharge device (2) when the package (1) is located in the container (12),
the non-circular opening of the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8) defining a non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9), the non-circular exterior surface being complimentary to, and received by, the non-circular opening (19) of the coupling member (4),
the non-circular opening (19) of the coupling portion (5) of the coupling member (4) defining a non-circular interior surface complimentary to the non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8), the non-circular interior surface receiving the coupling portion (9) of the coupling member (8),
the non-circular exterior surface of the coupling portion (9) being shaped identically to the non-circular interior surface of the coupling portion (5).
16. A method for dispensing product (3) from an elongated package (1), said method comprising the steps of:
making the package (1) from synthetic material,
providing a discharge device (2) for discharging the product (3) from the package (1) when the package (1) is located in a container (12), the package (1) having a coupling member (4) with a coupling portion (5), the discharge device (2) having a conduit (13) for feeding the product (3) from the package (1), the conduit (13) having a coupling member (8) with a coupling portion (9),
locating the coupling member (4) in the package (1) such that the coupling member is situated at a bottom of the container (12) when the package (1) is located in the container (12),
locating the coupling member (4) of the package (1) within an unbroken portion (6) of a wall (7) of the package (1),
connecting the coupling members (4, 8) of the package (1) and the discharge device (2) by penetrating the unbroken portion (6) of the wall (7) of the package (1), the coupling member (4) of the package (1) having an outer part (26), an inner annular part (27) and two connecting parts (28) connecting the outer part (26) and the inner annular part (27) such that the outer part (26), the inner annular part (27) and the connecting parts (28) define two outwardly open U-shaped grooves (47, 48) on opposite sides of the connecting parts (28), and
guiding the coupling member (4) of the package (1) by two guide means (45, 46) forming part of a control device (44), the guide means (45, 46) engaging the two U-shaped grooves (47, 48) defined by the coupling member (4) such that the coupling member (4) may slide on the two U-shaped grooves.
17. The method according to claim 16 further including the step of guiding the coupling member (4) of the package (1) with a control device (44) such that the coupling member (4) is located on an inner side of the wall (7) of the package (1).
18. The method according to claim 17 further including the step of guiding the coupling member (4) of the package (1) by sliding the coupling member (4) along the guide means (45, 46) thereby forming part of the control device (44).
19. The method according to claim 16 further including the step of holding the coupling member (4) of the package (1) with the guide means (45, 46) prior to attachment of to the unbroken portion (6) of the wall (7) of the package (1).
20. The method according to claim 16 wherein the coupling members (4, 8) are connected only if the coupling portions (5, 9) each have non-circular openings (19).

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A star polymer which comprises a central core and three or more branches bonded to the central core, and has a weight average molecular weight of from 1,000 to 100,000,
wherein at least one of the branches containing at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of the following repeating units of the formulae (1), (2), (3), (4) and (9);

the formula (1)
wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms,
R21 and R22 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 6 carbon atoms, a haloalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a halocycloalkyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group wherein at least one hydrogen atom in the phenyl group may be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atom or a halogen atom, or R21 and R22 bond to form a divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms,
R23 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a haloalkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a halocycloalkyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or an aralkyl group having 7 to 12 carbon atoms, with the proviso that R22 is methyl, or the carbon atom in R22 linked to the carbon atom adjacent to R22 is a secondary or primary carbon atom when R23 is a hydrogen atom or the carbon atom in R23 linked to the carbon atom adjacent to R22 is a tertiary carbon atom,
m is an integer of 1 to 3 and when m is 2 or 3, each of the group of the formula \u2014(OC(OR21)R22R23) may be the same or different;

the formula (2)
R31 represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a group of the formula \u2014CH(R33)\u2014OR34, u is an integer of 0 to 2, \u2014CH2\u2014 in R31 not linked to the oxygen adjacent to R31 may be substituted by \u2014COO\u2014 or \u2014O\u2014, and at least one hydrogen atom in R31 may be substituted by a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a halogen atom or an alkoxy group,
R33 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms,
R34 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a group of the formula \u2014R40\u2014O\u2014R41, or a group of the formula \u2014R42\u2014O(C\u2550O)\u2014R43, or R33 and R34 bond to form an divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms,
in the divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, \u2014CH2\u2014 not linked to the oxygen adjacent to R31 may optionally be substituted by \u2014COO\u2014 or \u2014O\u2014,
R40 represents a divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms,
R41 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms,
R42 represents a divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms,
R43 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms;
P1 represents a single bond, or an alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 7 carbon atoms;

the formula (3)
wherein R31 has the same meaning as defined above,
the formula (4)
wherein R31 has the same meaning as defined above,
the formula (9)
wherein Y represents an oxygen atom or \u2014NH\u2014, and
the central core is a structural unit of the formula (I)
wherein (W) represents a polyvalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, a polyvalent saturated cyclic hydrocarbon group, a polyvalent saturated acyclic hydrocarbon group or a group combined by at least two of the polyvalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, the polyvalent saturated cyclic hydrocarbon group and the polyvalent saturated acyclic hydrocarbon group, wherein at least one \u2014CH2\u2014 in the polyvalent saturated cyclic hydrocarbon group and the polyvalent saturated acyclic hydrocarbon group not linked to Q may optionally be substituted by \u2014O\u2014, \u2014S\u2014, \u2014NR52\u2014 or \u2014SiR532\u2014 and at least one hydrogen atom in the polyvalent aromatic hydrocarbon group and the polyvalent saturated cyclic hydrocarbon group may optionally be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R52 and R53 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, Q represents \u2014O\u2014, \u2014S\u2014 or \u2014NR54\u2014, wherein R54 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R50 and R51 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkylalkoxy group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, or R50 and R51 link together and represent a divalent saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group which bonds to form a divalent cyclic hydrocarbon group together with a carbon atom adjacent to R50 and R51, and
1 represents an integer of 3 to 12.
2. The star polymer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the branches contains at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of the repeating units (1), (2), (3) and (4).
3. The star polymer according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is insoluble or poorly soluble in an alkali aqueous solution but becomes soluble in an alkali aqueous solution by the action of an acid.
4. The star polymer according to claim 1, wherein (W) is neopentan-tetrayl group, 2,2\u2032,2\u2033-nitrilotriethyl group, 2-methyltetrahydropyran-\u03b1, 3,4,5,6-pentayl group, 2-methyltetrahydrothiopyran-\u03b1, 3,4,5,6-pentayl group, 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran-\u03b1, \u03b1\u2032, 2,3,4-pentayl group, or a group combined by at least two of them.
5. The star polymer according to claim 1, wherein central core is a structural unit selected from the following formulae:
6. The star polymer according to claim 1, which is obtainable by reacting a radical polymerization initiator of the following formula (10) with a monomer leading to a repeating unit of at least one of the formulae (1), (2), (3), (4) and (9):
Z\u2014Tp\u2003\u2003(10)
wherein Z is a structural unit of the formula (I), T represents a radically transferable atom or group, and p represents an integer of 3 to 12.
7. The star polymer according to claim 6, wherein the radical polymerization initiator is a compound obtained by acylating a compound of 3 to 100 carbon atoms having three or more groups in total selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl group, thiol group, and N-alkylamino group with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, and \u2014CH2\u2014 in said compound may optionally be substituted by \u2014O\u2014, \u2014S\u2014, \u2014NR52\u2014, or \u2014SiR532\u2014, wherein R52 and R53 have the same meanings as defined above.
8. The star polymer according to claim 6, wherein the radical polymerization initiator is a compound selected from the group consisting of a compound obtained by acylating a polyhydric alcohol of 3 to 100 carbon atoms having three or more hydroxyl groups with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, a compound obtained by acylating a polythioalcohol of 3 to 100 carbon atoms having three or more thiol groups with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, and a compound obtained by acylating a polyamine of 3 to 100 carbon atoms having three or more N-alkylamino groups with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, and \u2014CH2\u2014 in the compounds may optionally be substituted by \u2014O\u2014, \u2014S\u2014, \u2014NR52\u2014, or \u2014SiR532\u2014, wherein R52 and R53 have the same meaning as defined above.
9. The star polymer according to claim 6, wherein the radical polymerization initiator is a compound selected from the group consisting of a compound in which hydroxyl groups of a polysaccharide or monosaccharide are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, a compound in which hydroxyl groups of a cycloalkylpolyol or alkylpolyol are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, a compound in which hydroxyl groups of a polyhydric amine are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, a compound in which hydroxyl groups of an aromatic ring are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group, a compound in which hydroxyl groups of an alkylpolythiol are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group and a compound in which amino groups of an alkylamine are acylated with an acylating agent having a radically transferable atom or group.
10. The star polymer according to claim 6, wherein the radical polymerization initiator is a compound selected from the group consisting of per(2-bromoisobutyryl)cyclodextrin, per(2-bromoisobutyryl)maltotriose, tetrakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)arabinose, tris(2-bromoisobutyryl)cyclohexanetriol, tetrakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)pentaerythritol, hexa(2-bromoisobutyryl)mannitol, tris(2-bromoisobutyryl)triethanolamine, tris(2-bromoisobutyryl)benzenetriol, tris(2-bromoisobutyryl)trihydroxypyrimidine, tetrakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)pentaerythrithiol, tetrakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)2,2-bis(mercaptomethyl)-1,4,butanedithiol, tetrakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)spermine and tris(2-bromoisobutyryl)spermidine, tetrakis(2-chloroisobutyryl)pentaerythritol, tetrakis(2-iodoisobutyryl)pentaerythritol, hexakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)dipentaerythritol, and octakis(2-bromoisobutyryl)sucrose.
11. The star polymer according to claim 6, wherein the radical polymerization initiator is a compound selected from the group consisting of at least one of compounds represented by the following formulae: