Abstract: An apparatus and method for apparatus for recognizing information stored in an IC tag. An embodiment includes: an antenna part having a first antenna and a second antenna for receiving electric waves from the IC tag, and configured to form a plurality of areas including an area in a readable range of the first antenna, an area in a readable range of the second antenna, and an area in a readable range of the first antenna and the second antenna; a reader part for reading the information stored in the IC tag via the antenna part; and a determination part for determining whether the information stored in the IC tag should have been read by the reader part, based on a presence or absence of information read via the first antenna and the second antenna in the plurality of areas.

Abstract: Provided is a varnish which contains a solvent and an electrode electrolyte for a solid polymer fuel cell electrolyte, which contains a polymer with a structure having a main chain including a polyphenylene, a side chain including a sulfonic acid group and a repeating structural unit as a side chain including a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode catalyst layer comprising catalyst particles, an ion exchange resin and a water repellent agent. The water repellent agent contains (A) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a structure unit derived from a polyfluoroalkyl-containing (meth)acrylate and/or (B) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a structural unit represented by derived from a fluorine-containing olefin monomer and a structure unit represented derived from a vinyl ether monomer. The electrode catalyst layer contains 0.1 to 20% by weight of the water repellant agent. The electrode catalyst layer exhibits excellent balance between water retention and drainage in an electrode, good power generation performance under any of low humidity and high humidity conditions, and also excellent durability in power generation.

Abstract: A polyarylene copolymer having a sulfonic acid group which has high proton conductivity and reduced swelling in hot water and reduced shrinkage in drying; a solid polymer electrolyte and a proton conductive membrane comprising the copolymer; and a membrane-electrode assembly using these. The polyarylene block copolymer comprises a polymer segment (A) having a sulfonic acid group, and a polymer segment (B) having substantially no sulfonic acid group, the polymer segment (B) having substantially no sulfonic acid group comprising a structural unit represented by the following formula (1).

Abstract: An RFID system according to the present invention includes an RFID antenna system including: a first antenna that can communicate with an external reader/writer; an antenna selector for connecting with the first antenna; and a plurality of second antennas that can connect with the first antenna in order via the antenna selector, each of the second antennas can communicate with an IC tag that is attached to an article placed in a region defined by the second antenna.

Abstract: An electrode electrolyte for a solid polymer electrolyte-type fuel cell contains a polymer, which has a polyphenylene structure as a main chain and both a sulfonic acid group and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group as a side chain. A side chain having the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group has a structure represented by the following general formula (D). where Z represents at least one kind of structures selected from a group consisting of a direct bond, —O— and —S—, Y represents at least one member selected from a group consisting of —CO—, —SO2—, —SO—, —CONH—, —COO—, —(CF2)1— (1 is an integer of 1 to 10) and —C(CF3)2, R20 represents a specified nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group, q represents an integer of 1 to 5 and p represents an integer of 0 to 4.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode paste which comprises catalyst particles, a solvent and an varnish which comprises a solvent and an electrode electrolyte for a solid polymer fuel cell electrolyte, wherein the electrode electrolyte comprises a polymer with a structure having a main chain including a polyphenylene, a side chain including a sulfonic acid group and a repeating structural unit represented by formula (C) as a side chain including a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group; wherein the structural variables are defined herein.

Abstract: A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises: a plurality of electrode structures comprising an anode and a cathode, and polymer electrolyte membrane held between the anode and the cathode, and a plurality of separators for holding the respective electrode structures, with a fuel gas passage for supplying and discharging fuel gas containing hydrogen on a surface opposing the anode; and an oxidant gas passage for supplying and discharging oxidant gas on a surface opposing the cathode. The catalyst layer of the anode comprises a mixture of an ion conductive material, a platinum powder and/or platinum alloy powder and a carbon, the platinum powder and/or platinum alloy powder and carbon substantially exist independently from each other, and the catalyst layer of the cathode comprises a metal support mixture in which the ion conductive material and the electro-conductive material having the supported catalyst material are mixed.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched by the electrodes, the catalyst layer of the cathode electrode containing a catalyst supporting particle in which a precious metal is supported on heat-treated carbon black or activated carbon, an ion conductive material, and a crystalline carbon fiber. Heat treatment is preferably applied at 2,500 to 3,000° C. (degrees Celsius). The membrane electrode assembly provides superior power generation performance.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte fuel cell consists of plural units, and the unit has an anode side separator, an anode diffusion layer, an anode catalytic layer, polymer electrolyte membrane, a cathode catalytic layer, a cathode diffusion layer, and a cathode side separator. The cathode catalytic layer further includes a catalyst in which platinum or platinum alloy is supported on a carbon supporting body having an average lattice space d002 of [002] surface of 0.338 to 0.355 nm and specific surface area of the supporting body of 80 to 250 m2/g, electrolyte containing ion exchange resin, and vapor grown carbon fiber. Furthermore, a water holding layer containing ion exchange resin, carbon particles, and vapor grown carbon fiber is arranged at an interface of the cathode diffusion layer and the cathode catalytic layer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for apparatus for recognizing information stored in an IC tag. An embodiment includes: an antenna part having a first antenna and a second antenna for receiving electric waves from the IC tag, and configured to form a plurality of areas including an area in a readable range of the first antenna, an area in a readable range of the second antenna, and an area in a readable range of the first antenna and the second antenna; a reader part for reading the information stored in the IC tag via the antenna part; and a determination part for determining whether the information stored in the IC tag should have been read by the reader part, based on a presence or absence of information read via the first antenna and the second antenna in the plurality of areas.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electromagnetic inductive RFID tag to be used along with an article containing a metal, and an apparatus for accessing the RFID tag. An electromagnetic inductive RFID tag in the present invention comprises a magnetic core member having two ends, each of which has an end face, an antenna coil wound on the magnetic core member, and an IC chip connected to the antenna coil, in which, with respect to a direction of a magnetic flux entering an one side of the end face, a direction of a magnetic flux emitting from the other side of the end face is substantially at an angle of 180 degrees. Information can be read with a high reading accuracy without being influenced by a surrounding metal.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electrode catalyst layer of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly expressing excellent balance between water retention and drainage in an electrode, good power generation performance under any of low humidity and high humidity conditions, and also excellent durability of power generation. The electrode catalyst layer of the invention contains catalyst particles, an ion exchange resin and a water repellent agent, wherein said water repellent agent contains at least one kind selected from the group consisting of (A) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a structure unit derived from a polyfluoroalkyl-containing (meth)acrylate and (B) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a specific structure unit derived from a fluorine-containing olefin monomer and a specific structure unit derived from a vinyl ether monomer.

Abstract: This invention provides an electrode electrolyte for a solid polymer-type fuel cell, in which a cost problem and a problem related to recovery of catalyst metals are solved, having excellent proton conductivity, dimensional stability and heat resistance. An electrode electrolyte for a solid polymer electrolyte-type fuel cell contains a polymer, which has a polyphenylene structure as a main chain and both a sulfonic acid group and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group as a side chain. A side chain having the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group has a structure represented by the following general formula (D). (In formula, Z represents at least one kind of structures selected from a group consisting of a direct bond, —O— and —S—, Y represents at least one kind of structures selected from a group consisting of —CO—, —SO2—, —SO—, —CONH—, —COO—, —(CF2)1— (1 is an integer of 1 to 10) and —C(CF3)2— and R20 represents a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group.

Abstract: An RFID system according to the present invention includes an RFID antenna system including: a first antenna that can communicate with an external reader/writer; an antenna selector for connecting with the first antenna; and a plurality of second antennas that can connect with the first antenna in order via the antenna selector, each of the second antennas can communicate with an IC tag that is attached to an article placed in a region defined by the second antenna.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an ID tag package including a structure covering an ID tag therein. The structure has a thickness necessary for reducing attenuation of electromagnetic wave caused by existence of metal or water external to the ID tag, and includes at least an elastic layer enabling reduction of external stresses. An RFID system using the package is also provided.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched by these electrodes, the catalyst layer of cathode electrode contains a Pt—Co catalyst that is Pt—Co alloys supported by an electrical conductive material, and crystalline carbon fibers, improving the catalyst activity and controlling the oxidization corrosion reaction of the catalyst carrier can be carried out, and providing a high initial performance and superior durability.

Abstract: An electrode for a solid polymer fuel cell includes a gas diffusion layer, an electrode catalyst layer disposed between a solid polymer membrane of the fuel cell and the gas diffusion layer, and a water-holding layer disposed between the gas diffusion layer and the electrode catalyst layer. Under high-relative humidity conditions of reaction gases, flooding can be prevented because the electrode catalyst layer is made porous, while under low-relative humidity conditions of reaction gases, sufficient water contents can be stably provided thanks to the water-holding layer so that proton conductivity of the solid polymer membrane can be maintained appropriately. Consequently, high-performance and high-durability electrode and membrane electrode assembly for a solid polymer fuel cell can be provided such that the performance and the durability thereof are not affected by change in relative humidity in reactant gases supplied to the solid polymer fuel cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which is inexpensive and has an excellent efficiency of generating electric power, by using a material alternative to a perfluoroalkylene sulfonic acid polymer. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a pair of electrodes (2, 3) consisting of an oxygen electrode (2) and a fuel electrode (3) both having a catalyst layer (5) containing a catalyst and an ion conducting material; and a polymer electrolyte membrane (1) sandwiched between the two catalyst layers (5) of the both electrodes (2, 3). The above ion conducting material contained in the above polymer electrolyte membrane (1) or in the catalyst (5) layer of at least one of the above electrodes (2, 3) comprises a sulfonated polyarylene having sulfonic acid side-chain groups.

Abstract: Membrane-electrode assemblies are provided which have polymer electrolyte membranes capable of maintaining an adequately wet condition even at high temperatures and have superior generating properties. The membrane-electrode assembly includes an ion exchange resin membrane, an anode catalyst layer including catalyst-supported carbon and an ion exchange resin, and a cathode catalyst layer including catalyst-supported carbon and an ion exchange resin, the anode catalyst layer including a binder component of which the ion exchange capacity is higher than that of a binder component in the cathode catalyst layer, and/or the anode catalyst layer including an ion exchange resin layer of which the water content is higher than that of anion exchange resin layer of the cathode catalyst layer.