Patents by Inventor Masaki Horikita
Masaki Horikita has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10026968Abstract: A method for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst, including a step (I) of bringing an aqueous solution of a transition metal compound (1) into contact with ammonia and/or ammonia water to generate a precipitate (A) containing an atom of the transition metal, a step (II) of mixing at least the precipitate (A), an organic compound (B), and a liquid medium (C) to obtain a catalyst precursor liquid, and a step (IV) of subjecting the solid in the catalyst precursor liquid to heat treatment at a temperature of 500 to 1200° C. to obtain an electrode catalyst; a portion or the entirety of the transition metal compound (1) being a compound containing a transition metal element of group 4 or group 5 of the periodic table; and the organic compound (B) being at least one selected from sugars and the like.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2012Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki Horikita, Kunchan Lee, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Takashi Sato
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Patent number: 9947936Abstract: The present invention concerns an oxygen reduction catalyst comprising composite particles in which primary particles of a titanium compound is dispersed into a carbon structure, wherein the composite particles have titanium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen as constituent elements, and with regard to a ratio of number of atoms of each of the elements when titanium is taken as 1, a ratio of carbon is larger than 2 and 5 or less, a ratio of nitrogen is larger than 0 and 1 or less, and a ratio of oxygen is 1 or more and 3 or less, and an intensity ratio (D/G ratio) of D band peak intensity to G band peak intensity in a Raman spectrum is in the range of 0.4 to 1.0. The oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present invention has satisfactory initial performance and excellent start-stop durability.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2012Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Noriyasu Tezuka, Masaki Horikita, Masayuki Yoshimura, Yuji Ito, Takashi Sato
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Patent number: 9640801Abstract: A catalyst carrier production process includes a step (a) of mixing a transition metal compound (1), a nitrogen-containing organic compound (2), and a solvent to provide a catalyst carrier precursor solution; a step (b) of removing the solvent from the catalyst carrier precursor solution; and a step (c) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (b) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide a catalyst carrier; wherein the transition metal compound (1) is partly or wholly a compound including a transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element; and at least one of the transition metal compound (1) and the nitrogen-containing organic compound (2) includes an oxygen atom.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2016Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki Horikita, Kunchan Lee, Ryuji Monden, Chunfu Yu, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Takashi Sato, Yoshinori Abe
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Publication number: 20160284452Abstract: An R-T-B-based rare earth sintered magnet comprising: a rare earth element R, B, a metallic element M which includes one or more metals selected from Al, Ga and Cu, a transition metal T which includes Fe as a main component and inevitable impurities, wherein the sintered magnet includes: 13 to 15.5 atom % of R, 5.0 to 6.0 atom % of B, 0.1 to 2.4 atom % of M, and T and the inevitable impurities as a balance, and wherein the sintered magnet includes more than 0 atom % and 0.01 atom % or less of Tb as the rare earth element R.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki HORIKITA, Kenichiro NAKAJIMA, Akifumi MURAOKA
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Publication number: 20160190605Abstract: A catalyst carrier production process includes a step (a) of mixing a transition metal compound (1), a nitrogen-containing organic compound (2), and a solvent to provide a catalyst carrier precursor solution; a step (b) of removing the solvent from the catalyst carrier precursor solution; and a step (c) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (b) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide a catalyst carrier; wherein the transition metal compound (1) is partly or wholly a compound including a transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element; and at least one of the transition metal compound (1) and the nitrogen-containing organic compound (2) includes an oxygen atom.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2016Publication date: June 30, 2016Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki HORIKITA, Kunchan LEE, Ryuji MONDEN, Chunfu YU, Yasuaki WAKIZAKA, Takashi SATO, Yoshinori ABE
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Patent number: 9379390Abstract: In a direct-liquid fuel cell supplied directly with a liquid fuel, a process for producing an electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell is provided which is capable of suppressing decrease in cathode potential caused by liquid fuel crossover and providing an inexpensive and high-performance electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell. The process for producing an electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell includes Step A of mixing at least a transition metal-containing compound with a nitrogen-containing organic compound to obtain a catalyst precursor composition, and Step C of heat-treating the catalyst precursor composition at a temperature of from 500 to 1100° C. to obtain an electrode catalyst, wherein part or entirety of the transition metal-containing compound includes, as a transition metal element, at least one transition metal element M1 selected from Group IV and Group V elements of the periodic table.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Kunchan Lee, Chunfu Yu, Ryuji Monden, Masaki Horikita, Takashi Sato
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Patent number: 9318749Abstract: A catalyst carrier production process includes a step (a) of mixing a transition metal compound (1), a nitrogen-containing organic compound (2), and a solvent to provide a catalyst carrier precursor solution; a step (b) of removing the solvent from the catalyst carrier precursor solution; and a step (c) of the thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (b) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide a catalyst carrier; wherein the transition metal compound (1) is partly or wholly a compound including a transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element; and at least one of the transition metal compound (1) and the nitrogen-containing organic compound (2) includes an oxygen atom.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2013Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki Horikita, Kunchan Lee, Ryuji Monden, Chunfu Yu, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Takashi Sato, Yoshinori Abe
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Publication number: 20160012946Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an alloy for an R-T-B-based rare earth sintered magnet, with which an R-T-B-based magnet having high coercive force can be obtained even when the B concentration is low and the Dy concentration is zero or extremely low. This method includes: a casting step of manufacturing a cast alloy by casting a molten alloy, a hydrogenating step of absorbing hydrogen in the cast alloy; and a dehydrogenating step of removing hydrogen from the cast alloy absorbing hydrogen in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature lower than 550° C., wherein the molten alloy consists of B, a rare earth element R, a transition metal T essentially containing Fe, a metal element M, and unavoidable impurities, in which the R content is 13 at % to 15.5 at %, the B content is 5.0 at % to 6.0 at %, the M content is 0.1 at % to 2.4 at %, the T content is a balance, a ratio of a Dy content to the total content of the rare earth element is 0 at % to 65 at %, and the molten alloy satisfies the below formula (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki HORIKITA, Takashi YAMAZAKI, Kenichiro NAKAJIMA
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Patent number: 9136541Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst having high catalytic activity which uses a transition metal, e.g., titanium, which process comprises thermal treatment at relatively low temperature, i.e., not including thermal treatment at high temperature (calcining) step. The process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst comprises a step (1) of mixing at least a transition metal-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing organic compound and a solvent to provide a catalyst precursor solution; a step (2) of removing the solvent from the catalyst precursor solution; and a step (3) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (2) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide an electrode catalyst; wherein the transition metal-containing compound is partly or wholly a compound comprising at least one transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2011Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Kunchan Lee, Ryoko Konta, Masaki Horikita, Chunfu Yu, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Kenichiro Ota, Ryuji Monden, Kazunori Ichioka, Takashi Sato, Takuya Imai
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Patent number: 9083051Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst having high catalytic activity which uses a transition metal, e.g., titanium, which process comprises thermal treatment at relatively low temperature, i.e., not including thermal treatment at high temperature (calcining) step. The process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst comprises a step (1) of mixing at least a transition metal-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing organic compound and a solvent to provide a catalyst precursor solution; a step (2) of removing the solvent from the catalyst precursor solution; and a step (3) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (2) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide an electrode catalyst; wherein the transition metal-containing compound is partly or wholly a compound comprising at least one transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2011Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Kunchan Lee, Ryoko Konta, Masaki Horikita, Chunfu Yu, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Kenichiro Ota, Ryuji Monden, Kazunori Ichioka, Takashi Sato, Takuya Imai
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Publication number: 20150155569Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a fuel cell involving supplying an electrode with a low or non-humidified gas that achieves no significant decrease of voltage as compared with when a high-humidified feed gas is used. The method for operating a fuel cell having a membrane electrode assembly includes a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte membrane interposed between both the electrodes, wherein the cathode has a layer including an oxygen reducing catalyst including composite particles which include atoms of a metal element M1, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen and in which primary particles of a compound of the metal element M1 are dispersed in a carbon structure, which method includes supplying the cathode with an oxidizing agent gas which includes an oxygen gas and which has a relative humidity at a temperature of the membrane electrode assembly of 60% or less, and supplying the anode with a fuel gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2013Publication date: June 4, 2015Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Noriyasu Tezuka, Masaki Horikita, Takuya Imai, Masayuki Yoshimura, Yuji Ito, Takashi Sato
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Publication number: 20140349212Abstract: The present invention concerns an oxygen reduction catalyst comprising composite particles in which primary particles of a titanium compound is dispersed into a carbon structure, wherein the composite particles have titanium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen as constituent elements, and with regard to a ratio of number of atoms of each of the elements when titanium is taken as 1, a ratio of carbon is larger than 2 and 5 or less, a ratio of nitrogen is larger than 0 and 1 or less, and a ratio of oxygen is 1 or more and 3 or less, and an intensity ratio (D/G ratio) of D band peak intensity to G band peak intensity in a Raman spectrum is in the range of 0.4 to 1.0. The oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present invention has satisfactory initial performance and excellent start-stop durability.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2012Publication date: November 27, 2014Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Noriyasu Tezuka, Masaki Horikita, Masayuki Yoshimura, Yuji Ito, Takashi Sato
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Publication number: 20140170527Abstract: In a direct-liquid fuel cell supplied directly with a liquid fuel, a process for producing an electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell is provided which is capable of suppressing decrease in cathode potential caused by liquid fuel crossover and providing an inexpensive and high-performance electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell. The process for producing an electrode catalyst for a direct-liquid fuel cell includes Step A of mixing at least a transition metal-containing compound with a nitrogen-containing organic compound to obtain a catalyst precursor composition, and Step C of heat-treating the catalyst precursor composition at a temperature of from 500 to 1100° C. to obtain an electrode catalyst, wherein part or entirety of the transition metal-containing compound includes, as a transition metal element, at least one transition metal element M1 selected from Group IV and Group V elements of the periodic table.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Kunchan Lee, Chunfu Yu, Ryuji Monden, Masaki Horikita, Takashi Sato
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Publication number: 20140120454Abstract: A fuel cell electrode catalyst which includes, at least, M1 that is at least one element selected from 3 to 7 group transition metal elements; M2 that is at least one element selected from iron group elements; M3 that is at least one element selected from 13 group elements; carbon; nitrogen; and oxygen, as constitutional elements, wherein when the atomic ratios of the elements (M1:M2:M3:carbon:nitrogen:oxygen) are represented by a:b:c:x:y:z, 0<a<1, 0<b?0.5, 0<c<1, 0<x?6, 0<y?2, 0<z?3 and a+b+c=1, and BET specific surface area is 100 m2/g or more.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2012Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Masaki Horikita, Takuya Imai, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Takashi Sato
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Publication number: 20130330659Abstract: A method for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst, including a step (I) of bringing an aqueous solution of a transition metal compound (1) into contact with ammonia and/or ammonia water to generate a precipitate (A) containing an atom of the transition metal, a step (II) of mixing at least the precipitate (A), an organic compound (B), and a liquid medium (C) to obtain a catalyst precursor liquid, and a step (IV) of subjecting the solid in the catalyst precursor liquid to heat treatment at a temperature of 500 to 1200° C. to obtain an electrode catalyst; a portion or the entirety of the transition metal compound (1) being a compound containing a transition metal element of group 4 or group 5 of the periodic table; and the organic compound (B) being at least one selected from sugars and the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2012Publication date: December 12, 2013Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Masaki Horikita, Kunchan Lee, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Takashi Sato
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Publication number: 20130302715Abstract: A catalyst carrier production process includes a step (a) of mixing a transition metal compound (1), a nitrogen-containing organic compound (2), and a solvent to provide a catalyst carrier precursor solution; a step (b) of removing the solvent from the catalyst carrier precursor solution; and a step (c) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (b) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide a catalyst carrier; wherein the transition metal compound (1) is partly or wholly a compound including a transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element; and at least one of the transition metal compound (1) and the nitrogen-containing organic compound (2) includes an oxygen atom.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Inventors: Masaki HORIKITA, Kunchan LEE, Ryuji MONDEN, Chunfu YU, Yasuaki WAKIZAKA, Takashi SATO, Yoshinori ABE
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Publication number: 20120315568Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst having high catalytic activity which uses a transition metal, e.g., titanium, which process comprises thermal treatment at relatively low temperature, i.e., not including thermal treatment at high temperature (calcining) step. The process for producing a fuel cell electrode catalyst comprises a step (1) of mixing at least a transition metal-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing organic compound and a solvent to provide a catalyst precursor solution; a step (2) of removing the solvent from the catalyst precursor solution; and a step (3) of thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (2) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide an electrode catalyst; wherein the transition metal-containing compound is partly or wholly a compound comprising at least one transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2011Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Kunchan Lee, Ryoko Konta, Masaki Horikita, Chunfu Yu, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Kenichiro Ota, Ryuji Monden, Kazunori Ichioka, Takashi Sato, Takuya Imai
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Publication number: 20120258381Abstract: There is provided an ink for forming a fuel cell catalyst layer that is capable of efficiently forming a high-performance fuel cell catalyst layer inexpensively. The ink for forming a fuel cell catalyst layer of the present invention comprises a fuel cell catalyst, an electron conductive material, a proton conductive material and a solvent, wherein the fuel cell catalyst comprises a metal-containing oxycarbonitride that contains niobium and/or titanium; the mass ratio [(A)/(B)] of the content (A) of the fuel cell catalyst to the content (B) of the electron conductive material is 1 to 6; and the mass ratio [(D)/(C)] of the content (D) of the proton conductive material to the total content (C) of the fuel cell catalyst and the electron conductive material is 0.2 to 0.6.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2010Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.Inventors: Takuya Imai, Yasuaki Wakizaka, Toshikazu Shishikura, Masaki Horikita, Kenichiro Ota