Abstract: In order to provide a gas diffusion electrode medium having high thermal conductivity despite having low density and excellent both in handleability and cell performance, provided is a gas diffusion electrode medium including carbon fiber felt including carbon fibers having an average fiber diameter of 5 to 20 ?m, wherein at least a part of the carbon fibers that constitute the carbon fiber felt have a flat part in which, in a plane view of a surface of the carbon fiber felt, a maximum value of a fiber diameter is observed to be 10 to 50% larger than the average fiber diameter, and a frequency of the flat parts at the surface of the carbon fiber felt is 50 to 200/mm2.

Abstract: In order to provide a gas diffusion electrode medium having high thermal conductivity despite having low density and excellent both in handleability and cell performance, provided is a gas diffusion electrode medium including carbon fiber felt including carbon fibers having an average fiber diameter of 5 to 20 ?m, wherein at least a part of the carbon fibers that constitute the carbon fiber felt have a flat part in which, in a plane view of a surface of the carbon fiber felt, a maximum value of a fiber diameter is observed to be 10 to 50% larger than the average fiber diameter, and a frequency of the flat parts at the surface of the carbon fiber felt is 50 to 200/mm2.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to improve water drainage performance of a gas diffusion electrode including a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric. The present invention provides a gas diffusion electrode base material essentially consisting of a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric, wherein the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric has an in-plane basis weight pattern in which high basis weight regions having a relatively high basis weight and low basis weight regions having a relatively low basis weight are arranged, and the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric has on at least one surface an uneven pattern in which recesses and projections are arranged, the uneven pattern being formed independently of the basis weight pattern.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric which has excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity as an electrode base material for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and which is useful as a base material excellent in gas diffusibility and drainage performance. The present invention provides a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric on a surface of which a plurality of non-through pores each having an opening area larger than the average pore area of the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric are dispersively formed, the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric having no broken fibers observed on the peripheral edge portions of the non-through pores in plane view.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a grooved gas diffusion electrode, which has good water discharge performance and can exhibit high power generation performance even under particularly humid power generation conditions and in a case where a parallel separator is used.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced composite material which comprises carbon fibers and a resin, wherein the carbon fibers have crimps and have been entangled and the fiber volume content is 30 to 80%. The fiber-reinforced composite material combines quasi-isotropy with a high fiber volume content and has little unevenness in mechanical property.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a gas diffusion electrode substrate that can facilitate both the supply of a reaction gas to a gas diffusion electrode and discharge of water as a reaction product. The present invention provides a gas diffusion electrode substrate including a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric having 30/cm2 to 5000/cm2 discontinuous protrusions dispersedly formed on at least one surface thereof, and a water repellent imparted to the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon-fiber nonwoven cloth with low resistance to gases or liquids passing through, and low resistance in the thickness direction to heat or electricity, which is particularly appropriate for a gas diffusion electrode of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell; the cloth having an air gap with a diameter of at least 20 ?m, at least some of the carbon fibers being continuous from one surface to the other surface, and the apparent density being 0.2-1.0 g/cm3, or, having an air gap with a diameter of at least 20 ?m and at least some of the carbon fibers being mutually interlaced, and further, at least some of the carbon fibers being oriented toward the thickness direction and the apparent density being 0.2-1.0 g/cm3.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nonwoven carbon fiber fabric suitable as a gas diffusion electrode, which achieves good water discharge performance and maintains high gas diffusibility even when electricity is generated in humid conditions. The present invention provides a nonwoven carbon fiber fabric which has ridges on at least one surface thereof and which is provided with a water repellent, the ridges having a pitch that is less than 500 ?m.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric which has excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity as an electrode base material for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell and which is useful as a base material excellent in gas diffusibility and drainage performance. The present invention provides a carbon fiber nonwoven fabric on a surface of which a plurality of non-through pores each having an opening area larger than the average pore area of the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric are dispersively formed, the carbon fiber nonwoven fabric having no broken fibers observed on the peripheral edge portions of the non-through pores in plane view.

Abstract: Provided is a carbon-fiber nonwoven cloth with low resistance to gases or liquids passing through, and low resistance in the thickness direction to heat or electricity, which is particularly appropriate for a gas diffusion electrode of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell; the cloth having an air gap with a diameter of at least 20 ?m, at least some of the carbon fibers being continuous from one surface to the other surface, and the apparent density being 0.2-1.0 g/cm3, or, having an air gap with a diameter of at least 20 ?m and at least some of the carbon fibers being mutually interlaced, and further, at least some of the carbon fibers being oriented toward the thickness direction and the apparent density being 0.2-1.0 g/cm3.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced composite material which comprises carbon fibers and a resin, wherein the carbon fibers have crimps and have been entangled and the fiber volume content is 30 to 80%. The fiber-reinforced composite material combines quasi-isotropy with a high fiber volume content and has little unevenness in mechanical property.

Abstract: A fiber reinforced composite material includes reinforced fibers that are long fibers and a matrix, wherein the reinforced fibers are crimped.

Abstract: This invention provides a leather-like sheet excellent in hand softness and appearance durability, as a composite sheet consisting of a nonwoven fabric composed of ultrafine long fibers in which ultrafine fibers with a fiber fineness of 0.0001 to 0.5 dtex are entangled with each other, and a woven or knitted fabric, characterized in that at least some of the aforementioned ultrafine fibers pass through the woven or knitted fabric, that the appearance is grade 3 or higher while the abrasion loss is 10 mg or less in the evaluation of abrasion resistance, and that the sheet is substantially composed of only a fiber material of a non-elastic polymer.

Abstract: A leather-like sheet excellent in repulsive feeling is provided by a leather-like sheet substantially including a fibrous material which is a leather-like sheet in which a staple fiber nonwoven fabric (A) in which ultra-fine fibers of an average single fiber fineness of 0.0001 to 0.5 dtex and an average fiber length of 1 to 10 cm are entangled with each other and a woven or knitted fabric (B) including a conjugate fiber in which two or more polyesters are disposed in side-by-side or eccentric sheath-core relationship are laminated.

Abstract: A leather-like sheet excellent in repulsive feeling is provided by a leather-like sheet substantially including a fibrous material which is a leather-like sheet in which a staple fiber nonwoven fabric (A) in which ultra-fine fibers of an average single fiber fineness of 0.0001 to 0.5 dtex and an average fiber length of 1 to 10 cm are entangled with each other and a woven or knitted fabric (B) including a conjugate fiber in which two or more polyesters are disposed in side-by-side or eccentric sheath-core relationship are laminated.

Abstract: Intermediate polyester fibre and method for the production thereof, characterized in that highly oriented undrawn polyester yarn with a degree of crystallinity in a specified range is passed under a tension of 0.3×10−2 g/d to 5.0×10−2 g/d through a non-contact heater of heater temperature at least 250° C., and 5-40% shrinkage effected, giving the following properties (A): (1) Specific gravity 1.335-1.360 (g/cm3), (2) Degree of crystallinity 21-26%, (3) Crystal size in terms of Miller index (010) 1.4-2.2 nm, in terms of Miller index (100) 1.4-2.5 nm and in terms of Miller index (105) 1.6-3.5, (4) Degree of crystal orientation no more than 75% in the 010 plane and no more than 85% in the 105 plane, and (5) Degree of amorphous orientation 0.15-0.

Abstract: A process for the production of a black coloring material characterised by treating a compound selected from finely powdered sugar, protein and a polyamide polymer, having amino groups with a naphthoquinone derivative represented by the general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a halogen atom, or a group represented by the following formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.2 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group, R.sub.3 represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group or a hydroxylalkyl group, and n represents 1 or 2; cosmetics comprising a black coloring material produced by the above process; and a process for staining a substrate using the obtained black coloring material.

Abstract: A novel black coloring material is obtained by treating a chitosan with a dyestuff of the lithospermum root. If a water-insoluble chitosan is used as the chitosan, a finely divided black coloring material is obtained, and if a gelatinous chitosan salt is used as the chitosan, a gelatinous black coloring material is obtained. If a water-soluble chitosan, chitosan oligosaccharide or D-glucosamine, or a salt thereof is used as the chitosan, a liquid black coloring material is obtained. If a powdery polymeric substance is treated with such a black coloring material, a polymer-based black coloring material is obtained, and if a fiber is dyed with such a black coloring material, the fiber is dyed to a black color having a low lightness.