Abstract: Heat-expandable microspheres include a shell of thermoplastic resin and a blowing agent encapsulated therein having a boiling point not higher than the softening point of the thermoplastic resin, have a maximum expanding ratio not lower than 50 times, and are thermally expanded into hollow particulates having a repeated-compression durability not lower than 75 percent. The method of producing the heat-expandable microspheres includes the steps of dispersing an oily mixture containing a polymerizable component and the blowing agent in an aqueous dispersing medium containing a specific water-soluble compound and polymerizing the polymerizable component contained in the oily mixture.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, includes: a fuel injection unit; an ignition unit; a crank angle detection unit; a fuel pump; a booster unit; an ignition discharge unit; and a control unit that controls the fuel injection unit, the ignition unit, and the fuel pump, that ascertains ignition timings based on crank signals output from the crank angle detection unit, and that performs a startup control sequence that is made up of fuel injection processing, voltage boosting processing, ignition processing, and fuel supply processing.

Abstract: When a second detector determines that a character image has a halftone (YES in #1) and a third detector (48) determines that a font size of the character image is equal to or greater than a threshold value ? and equal to or smaller than a threshold value ? (YES in step #4), a fourth detector determines whether a presently focused pixel constitutes a particular portion of a character (step #5). When the fourth detector determines that the pixel data of the presently focused pixel constitutes the particular portion of the character (YES in step #5), the image processing section sets the pixel data to be subjected to a second screen processing which is performed at a higher gradation level (step #6).

Abstract: A thermosetting epoxy resin composition is provided comprising (A) a reaction product obtained through reaction of a triazine derived epoxy resin with an acid anhydride, (C) a reflective agent, (D) an inorganic filler, and (E) a curing catalyst. In one embodiment, (B) an internal parting agent having a melting point of 50-90° C. is included. In another embodiment, (I) inorganic whisker fibers having an average fineness of 0.05-50 ?m and an average length of 1.0-1,000 ?m are included.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition comprising: (A) an epoxy resin having at least three epoxy groups per molecule and an epoxy equivalent of 170 or lower; (B) an epoxy resin having a phenolic nucleus and two epoxy groups in such an amount that a weight ratio of the epoxy resin (B) to the epoxy resin (A) ranges from 35/65 to 65/35; (C) a phenolic curing agent in such an amount that a molar ratio of phenolic hydroxyl groups to the whole epoxy groups in the composition ranges from 0.5 to 1.5; and (D) an inorganic filler in an amount of from 86 to 92 wt %, based on a total weight of the composition. The composition provides encapsulated semiconductor devices much less warped than those encapsulated with a conventional composition.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition is provided comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) an inorganic filler, (D) a cure accelerator, (E) an adhesion promoter, and (F) a metal oxide. The metal oxide (F) is a combination of a magnesium/aluminum ion exchanger, a hydrotalcite ion exchanger, and a rare earth oxide in a ratio of 0.5-20:0.5-20:0.01-10 pbw, relative to 100 pbw of epoxy resin (A) and curing agent (B) combined.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition comprising (A) at least one epoxy resin comprising (a) a naphthalene ring-containing epoxy resin having at least one substituted or unsubstituted naphthalene ring in a molecule and having an epoxy equivalent of 175 to 210, (B) a phenolic resin having at least one substituted or unsubstituted naphthalene ring in a molecule, and (C) an inorganic filler, the substituted or unsubstituted naphthalene ring of the epoxy resin (a) being contained in an amount of 45 to 60% by weight in the total amount of the epoxy resin (A) is best suited for semiconductor encapsulation because it has good flow, a low coefficient of linear expansion, a high Tg, minimal moisture absorption, and crack resistance upon lead-free soldering.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulating epoxy resin composition is provided comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a molybdenum compound, (D-i) an organopolysiloxane, (D-ii) an organopolysiloxane cured product, or (D-iii) a block copolymer obtained by reacting an epoxy resin or alkenyl group-bearing epoxy resin with an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and (E) an inorganic filler. The composition has improved moldability and solder crack resistance while exhibiting high flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony oxide.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulating epoxy resin composition comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a molybdenum compound, and (D) 300-900 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of components (A) and (B) combined of an inorganic filler contains nitrogen atoms in an amount of 1.5-20% by weight based on the weight of components (A) and (B) combined. Cured parts of the composition exhibit high-temperature capabilities and flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony trioxide.

Abstract: In press forming including ironing, an elastically deformable material is used for a part of ironing die contacting to the work material under a higher pressure than designed, for taking the formed product out from the die easily in a case that the ironing die and the formed product are very close in size to each other, and thereby improving the efficiency of production.

Abstract: A simultaneous two-sided iron-deep drawing process for producing vessels such as metal cans. After being used, the cans can easily be squashed. A difference in height between the inner die and the outer die or the profile radii of the two dies are varied so as to change the longitudinal wall strength of the vessel. The work material is held between the two dies so that both sides are simultaneously ironed and thereby a tubular structure is obtained.

Abstract: Epoxy resin compositions comprising (A) an epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of at least 185 and possessing a structure in which two benzene rings can be directly conjugated, carbon atoms having an sp2 type atomic orbital accounting for at least 50% of all the carbon atoms, (B) a &bgr;-naphthol type phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a curing accelerator, and (D) an inorganic filler cure into products having satisfactory solder crack resistance on use of lead-free solder and improved flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony compounds and are thus suited for semiconductor encapsulation.

Abstract: An angle detecting head provided with an emitter and a pair of receivers is rocked, and a bent surface of a workpiece bent by a punch and a die of a bending machine is irradiated with a measurement light from the emitter, a reflected light is received by the pair of receivers, and a bending angle of the workpiece is obtained from a peak value of the light received by the respective receivers. The angle detecting head is movable parallel to the die, is movable in a direction close to and away from the workpiece, and is movable in a direction in which the die is raised/lowered. The angle detecting head is positioned in an optimum angle measurement position of the workpiece and the bending angle is measured.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulating epoxy resin composition is provided comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a molybdenum compound, (D-i) an organopolysiloxane, (D-ii) an organopolysiloxane cured product, or (D-iii) a block copolymer obtained by reacting an epoxy resin or alkenyl group-bearing epoxy resin with an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and (E) an inorganic filler. The composition has improved moldability and solder crack resistance while exhibiting high flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony oxide.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulating epoxy resin composition is provided comprising (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a molybdenum compound, (D-i) an organopolysiloxane, (D-ii) an organopolysiloxane cured product, or (D-iii) a block copolymer obtained by reacting an epoxy resin or alkenyl group-bearing epoxy resin with an organohydrogenpolysiloxane, and (E) an inorganic filler. The composition has improved moldability and solder crack resistance while exhibiting high flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony oxide.

Abstract: In order to provide an approximate solution having high accuracy to a given partial differential equation made up of one of a Poisson equation, diffusion equation or other partial differential equation similar in form to a Poisson or diffusion equation, the given equation being applied on a plurality of grid points dispersed at irregular intervals, a program is generated in which not only the dependent variable of the original equation is used, but in addition first order derivatives thereof also are input independently as additional dependent variables, the program thereby serving to execute and solve discretized equations using discretized expressions made up of high accuracy second and third order derivative terms of a dependent variable of the given partial differential equation.

Abstract: Epoxy resin compositions comprising (A) an epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of at least 185 and possessing a structure in which two benzene rings can be directly conjugated, carbon atoms having an sp2 type atomic orbital accounting for at least 50% of all the carbon atoms, (B) a &bgr;-naphthol type phenolic resin curing agent, (C) a curing accelerator, and (D) an inorganic filler cure into products having satisfactory solder crack resistance on use of lead-free solder and improved flame retardance despite the absence of halogenated epoxy resins and antimony compounds and are thus suited for semiconductor encapsulation.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition comprising (A) a polyfunctional epoxy resin, (B) a phenolic resin, (C) an inorganic filler, and (D) curing catalyst-containing microcapsules having a mean particle size of 0.5-50 &mgr;m is suited for semiconductor package encapsulation since it minimizes the warpage of packages and has satisfactory catalyst latency, storage stability and cure.