Abstract: A method oxidizes an organic compound with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, in which the catalyst contains a N-hydroxy- or N-(substituted oxy)-imide compound derivable from at least one selected from a target product, a reaction intermediate, and a reaction byproduct, and the catalyst is produced from at least one component selected from the target product, reaction intermediate, and reaction byproduct each formed as a result of the reaction and is used in the oxidation reaction so as to make up for a loss of the catalyst due to denaturation in the reaction. The method can easily and inexpensively make up for a loss of the catalyst denaturated in the course of reaction.

Abstract: An inflator for an air bag comprises, a diffuser portion having a gas discharging port and a gas discharging duct extending from the gas discharging port in an axial direction of an inflator housing, wherein the total opening area of a plurality of openings provided at distal ends of a branched portion in the gas discharging duct is larger than the opening area of an orifice portion provided inside the diffuser portion.

Abstract: 1-aminopropanediol-2,3 containing 2-aminopropanediol-1,3 of less than 0.30% by weight can be prepared by the present purification process, which comprises distilling a l-aminopropanediol-2,3 containing at least 0.3% of 2-aminopropanediol-1,3 based on the weight of 1-aminopropanediol-2,3 with a distillation column, said distillation column having low pressure loss.