Abstract: Heavy oil or crude oil spills in sea water are recovered without polluting environment. A natural rubber latex and a coagulant are scattered around lumps of oil spills to coagulate the latex with the coagulant, so that a membrane of the latex is formed around the oil lumps.

Abstract: A method for fixing, on a substrate, functional material such as proteins, enzymes, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, microorganisms, viruses and cultured cells, includes the steps of (i) forming on the substrate a photosensitive layer containing DNQ, novolak, and optionally imidazole; (ii) applying onto the substrate functional material containing at least one amino group; (iii) before or after step (ii), irradiating in a pattern the photosensitive layer with light of appropriate wavelength(s) to convert DNQ to a ketene compound; and (iv) reacting the amino group with the ketene compound to fix via amido bonding the functional material to the substrate via the photosensitive layer along the pattern.

Abstract: A bisquinolinol or bisbenzoquinolinol compound is disclosed which has the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH--R.sup.1).sub.2 wherein R.sup.1 represents a 8-hydroxy-7-quinolyl group which may have an alkyl group at the 2-position thereof or a 10-hydroxy-9-benzoquinolyl group which may have an alkyl group at the 2-position thereof. The bisquinolinol and bisbenzoquinolinol compounds may be obtained by thermal rearrangement of a bisquinoline or bisbenzoquinoline compound of the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH.sub.2 --O--R.sup.2).sub.2 wherein R.sup.2 represents a 8-quinolyl group which may have an alkyl group at the 2-position thereof or a 10-benzoquinolyl group which may have an alkyl group at the 2-position thereof. The bisquinolinol and bisbenzoquinolinol compounds are useful as an extractant for metal ions.

Abstract: Soot containing fullerenes is produced by impressing a DC voltage between a carbonaceous anode and a cathode in an airtight chamber maintained in an inert gas atmosphere to cause arc discharge to occur. After termination of the impression of the DC voltage, an inert gas is blown into the chamber to fluidize the soot. The fluidized soot is discharged from the chamber and is brought into contact with a solvent to recover the fullerenes.