Abstract: A unique method is proposed for fine patterning of a polymeric resin film on a substrate surface or fine patterning of the substrate surface with the patterned resin film as the resist. The method comprises the steps of: (a) forming a thin film of the resin on the substrate surface; (b) pressing the resin film pattern-wise under a pressure in a specified range by using, for example, a fine needle tip so as to enhance adhesion of the resin molecules to the substrate surface; and (c) dissolving away the resin film with an organic solvent selectively in the areas where the pressure is not applied in step (c) leaving the resin in a pattern-wise area after application of the pressure. The fineness of this patterning can be extremely high to be in the molecular size order.

Abstract: Proposed is an efficient method for the preparation of vitreous hollow microspheres from particles of a vitreous volcanic deposit by a heat treatment to effect expansion of the particles by foaming. The inventive method comprises a step, prior to the heat treatment for expansion of the particles, in which the starting particles are dispersed in an aqueous medium containing aluminum sulfate and urea each in a specified concentration followed by a heating treatment of the dispersion so as to deposit a coating layer of aluminum hydroxide on the particle surface so that the efficiency of foaming can be greatly improved without the disadvantage of particle agglomeration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the preparation of a .beta.-thiolactam compound, i.e. a 7-substituted-2-oxa-7-azabicyclo [3.2.0]-heptan-6-thione, represented by the general formula ##STR1## in which R is an alkyl or aryl group, having usefulness as an intermediate for the synthesis of various biologically active compounds. The compound can be prepared by the reaction of an isothiocyanate compound R--NCS, R being the same as above, and 2,3-dihydrofuran, preferably, under pressurization up to 2000 atmospheres or higher at an elevated temperature.

Abstract: Proposed is a dielectric thin film of a substituted lead titanate having a chemical composition expressed by the formulaPb(Ti.sub.1-x M.sub.x)O.sub.3in which the subscript x is a positive number in the range from 0.05 to 0.50 and M is an element selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, vanadium, antimony, bismuth, arsenic, tungsten, hafnium, germanium, tin, aluminum and gallium substituting for a part of the titanium atoms in the perovskite crystal lattice of lead titanate. Different from thin films of unsubstituted lead titanate or conventional substituted lead titanates, the above defined dielectric thin films of the invention are free from the disadvantage that the dielectric constant of the thin film is greatly decreased when the thickness of the thin film is so small as to be 1 .mu.m or smaller so that the dielectric constant of the inventive dielectric thin film having a thickness of 0.5 .mu.

Abstract: A novel method is proposed for the preparation of a superlattice multilayered film, which has a multilayered structure alternately consisting of epitaxially grown layers of a metal and layers of a metal oxide formed on the surface of a substrate and is useful as high-speed electronic devices, soft X-ray reflectors, neutron beam polarizers and the like. According to the discovery leading to this invention, good epitaxial growth of the layers can be accomplished when the metal has a face-centered cubic lattice structure and the metal oxide has a sodium chloride-type cubic lattice structure and the difference in the lattice constant between the metal and the metal oxide is small enough as in the combinations of silver and nickel oxide or magnesium oxide and nickel and nickel oxide.

Abstract: The invention provides a carbonaceous ferromagnetic material consisting substantially of carbon alone as prepared by the carbonization of a specific aromatic compound, such as phenazine and indigo, to such an extent that the hydrogen atoms in the starting aromatic compound are eliminated as completely as possible but graphitization of the carbonization product does not take place by conducting the carbonization treatment at a temperature not exceeding 800.degree. C. The carbonization reaction can be promoted by admixing the aromatic compound with a compound of a ferromagnetic metallic element such as cobalt chloride, which is removed from the carbonization product by dissolving away with hydrochloric acid and ammonia water. Elimination of hydrogen atoms from the aromatic compound can be more complete by conducting the heat treatment for the carbonization in an atmosphere containing a halogen-generating agent such as carbon tetrachloride.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel .beta.-lactam compound, a 7-substituted-2-oxa-7-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-one represented by the general formula ##STR1## in which R is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, halogen-substituted aryl or alkaryl group, having usefulness as an intermediate for the synthesis of various biologically active compounds. The compound can be prepared by the reaction of an isocyanate compound RNCO, R being the same as above, and 2,3-dihydrofuran, preferably, under pressurization up to 2000 atmospheres or higher.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for bonding of a ceramic body and a metallic body at a relatively low temperature not to cause substantial deformation or material degradation of the ceramic and metallic materials. The surface of the ceramic body is first irradiated with laser beams in vacuum so that the inorganic non-volatile constituent of the ceramic material, e.g. silicon when the ceramic is silicon nitride, is isolated on the surface of the ceramic body forming a layer. Thereafter, the metallic body is brought into contact with and pressed in vacuum against the thus laser beam-irradiated area of the ceramic body under an adequate pressing force and at an elevated but relatively low temperature which is, for example, not higher than 0.5Tm .degree.C., Tm .degree.C. being the melting point of the metallic material, so that the ceramic and metallic bodies are firmly bonded together.

Abstract: Proposed is a method for vascular embolization of the blood vessel of a patient by introducing an aqueous solution of a specific thermosensitive polymer, which is liquid at low temperatures but causes coagulation when heated up to the body temperature of the patient, into the blood vessel followed by in situ heating of the solution. The thermosensitive polymer found to be suitable for the purpose is a homopolymer or copolymer of an N-substituted (meth) acrylamide monomer having a specified intrinsic viscosity in tetrahydrofuran and gives an aqueous solution capable of exhibiting phase transition from a liquid to a coagulate at a transition temperature of 10.degree. to 37.degree..

Abstract: Proposed is a compact high-temperature exothermic device by utilizing the heat of reaction of a reactive metal powder, e.g., titanium and zirconium, and a powder of boron and/or carbon mixed together in about the stoichiometric proportion forming a calorific mixture. The exothermic device is constructed by filling a hermetically sealable container of a metallic or ceramic material with the calorific mixture which is contacted at one end portion with an ignition means to cause ignition of the calorific mixture by supplying, for example, electric energy. The ignition means can be hermetically sealed in the container and the electric circuit of the ignition means comprises a switching means with a coil spring consolidated with a solder alloy in a constricted state in such a fashion that, when the solder alloy is melted down by heating from outside, the coil spring is released to close the electric circuit by bringing a contact point held thereon into contact with a couterpart contact point.

Abstract: An efficient method is proposed for the recovery of gold value contained in an aqueous solution even in a very low concentration of the ppb level. Namely, an aqueous acidic solution containing gold value in the form of complex gold anions, e.g., chloro complex anions of gold, is contacted with a solid ion exchanger which is prepared by the adsorption of a 2-hydroxyethyl tri(C.sub.8-12)alkyl ammonium halide on porous resin beads of a polymer of methacrylic acid ester so that the complex gold anions are adsorbed by the ion exchange reaction to form ion pairs with the quaternary ammonium cations. The thus adsorbed complex gold anions coupled with the quaternary ammonium cations can be eluted out of the adsorbent with an organic solvent such as alcohols and ketones in a quantitative yield of recovery.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel polymeric compound poly(benzoic acid) which is a linear polymer consisting of the 1,4-phenylene linkages, each phenylene group having a carboxyl group. Poly(benzoic acid) can be prepared by hydrolyzing a poly(alkyl benzoate) in the presence of an acid or alkali. The thus obtained poly(benzoic acid) can be converted into a poly(p-phenylene) by the decarbonation reaction thereof in an organic solvent such as quinoline in the presence of metallic copper dust or a copper (II) compound such as copper (II) oxide and copper (II) carbonate hydroxide.

Abstract: A primary terpene alcohol such as citronellol can be enzymatically esterified with a higher fatty acid such as oleic acid in the presence of lipase in an atmosphere of supercritical carbon dioxide as the reaction medium at a high reaction velocity. The influence of the temperature and pressure of the atmosphere on the reaction velocity was studied. When the starting primary terpene alcohol is a racemic compound of the optical isomers having chirality as in (.+-.)-citronellol, efficient racemic resolution can be achieved by suitably selecting the temperature and pressure in the vicinity of the critical point of carbon dioxide to give the (S)-(-)-ester having an optical purity of almost 100% when the starting terpene alcohol is (.+-.)-citronellol.

Abstract: Methotrexate, which is a known anticancer agent, can be converted into a polymeric conjugate with a pyran copolymer, which in itself has a certain anticancer effect, by a method in which an alkylene diamine is reacted with the carboxyl group of the methotrexate molecule to give an amidation product having a free amino group in a molecule, which is then reacted with the carboxyl group of the pyran copolymer, of which at least 10% of the repeating units have been modified with the methotrexate residue. The polymeric conjugate has sustained releasability of the methotrexate compound in blood serum so that an excellent therapeutic effect can be obtained by the administration thereof against cancers with little problems due to the side effects caused by an unduly high concentration of the drug in blood unavoidable when methotrexate as such is administrated.

Abstract: An efficient method is proposed for the recovery of gold value from a waste material containing scrap gold by utilizing a principle that metallic gold can be dissolved at elevated temperatures and specifically precipitated at low temperatures with good reversibility in and out of a specific unique liquid medium which is an organic solvent, e.g., acetonitrile, containing an ionic compound of a first halogen, e.g., quaternary ammonium halides, and an elementary form of a second halogen each in a specified concentration, of which at least either one of the first and second halogens is iodine. Namely, a gold-containing waste material is contacted at a high temperature with the liquid medium to have the gold value dissolved therein and the gold-containing solution is then cooled to a low temperature so that the gold value can be recovered in the form of precipitates in a high purity.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel composite material consisting of carbon as the matrix phase and particles of silicon carbide having an acicular or needle-like particle configuration uniformly and isotropically dispersed in the matrix phase as the reinforcing dispersed phase, in which the needle-like silicon carbide particles are formed by the in situ crystal growth from particles of .beta.-silicon carbide in a shaped body of a powder blend consisting of particles of carbon and the powder of .beta.-silicon carbide with further admixture of boron or a boron compound which promotes crystal growth of silicon carbide to have an acicular particle configuration.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel polymeric compound poly(benzoic acid) which is a linear polymer consisting of the 1,4-phenylene linkages, each phenylene group having a carboxyl group. Poly(benzoic acid) can be prepared by hydrolyzing a poly(alkyl benzoate) in the presence of an acid or alkali. The thus obtained poly(benzoic acid) can be converted into a poly(p-phenylene) by the decarbonation reaction thereof in an organic solvent such as quinoline in the presence of metallic copper dust or a copper (II) compound such as copper (II) oxide and copper (II) carbonate hydroxide.

Abstract: A difluorinated hydrocarbon compound represented by the general formula (1) is reacted with cobalt trifluoride to give a trifluorinated hydrocarbon compound represented by the general formula (2), wherein R represents lower alkyl and R' and R" represent each hydrogen, halogen or lower alkyl which may be halogenated. The reacton proceeds under mild conditions to yield the objective compound with high selectivity.

Abstract: A novel method is disclosed for the preparation of a silicon carbide-based composite ceramic body reinforced with carbon fibers having an outstandingly high mechanical strength. The method comprises impregnating carbon fibers with a mixture of fine silicon particles and a thermosetting resin such as a phenolic resin to give a carbon fiber compact body impregnated with the mixture, which is then subjected to a heat treatment at about 1400.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere so that the thermosetting resin is thermally decomposed to produce free carbon capable of reacting with the silicon particles without affecting the carbon fibers embedded in the matrix due to the preferential reactivity of the silicon particles with the free carbon produced from the resin thus not to decrease the recinforcing effect of the carbon fibers.

Abstract: A thin electroconductive film is formed by irradiating a shaped article of chlorinated vinyl polymer with a pulsive light having a pulse duration of not greater than 100 nsec., a fluence of above about 15 mJ/cm.sup.2 /pulse and below that at which the polymer is subject to ablation, a laser wavelength of from about 190 to about 300 nm, and repetition frequency of above about 1 Hz and below that at which the polymer is subject to deformation and/or decomposition by a regenerative function of irradiation, under vacuum or in an oxygen-free atmosphere, thereby irradiating the article with total photon numbers of at least 1.times.10.sup.18 /cm.sup.2 without causing photocrosslinking, oxidation or cleavage of the backbone chain. The invention does not use materials other than the starting polymer such as solvents or strong bases that can contaminate the thin film during a dehydrochlorination, so there is no need to remove solvents after reaction and no residual salts will be formed in the dehydrochlorination.