Abstract: A water control sheet having superior drainage and gas diffusion properties and superior handling characteristics, and a gas diffusion sheet, a membrane-electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which utilize the water control sheet, are provided. The water control sheet is independent and located for use adjacent to a catalyst layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, and is formed of a nonwoven fabric containing conductive fibers containing conductive particles at least inside a hydrophobic organic resin. The gas diffusion sheet, the membrane-electrode assembly and the polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to the present invention have the above water control sheet.

Abstract: An extensible nonwoven fabric, and method for its manufacture, on which the source, medicinal component, pattern and/or other pieces of information are recognizable at the beginning of and during fabric use. It is made mainly of highly crimped fibers, with a compressed region where no fibers are melted and bonded together, with a tensile strength of 25 N/5-cm-width or more in both the machine direction and the cross direction. It may be manufactured by causing a water jet having a pressure of 5 MPa or more to act onto a web made mainly of a latent crimpable fiber, forming an entangled fiber web, causing heat to act on it, crimping the fiber converting it to a highly crimped fiber while contracting the web's area by 30% or more forming a contracted fiber web, and embossing it such that the fibers are not melted and bonded together.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing organic fibers containing an inorganic component comprising the steps of: (1) preparing an inorganic spinnable sol solution; (2) mixing the inorganic spinnable sol solution, a solvent capable of dissolving the inorganic spinnable sol solution, and an organic polymer capable of being dissolved in the solvent to prepare a spinning solution; and (3) spinning the spinning solution to form the organic fibers containing an inorganic component composed of an inorganic gel and the organic polymer, is disclosed. The inorganic spinnable sol solution preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more, and the inorganic spinnable sol solution is preferably prepared from a material containing a metal alkoxide having an organic substituent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery, in which comprises a vinyl alcohol polymer or a derivative thereof in an amount of 0.3 mg or more per 1 mAh of battery capacity in terms of a vinyl alcohol unit moiety content. The lithium ion secondary battery can decrease the battery voltage under high-temperature conditions and cannot be recharged after being exposed to high-temperature conditions.

Abstract: The invention provides a filter element which has a reduced initial pressure loss, can reduce an energy cost and can secure a high air flow rate, a filter element which has an elongated gas removing service life and filtering service life while keeping a high gas removing performance and a high dust removing efficiency, a manufacturing method and a method of use of the same. In a filter element (10) in which a pleated composite substrate (11) obtained by lapping or laminating an nonwoven fabric sheet including a fiber constituted by a thermoplastic resin and a gas removal sheet is pleated, and a pleated shape of the pleated composite substrate (11) is held by a shape retaining member (12a), a thickness of the nonwoven fabric sheet is increased at least 5% when heated to 60 degree C.

Abstract: Provided are: a surface material substrate that simultaneously fulfills requirements of low weight and cost, design properties, flame retardancy, mold releasability, followability and trimming properties; a surface material using the same; and a molded body integrated with a substrate mat. The surface material substrate of the present invention is a surface material substrate, wherein one surface of a fiber substrate containing cellulosic fiber is bonded with an acrylic resin binder containing a flame retardant and a thermosetting resin, a fineness of fiber constituting the fiber substrate is 2.2 dtex or less, and a mass ratio of the acrylic resin to the thermosetting resin is 80:20 to 65:35. The surface material of the present invention is a surface material provided with an adhesive layer containing a resin with a melting point of 200° C. or less on a surface of the fiber substrate of the surface material substrate opposite to an facing surface, which is bonded with the acrylic binder.

Abstract: Disclosed are a separator for lithium ion secondary batteries, having an inorganic layer formed from inorganic particles, characterized in that the inorganic particles have a particle diameter distribution in which the 50% cumulative particle diameter D50 is in the range of 100 nm to 500 nm, the 10% cumulative particle diameter D10 is 0.5D50 or more, and the 90% cumulative particle diameter D90 is 2D50 or less; a method for manufacturing the separator; and a lithium ion secondary battery using the separator. When the separator is used, there can be produced a lithium ion secondary battery in which a short circuit caused by contraction or melting can be definitely prevented, as well as the current density applied to the electrodes during charging and discharging is uniform so that charging and discharging can be efficiently achieved.

Abstract: Provided are a spinning apparatus capable of stably spinning fibers having a small fiber diameter with a high productivity, an apparatus comprising the same for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, a process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric using the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus, and a nonwoven fabric produced by the process. The spinning apparatus of the present invention comprises one or more exits for extruding liquid, which are capable of extruding a spinning liquid, and one or more exits for ejecting gas, which extend linearly and are located upstream of each of the exits for extruding liquid and which are capable of ejecting a gas, wherein a shearing force by the gas and its accompanying airstream can be single-linearly exerted on the spinning liquid extruded. The apparatus of the present invention for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric comprises a fibers collection means as well as the spinning apparatus.

Abstract: A spinning apparatus comprising one or more exits for extruding liquid, and an exit for ejecting gas, located upstream of the exits for extruding liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for liquid, in which the exit for extruding liquid forms one end of the columnar hollow; the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for gas having the exit for ejecting gas; a virtual column for liquid, extended from the columnar hollow for liquid, is adjacent to a virtual column for gas, extended from the columnar hollow for gas; the central axis of the columnar hollow for liquid is parallel to the central axis of the columnar hollow for gas; and there exists only one straight line having the shortest distance between an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for gas and an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for liquid, is disclosed.

Abstract: A battery separator comprising a nonwoven fabric, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains (1) superfine fibers having a fiber diameter of 3 ?m or less, (2) noncircular fine fibers having a noncircular cross-sectional shape and having a fiber diameter of 3 to 5 ?m (excluding 3 ?m), the fiber diameter meaning a diameter of a circle having an area the same as that of the noncircular cross-sectional shape, and (3) polypropylene based high-strength composite fibers containing a fusible component on the surface thereof and having a tensile strength of 4.5 cN/dtex or more, and the fusible component contained in the polypropylene based high-strength composite fibers is fused, and a battery comprising the battery separator are disclosed. A battery separator of the present invention has a high electrolyte-holding capacity and is capable of effectively preventing a short circuit, even if the separator is designed to be thinner to enhance the capacity of a battery.

Abstract: A method of producing fibrous aggregate, comprising: a supplying and discharging step in which a fiberizable liquid is supplied from a means for storing a fiberizable liquid to a means for discharging a fiberizable liquid via a supplying pipe, and the fiberizable liquid is discharged from the discharging means; and a fibers-collecting step in which fibers drawn and fiberized by applying an electrical field to the discharged fiberizable liquid are accumulated directly on a collecting surface of a collector while the collecting surface is unidirectionally conveyed to form the fibrous aggregate; wherein the discharging means is carried on a support capable of moving along an endless track capable of rotationally travelling between a pair of rotating shafts, and the fiberizable liquid is discharged from the discharging means while the support is revolved at a constant velocity under the condition that a moving direction of a linear motion area in the endless track conforms to a width direction of the collecting

Abstract: A process of manufacturing inorganic nanofibers, without using an organic polymer, using a highly reactive metal alkoxide such as titanium alkoxide or zirconium alkoxide, in particular, a process in which inorganic nanofibers can be stably produced over a long period, is provided. It is a process of manufacturing inorganic nanofibers by electrospinning using a sol solution containing an inorganic component as a main component, characterized in that the sol solution contains a metal alkoxide having a high reactivity and a salt catalyst, and that the salt catalyst is an amine compound having an N—N bond, an N—O bond, an N—C?N bond, or an N—C?S bond.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprises a fused fiber layer, and a fine fiber layer adjacent to the fused fiber layer and comprising fine fibers and second fusible fibers, which are fused in the fine fiber layer, wherein part of the fine fibers are incorporated into the fused fiber layer, so that in determining a delamination strength between the fused fiber layer and the fine fiber layer, delamination occurs in the fine fiber layer and therefore the determination results in failure. A process for manufacturing the separator includes preparing a fused fiber sheet, preparing a slurry containing fine fibers and second fusible fibers, scooping up the slurry with the fused fiber sheet, to thereby incorporate part of the fine fibers into the fused fiber sheet, and fusing the second fusible fibers in the fused fiber sheet.

Abstract: A spinning apparatus comprising one or more exits for extruding liquid, and an exit for ejecting gas, located upstream of the exits for extruding liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for liquid, in which the exit for extruding liquid forms one end of the columnar hollow; the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for gas having the exit for ejecting gas; a virtual column for liquid, extended from the columnar hollow for liquid, is adjacent to a virtual column for gas, extended from the columnar hollow for gas; the central axis of the columnar hollow for liquid is parallel to the central axis of the columnar hollow for gas; and there exists only one straight line having the shortest distance between an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for gas and an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for liquid, is disclosed.

Abstract: A separator for an electric double layer capacitor, characterized in that a thickness of the entire separator is 25 ?m or less, a layer of an ultrafine fibrous aggregate prepared by an electrostatic spinning process is contained, an average fiber diameter of ultrafine fibers constituting the ultrafine fibrous aggregate layer is 1 ?m or less, and a maximum pore size of the ultrafine fibrous aggregate is not more than 3 times a mean flow pore size is disclosed.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing organic fibers containing an inorganic component comprising the steps of: (1) preparing an inorganic spinnable sol solution; (2) mixing the inorganic spinnable sol solution, a solvent capable of dissolving the inorganic spinnable sol solution, and an organic polymer capable of being dissolved in the solvent to prepare a spinning solution; and (3) spinning the spinning solution to form the organic fibers containing an inorganic component composed of an inorganic gel and the organic polymer, is disclosed. The inorganic spinnable sol solution preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more, and the inorganic spinnable sol solution is preferably prepared from a material containing a metal alkoxide having an organic substituent.

Abstract: An alkaline battery comprises an electrode. The electrode has a current collector and an active substance filled in the current collector. The current collector includes a nonwoven fabric fabricated from a plurality of fibers and a nickel-plating film formed on the plurality of fibers. A specific surface area per unit volume of the current collector is 0.13 m2/cm3-0.35 m2/cm3.

Abstract: A floor mat (10) consisting of two or more porous material layers (1, 2, 3), wherein a boundary surface between a porous material layer constituting a reverse side layer (1) and another porous material layer (2) adjacent to the porous material layer is composed of an adhesive surface and a non-adhesive surface, the non-adhesive surface is a non-contact surface, and an independent space (4) is formed between the porous material layer constituting the reverse side layer and the porous material layer adjacent thereto, is disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a gas diffusion electrode substrate comprising a glass nonwoven fabric obtained by adhering a binder containing an acrylic resin and/or vinyl acetate resin to glass fibers.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator which enables the preparation of a battery with a good yield and workability is provided. The alkaline battery separator of the present invention comprises a fiber sheet mainly comprising hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers having a fiber diameter of 8 ?m or more, and a part of the hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers is composed of high-strength fibers having a tensile strength of 5 g/d or more.