Abstract: Provided are a processing device (1) and a processing method that enable an efficient chemical operation by means of reducing the time for separating into individual starting material fluids a mixture of starting material fluids that had once been fractionated. The processing device (1) is provided with: a separation tank (5) that contacts together a first and second starting material fluid (2a, 2b) that differ in specific gravity, performing a chemical operation at the portion at which both starting material fluids contact, and houses the first and second starting material fluids (2a, 2b) that are separated vertically; and a flow path forming member (6) that is disposed within the separation tank (5) and forms a plurality of minute ducts (7) for causing the upper starting material fluid (2a) layer to contact the lower starting material fluid (2b) layer.

Abstract: A method of producing reduced metals is disclosed in which a mixture of a metal oxide and a reducing agent is heated by a burner such that the metal oxide is reduced to a reduced metal. Dry-distilled gas generated during carbonization of an organic matter-containing component is used as fuel for the burner. The sensible heat of exhaust gas evolved by the burner is utilized as heat for carbonizing the organic matter-containing component. Carbide derived by carbonizing the organic matter-containing component is used as the above reducing agent. This method yields excellent cost performance. An apparatus for reducing metal oxides is also disclosed.

Abstract: A digital information reproduction apparatus for compressing frames of data so as to intermittently reproduce the data in fast-forward speed. A data re-write device retrieves a reproduction-target frame for the fast-forward reproduction and a parameter-calculation-target frame exclusively for calculation of the frame data parameters. The frames then are transferred to a RAM. A decoder determines the frame data in the RAM, calculates the parameter-calculation frame data, and decodes the reproduction frame data by use of the parameter obtained as above. The described operation prevents expending the reproduction frame data with an incorrect parameter so as to normally fast-forward reproduce the compressed data. Furthermore, the present can select a frame used in the fast forward reproduction according to a feature index so that a section subjected to the fast-forward reproduction can be easily grasped by the user.

Abstract: A mixed powder containing: 5-30 wt % of SiC whiskers; 3-30 wt % of a sintering auxiliary agent composed of one kind or more of oxides of Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Zr, Cr, Ni, Y and rare earth elements; and an Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder as a base material; or further containing 0.5-40 wt % of one kind or more of compounds composed of one kind or more of transient elements in the groups IVa, Va, and VIa of the periodic table and one kind or more of C, N and B, are compacted and subjected to pressureless-sintering in a nitrogen containing inert gas atmosphere at a temperature between 1500.degree. and 1900.degree. C. With this method, the SiC whiskers containing Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 based ceramic material, which is densified and has a sufficient strength and toughness, can be formed in a complex shape and a large size.