Abstract: Provided is a honeycomb structure in which as compared with partition walls of an end face side portion of all inlet of a fluid, partition walls of an end face side portion of an outlet of the fluid satisfy at least one of conditions of (1) a heat conductivity being relatively high, (2) a heat capacity being relatively large, (3) a bending strength being relatively high and (4) a porosity being relatively low. In this honeycomb structure, the melting or thermal shock breakdown of the partition walls does not easily occur, and the structure is suitably used as a DPF.

Abstract: A first upper limit and a second upper limit of emission power are set in each of the NaS batteries. The second upper limit is maximum value of the emission power for maintaining the temperature of the NaS battery at an upper limit temperature or less. In allocation of the emission power to each of the NaS batteries, each of the NaS batteries is separated into a preferential virtual battery to which a non-excess of the emission power that does not exceed the second upper limit is allocated and non-preferential virtual battery to which an excess of the emission power that exceeds the second upper limit is allocated, and after the emission power is allocated to all the preferential virtual batteries, the emission power is allocated to each of the non-preferential virtual batteries.

Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes a raw material preparation step of preparing a raw material mixture; a firing step of firing the raw material mixture prepared through the raw material preparation step; and a crushing step of crushing the fired compact obtained through the firing step, wherein the raw material mixture contains a main raw material containing at least a manganese compound, and a seed crystal having a spinel-type crystal structure.

Abstract: A honeycomb structure has a cell structure section 3 an outer circumferential wall section 4. The cell structure section 3 includes a first partition wall group having partition walls 1a positioned in parallel and a second partition wall group having partition walls 1b which intersect the partition walls of the first partition wall group at right angles and are positioned in parallel. In this honeycomb structure, the partition wall intervals of the partition walls 1a and 1b of each partition wall group positioned in parallel are varied stepwise in at least a part of the cell structure section 3, and all the partition walls 1a and 1b have such a ratio of the cell side length to the partition wall thickness that the partition wall can withstand pressure during canning. The honeycomb structure has increased isostatic strength and thermal shock resistance and can be manufactured at low cost.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus 1 for measuring pressure loss in a filter 2, which apparatus includes filter holding means 3; fluid passing means; flow rate measuring means; pressure loss measuring means; and a flow path 6 which connects the four means such that a fluid can pass between the means. The apparatus further includes flow rate regulating means having a mainstream path 7; a tributary path 8 which is branched from the mainstream path 7 and communicates with the outside; and one or more flow path opening/closing members 9 capable of, in conjunction with the level of the fluid flow rate as measured through the flow rate measuring means, opening or closing the mainstream path 7 or the tributary path 8 such that the flow path opening ratio of each of the paths varies continuously or intermittently. The apparatus achieves reliable and convenient measurement of pressure loss with the flow rate of the fluid which passes through the filter 2 being maintained at a constant level by the flow rate regulating means.

Abstract: In a twin-screw extruder including a barrel, which has two screws disposed in parallel in its inside and an opening at one edge, and an extrusion molding die disposed to the opening side of the barrel through a straightening vane and a filter net, the straightening vane includes a first straightening vane and a second straightening vane, the first one has a hole forming region having plural through holes formed in a region whose size and shape are in agreement with the size and the shape of the inner periphery of the opening portion, and the second one has a hole structure whose size and shape of its inner periphery at one opening edge are in agreement with the size and the shape of the hole forming region, and its sectional area is reduced once in a process to the other opening edge and then expanded in a taper shape.

Abstract: An aluminum nitride ceramic is provided, including 0.5 to 10 weight percent of boron atoms and 0.1 to 2.5 weight percent of carbon atoms. The ceramic has a room temperature volume resistivity not lower than 1×1014?·cm, and a volume resistivity at 500° C. of not lower than 1×108?·cm. An a-axis lattice constant of the aluminum nitride in the ceramic is not shorter than 3.112 angstrom and a c-axis lattice constant of the aluminum nitride is not shorter than 4.980 angstrom.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck including a dielectric layer made of aluminum nitride, an inner electrode buried in the dielectric layer, and a surface layer covering a surface of the dielectric layer. The surface layer is made of a material harder than the aluminum nitride constituting the dielectric layer and having a thickness of not less than 200 nm, and the surface of the dielectric layer has a center-line average surface roughness of not more than 25 nm. The electrostatic chuck is adapted to adsorb a wafer onto the dielectric layer through the surface layer.

Abstract: Plural p+-type regions are formed on a silicon substrate, and thereafter, an n-type epitaxial growth layer is formed. Narrow concave portions are formed to extend between the surface of the epitaxial growth layer 14 and the silicon substrate and to have the almost the same lateral sectional shape. As a result, remaining parts, which are defined by the concave portions, of the epitaxial growth layer on p+-type field limiting rings are separated from the silicon substrate. Thus, a depletion layer is spread beyond the field limiting rings and a large forward voltage-resistance can be realized.

Abstract: In a heating device for an exhaust gas purification catalytic converter, an insulating coating or an insulating material is provided between a tubular electrode receiving member of a power relay means and an electrode received in this electrode receiving member.

Abstract: A novel Li.sub.2 O--Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --SiO.sub.2 series glass-ceramics for magnetic disc substrate use, which can prevent deformation of the substrate at a large temperature change and provide a strong, small and compact magnetic disc substrate without trouble and much reading and/or writing informations on the smoothened surface of the substrate, is provided. The glass-ceramics has a main crystal phase of lithium disilicate (Li.sub.2 O.2SiO.sub.2) phase, the peak intensity I of cristobalite phase (CRI) of at least 20 but not more than 50 when the peak intensity of I of lithium disilicate (L2S) phase measured by an X-ray diffraction analysis is taken as 100, and containing 1.0-3.0 parts by weight of Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and 1.0-3.0 parts by weight of MnO when the sum of metal oxides other than Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and MnO is taken as 100 parts by weight.

Abstract: A dust collecting apparatus, including a housing having an inlet duct, a discharge duct and filter provided therein. The filter has a honeycomb cellular structure including an inlet, outlet and a plurality of thin partition walls forming a plurality of axial passages. The filter has two groups of passages, a first group of passages that are closed along the inlet end of the filter and second group of passages that are closed along the outlet end of the filter. Further, a cover body is provided in the housing to form a chamber between the cover body and the outlet end of the filter. The chamber is in open communication with the first group of passages, and includes an outlet duct for passage of gas therethrough and to the discharge duct. Further, the housing provides an induction duct that opposes the outlet duct, for introduction of washing gas therethrough.

Abstract: A method for treating sintered alloy is disclosed by exposing a portion of the sintered alloy at a temperature ranging from about 800.degree. C. to about 1300.degree. C. under an atmosphere that contains an amount of water vapor corresponding to dew points ranging from about 30.degree. C. to about 60.degree. C. The method according to the present invention gives sintered alloy with a satisfactory protective layer that excels in smoothness and uniformity, and that prevents abnormal oxidation. Moreover, the method is especially useful to a sintered alloy having a complex structure and/or thin walls, such as a honeycomb structure.

Abstract: A slip casting mold suitable to be used for the production of a hollow ceramic article for insert casting can be easily produced by a method wherein granules having an average grain size of at least 30 .mu.m are adhered to the surface of a mold to produce a mold having a 10 point average surface roughness R.sub.z of at least 30 .mu.m, and the resulting mold is used in the production of the slip casting mold.

Abstract: A ceramic honeycomb structural body for catalytic converters and filters for removing fine particles can be provided which is secured firmly in the catalytic converters with high reliability, minimum volume and small strength to external pressure without displacements and breakage thereof and a loss of expensive noble metals, by forming at least one step on the outer circumferential surface of the honeycomb structural body so as to form at least one recessed portion or protruded portion on the outer circumferential surface; the recessed portion or the protruded portion has a rough surface or is formed discontinuously to afford firm and safe holding of the ceramic honeycomb structural body in the vessel of the catalytic converter via a sealing member and/or a cushioning member.

Abstract: A resistor element for determining a parameter, which includes a ceramic support having a bearing surface, an electrically resistive metallic layer formed on the bearing surface of the ceramic support, and a glass coating covering the metallic layer. The metallic layer has a plurality of pores which extend from an outer surface of the metallic layer to the bearing surface of the ceramic support, each pore having an area which is not smaller than that of a circle having a diameter of 1 .mu.m. An average spacing between adjacent ones of the pores is not larger than 5 .mu.m.

Abstract: Composite bodies comprise a metallic member and a ceramic member integrally joined together by joining a projection of the ceramic member to a recess of the metallic member. Their joining strength is improved by substantially limiting brazing metal to an interface between the outer peripheral surface of the projection of the ceramic member and the innner peripheral surface of the recess of the metallic member. The joining strength is also improved by forming a groove around the outer periphery of the metallic member at the joined end. The joining strength is also improved by providing a space or an intermediate member between a tip end surface of the projection and a bottom surface of the recess and attaining the relation: ##EQU1## in which G, L.sub.1, .alpha., .alpha.', T.sub.S and T.sub.

Abstract: Cordierite ceramic honeycomb structural bodies having a high thermal shock resistance and a high water absorption are produced by adding the defined amount of starch powder, a binder and water to a ceramic starting material to crystallize cordierite upon firing.