Abstract: A particle having a rough surface and obtained from a particle (A) having grafted on the surface thereof a polymer having first functional groups and particles (B) having grafted on the surface thereof a polymer having second functional groups reactive with the first functional groups, by uniting the particle (A) with the particles (B) through chemical bonds between the first functional groups and the second functional groups. In this particle with a rough surface, the core particle has been tenaciously bonded to the protruding particles. Because of this, even when the protruding particles have an increased particle diameter, the protruding particles can be prevented from readily shedding from the core particle.

Abstract: Electrical storage devices having excellent low-temperature properties can be obtained by using a quaternary salt (or ionic liquid) of general formula (1) below as an electrolyte salt for electrical storage devices or a liquid electrolyte for electrical storage devices. In formula (1), R1 to R4 are each independently an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbons or an alkoxyalkyl group of the formula R?—O—(CH2)n—, with the proviso that at least one group from among R1 to R4 is the above alkoxyalkyl group. X is a nitrogen or phosphorus atom, and Y is a monovalent anion.

Abstract: A friction material is made by molding and curing a composition containing a fibrous base that includes stainless steel fibers but not other steel fibers, a binder, and a friction modifier that includes at least two types of hard particles having a large Mohs hardness, bronze powder and a specific amount of tin sulfide. The friction material has a excellent balance of properties, including a high strain linearity that provides a excellent brake feel, a high torque linearity and a excellent effectiveness, and also minimizes disc rotor attack, disc pad wear and metal pickup. Such friction materials are particularly suitable for automotive applications, such as disc pads.

Abstract: A positive side terminal electrode and a negative side terminal electrode which are exposed to the exterior of a resin enclosure pass through a positive side opening and a negative side opening formed on the enclosure, respectively, and are connected to a positive side electrode and a negative side electrode, respectively, of an electric double-layer capacitor put away in the interior of the enclosure. The positive side terminal electrode is thermally welded to inner surfaces of the positive side opening over the entire periphery thereof, and the negative side terminal electrode is thermally welded to inner surfaces of the negative side opening over the entire periphery thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a resin composition wherein dispersibility of a modifying agent such as an inorganic substance is improved. The acid resistance of this resin composition is not deteriorated even when a modifying agent is blended therein. Specifically, the resin composition includes a base material having a cyano group-containing organic layer and an organic resin. This resin composition is extremely excellent in acid resistance when compared with organic resins which use a base material having an organic layer not containing a cyano group.

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor has a pair of current collectors, a positive polarizable electrode which is provided on one of the pair of current collectors, includes activated carbon of a weight W+ and has a capacitance C+, a negative polarizable electrode which is provided on the other of the pair of current collectors, includes activated carbon of a weight W? and has a capacitance C?, a separator interposed between the positive and negative polarizable electrodes, and an organic electrolytic solution which impregnates at least the positive and negative polarizable electrodes and the separator, wherein C?/C+=0.6 to 1.0 and W?/W+=1.1 to 2.0. Even when continuously charged at a high applied voltage, the electric double layer capacitor has a high retention of capacitance and a low rise in internal resistance, and thus has an excellent durability.

Abstract: A stabilizer against hydrolysis, which can solve conventional problems of a carbodiimide compound compounded in an ester-group-containing resin or a biodegradable plastic as a stabilizer against hydrolysis, such as poor heat resistance and a coloring problem due to yellowing, and can provide enhanced resistance against hydrolysis, and a thermoplastic resin composition of an ester-group-containing resin or a biodegradable plastic containing the same.

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor is composed of a pair of current collectors, a positive polarizable electrode provided on one of the pair of current collectors, a negative polarizable electrode provided on the other of the pair of current collectors, a separator between the positive and negative polarizable electrodes, and an organic electrolytic solution which impregnates at least the positive and negative polarizable electrodes and the separator. The capacitor has a theoretical amount of ions Qt defined as Qt (moles)=C×V÷96,500, wherein C is the rated capacitance (farads) of the capacitor and V is the rated voltage (volts), and an amount of ions Qe in the organic electrolytic solution, such that Qe/Qt=1.7 to 3.5. The capacitor has a high voltage rating, excellent cycle characteristics during high-current charging and discharging, and a low internal resistance in low-temperature environments.

Abstract: As a solvent for dissolving a nucleic acid such as DNA or RNA, a solvent comprising an ionic liquid having, for example, ammonium cation, imidazolium cation orpyridinium cation is used and the nucleic acid is dissolved therein and preserved. Thus, a nucleic acid such as DNA or RNA can be easily dissolved and preserved over a long period of time.

Abstract: An automatic shoe clearance adjustment apparatus having a ratchet wheel 124b and a driving member 127 comprising a pawl section 127f making a ratchet engagement with the ratchet wheel 124b and an arcuate leaf spring section 127e developing a resilient force for adjusting the automatic shoe clearance adjustment apparatus. The leaf spring section 127e is made of bi-metal. When the temperature of the leaf spring section 127e exceeds the predetermined degree, the arcuate leaf spring section 127e thermo-deflects so as to weaken the resilient force, thereby the automatic shoe clearance adjusting operation is suspended.

Abstract: A composite particle that can be easily converted to cured particle or half cured particle by the use of carbodiimide resin without changing of the configuration of matrix particle of, for example a thermoplastic resin, excelling in mechanical and functional characteristics by virtue of the reaction capability inherently possessed by a carbodiimide group. In particular, a composite particle comprising matrix particle (A) having a functional group capable of reacting with a carbodiimide group and carbodiimide resin (B), characterized in that the functional group of the matrix particle (A) couples with the carbodiimide group of the carbodiimide resin (B) and that the composite particle is provided with an outer shell layer of carbodiimide resin (B) having an average thickness diameter (L), defined by the following formula [1], ranging from 0.01 to 20 ?m: L=(L2?L1)/2 [1] wherein L1 represents the average diameter of matrix particle, and L2 represents the average diameter of composite particle.

Abstract: A powder leveling method and apparatus conducts leveling a thin layer of powder containing fiber to a uniform thickness so as to form friction material having a multi-layered structure. A cavity of predetermined shape having an opening in a flat surface is filled with powder containing fiber so that the powder overflows the opening of the cavity in the flat surface. A cylindrical leveling device is moved in a first direction across the cavity and then in a second direction intersecting with the first direction at a speed greater than the speed with which the leveling device moves in the first direction, so as to trim away the excess powder and make the power in the opening flush with the flat surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inorganic-organic composite flame retardant composition which contains an inorganic hydroxide having a polymer layer and an organic resin. The polymer layer is formed through graft polymerization and has an average thickness of not less than 3 nm. When a shaped article is formed by using such a composition, the shaped article can have a sufficient flame retardance while being prevented from decrease in acid resistance, increase in dielectric constant or the like.

Abstract: A thermosetting polycarbodiimide copolymer of the present invention comprises in a molecule thereof, a soft segment containing at least one residue formed by removing opposite functional end groups of polytetramethylene ether glycol, polyether block amide and polyalkylene carbonate diol having at least two mixed alkylene chains selected from the group consisting of hexamethylene, pentamethylene and tetramethylene; and a hard segment made of polycarbodiimide bonded to the soft segment through at least one bond selected from the group consisting of an urethane bond, a urea bond and an amide bond. The thermosetting polycarbodiimide copolymer can exhibit not only a high heat resistance and a good flexibility, but also an excellent flexing resistance (resistance to 180° bending),and can be, therefore, suitably used in applications of various electronic parts, for example, as materials of base films or cover-lay films for flexible wiring boards, or adhesive films.

Abstract: An active material powder mixture for batteries or a carbonaceous material powder mixture for electrical double-layer capacitors is composed of a battery active material or a carbonaceous material in combination with an electrically conductive powder that adheres to the periphery of the active material or carbonaceous material and has an average particle size of 10 nm to 10 ?m. The battery active material powder mixture may be used to make electrodes for secondary batteries. The carbonaceous material powder mixture may be used to make polarizable electrodes for electrical double-layer capacitors. Secondary cells produced using the active material powder mixture can lower an impedance of an electrode and operate at a high capacity and a high current, have a high rate property, and are thus well-suited for use as lithium secondary cells and lithium ion secondary cells.

Abstract: A mechanical brake actuator realizing the miniaturization of the entire device and the reduction of the parts costs is provided. When the brake lever rotates in the cable releasing direction, the connecting pin can be connected with the free end of the brake lever from one facing plate side while the other facing plate restricts the movement of the connecting pin, and the clip (30) is set on one facing plate (23b) so as to restrict the movement of the connecting pin after connecting the brake cable and the brake lever via the connecting pin.

Abstract: The presence or absence of methylation of C's in CpG dinucleotide in a sample DNA that contains a target sequence including the CpG dinucleotide is detected as follows. Multiple kinds of capture oligonucleotides immobilized on a base material and including: an oligonucleotide having a nucleotide sequence complimentary to or identical to a nucleotide sequence corresponding to the target sequence in which all of C's other than C's in the all of CpG dinucleotide are replaced with T's; and an oligonucleotide having a nucleotide sequence complimentary to or identical to a nucleotide sequence corresponding to the target sequence in which all of C's are replaced with T's are hybridized with the sample DNA in which non-methylated C's have been converted into U's by deamination or an amplification product thereof, and the presence or absence of methylation is detected based on the result of the hybridization.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inorganic-organic composite functional composition which comprises an organic resin and an inorganic matter having an organic layer which is formed in a solvent containing an ionic liquid. A formed article made of such an inorganic-organic composite functional composition can be prevented from deterioration in the physical properties even when a large amount of the inorganic matter is dispersed in the organic resin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for photolyzing organic matters by which various organic matters including harmful organic matters can be photolyzed quickly. Also disclosed is an efficient method for treating wastewater which utilizes the photolyzing method. An organic matter is photolyzed in a reaction system containing a photocatalyst and a hydrophobic ionic liquid represented by the formula (2) below. [In the formula, Me represents a methyl group and Et represents an ethyl group.

Abstract: Oval-spherical organic polymer panicles having ionic functional groups, which have each one continuous curved surface whose aspect ratio calculated by the formula: aspect ratio (P1)=major axis (L1)/minor axis (D1), wherein the major axis (L1) and minor axis (D1) are those of a projection two-dimensional drawing obtained by light irradiation in the direction orthogonal to the direction of major axis of the panicle, satisfies the relationship (P1)?1.8. The obtained particles excel in optical properties, such as light scattering and light focusing, and frictional properties, such as sliding characteristic.