Abstract: At least 2 different packings differing in the resolution of components contained in a starting fluid material such as a starting solution material and desired to be separated are used in a coexistent state to adjust the resolution of the components. The starting fluid material is flowed through the resultant packing bed to effect chromatographic separation, whereby high-purity fractions enriched with respective components can be obtained at high recoveries with a small amount of desorbent such as eluent.

Abstract: In separation of 3 components A, B and C having a C>B>A relation in respect of affinity for packing with a chromatographic separator comprising a circulation system formed by linking packing bed units 1 to 4 in endless series, the following Operations <2>→<4>→<1>→<4>→<3> are performed in Step (1) as Stage 1, and the following Operations <2>→<4>→<3> are repeatedly performed 3 times in subsequent Stages 2 to 4 in Step (2), provided that the fluid feed and withdrawal positions are respectively displaced one by one in the downstream direction of the circulation system every time after completion of each stage; <1>: shutting off the circulation system, and withdrawing the whole of a component B fraction on the upstream side of the shutoff position while feeding a starting fluid material f to a packing bed unit on the downstream side of the shutoff position and feeding eluent D to the circulation system; <2>: withdrawi

Abstract: A gas solution producing device having a simple structure to reduce a start-up time, and capable of reducing an amount of gas or solution for use, and a method therefor, as well as a cleaning device employing them. An ozone water solution producing device of the present invention includes a gas dissolving module for bringing ozone gas and deionized water in contact with each other for production of ozone solution, a gas introducing pipe for introducing ozone gas from an ozone gas producing device to the gas dissolving module, a buffer, connected on the gas introducing pipe, for temporarily storing ozone gas and thereafter discharging the gas stored to the gas introducing pipe, a first valve for opening or closing the gas introducing pipe to switch introduction and suspension of gas flow to the gas dissolving module, and backflow prevention valve for preventing a backflow of the gas discharged from the buffer.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis treatment of feed water containing at least silica and hardness ions for separating the feed water into permeate water and concentrate is effected while maintaining the pH of the concentrate at a level of at most 6. According to the foregoing process, silica can be prevented from precipitating, and a high recovery of permeate water can be secured.

Abstract: A front packing medium accumulation layer (90) and a downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44) which are separated by a lower outflow prevention plate (40) are arranged within a coagulation tank (80). The superficial water passage velocity within the front packing medium accumulation layer (90) is so set as to be larger than the downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44). A floc drawoff pipe (98) is provided for drawoff flocs over the lower outflow prevention plate (40). The interface between a floc blanket which may be formed between the lower outflow preventing plate (40) and the upper packing medium accumulation layer (44) and water thereabove is detected by an interface meter (100) so that a flow regulating valve (102) is correspondingly controlled to regulate the flow rate of the flocs. This prevents any grown floc blanket from reaching the downstream packing medium accumulation layer (44). Thereby extending the cleaning interval.

Abstract: To provide a photomask cleaning method which brings about a high effect of removing residual sulfuric acid or foreign objects and can remove foreign objects effectively without fluctuating the transmission or other properties of the light-shielding layer (MoSiON film) in a phase shift photomask.

Abstract: Water to be treated (feed water) flows through a series of desalination chambers filled with ion exchange resins on which impurity ions in the feed water are removed. Each desalination chamber consists of a cation-permeable membrane on one side with an anion-permeable membrane on the other side. The space between the two membranes is filled with the ion exchange resins and there are concentrate chambers on either side of the membranes. There is a cathode chamber or an anode chamber each located at either end of the assembly of alternating desalination and concentrate chambers. By circulating the concentrate water while adding acid to the concentrate water to maintain its acidity, scale deposition within the concentrating chambers and the electrode chamber is prevented so that deionizing capability of the entire assembly can be maintained.

Abstract: Two sub-desalination chambers d1 and d2 are defined by a cation exchange membrane 3 on one side, an anion exchange membrane 4 on the other side, and an intermediate ion exchange membrane 5 in between and are filled with ion exchange materials 8 to construct a desalination chamber D. Concentrating chambers 1 are provided via the cation exchange membrane 3 and the anion exchange membrane 4 on both sides of the desalination chamber D. The desalination chambers D and the concentrating chambers 1 are provided between an anode 7 and a cathode 6. While a voltage is applied between the anode 7 and the cathode 6, water is supplied to one of the two sub-desalination chambers d2 and then, water discharged from the first sub-desalination chamber d2 is supplied to a second sub-desalination chamber d1. Concentrate water is supplied to the concentrate chambers.

Abstract: In producing deionized water by electrodeionization according to the present invention, feed water and concentrating water are flowed into the ion depletion compartments and the concentration compartments, respectively, in such a way that the current direction of feed water being fed into the ion depletion compartments is opposite to the current direction of concentrating water being fed into the concentration compartments. Further, feed water flowed into each ion depletion compartment is first passed through an anion exchange material layer, and subsequently passed through other ion exchange material layer(s). The migration of anions into the concentration compartments is promoted in the portions of such anion exchange material layers through which feed water is first passed. As a result, the silica removal rate is improved.

Abstract: In demineralization of a beet sugar solution before boiling as the starting solution with a simulated moving bed chromatographic separator comprising a plurality of packed column units packed with a strongly acidic cation exchange resin in a salt form having an average grain size of 300 to 500 &mgr;m and a uniformity coefficient of at most 1.

Abstract: Organic matter and metal impurities present on the surface of a photomask are removed. Foreign matter still adhering to the surface of the photomask is removed with H2 gas dissolved water. The photomask is dried. Thus provided is a method of washing a photomask in a manner which permits attaining an effect of removing foreign matter equivalent or superior to that of a conventional method with a small amount of chemical solution and reducing the amounts of chemicals and high purity water.

Abstract: A tetraalkylammonium hydroxide (TAAH) solution recovered from a development waste through separation therefrom of impurities such as photoresist is mixed with a surface-active substance to have the surface tension thereof adjusted to a desired one, and then reused as a rejuvenated developer. Thus, the surface-active effect (wetting properties) of the rejuvenated developer recovered from the development waste is properly adjusted and controlled, whereby fine photoresist patterns can be stably and effectively developed. Usable surface-active substances include surfactants, and dissolved photoresist contained in the development waste or a photoresist-containing solution such as a photoresist-containing treated solution derived therefrom.

Abstract: A starting solution material in the form of waste produced in the course of separation and recovery of sucrose from sugar beet extract or sugar beet molasses with a 2-component separation simulated moving bed chromatographic separator (using a strongly acidic cation exchange resin in a salt form as chromatographic packing) or its concentrate is used to separate therefrom a crude betaine fraction with a 2-component separation simulated moving bed chromatographic separator using as chromatographic packing a strongly acidic cation exchange resin in an ionic form equilibrated with that of the starting solution material. The crude betaine fraction or its concentrate is used to separate therefrom a betaine fraction with a 2-component separation simulated moving bed chromatographic separator using as chromatographic packing a strongly acidic cation exchange resin having at least 10% (based on the ion exchange capacity) of the ionic form thereof changed to the Ca form.

Abstract: A cleaning solution preparation device includes a deionized water supply source, a gas supply source, a gas-dissolving unit, and a gas supply pressure controller. The gas supply source supplies any of an oxidative gas, a reductive gas, an inert gas, a mixed gas of an oxidative gas and an inert gas, or a mixed gas of a reductive gas and an inert gas. The gas-dissolving unit dissolves the gas supplied from the gas supply source in deionized water supplied from the deionized water supply source to supply a gas-dissolved cleaning solution to objects to be cleaned. The gas supply pressure controller controls the pressure of the supplied gas at a value exceeding the atmospheric pressure when dissolving the gas in the deionized water.

Abstract: The disclosed process for rejuvenation treatment of a photoresist development waste mainly containing a photoresist and tetraalkylammonium (TAA) ions comprises at least a simple membrane separation step of treating the photoresist development waste or a treated solution derived from the photoresist development waste with a nanofiltration membrane (NF membrane) to obtain a concentrate (NF concentrate) mainly containing impurities such as the photoresist and a higher-purity permeate (NF permeate) mainly containing TAA ions. The NF concentrate and/or the NF permeate, preferably the NF permeate, is desirably subjected to a step of concentration and refining by electrodialysis or electrolysis and/or a step of refining by ion exchange treatment, for example, with an anion exchange resin and/or a cation exchange resin in one of the H form and the TAA form.

Abstract: To provide a photomask cleaning method which brings about a high effect of removing residual sulfuric acid or foreign objects and can remove foreign objects effectively without fluctuating the transmission or other properties of the light-shielding layer (MoSiON film) in a phase shift photomask.

Abstract: Selenium-containing wastewater is sequentially treated through use of biological treatment means (6), chemical treatment means (12), and filtration means (14). In the biological treatment means (6), raw waste water (16) is subjected to anaerobic biological treatment so as to reduce selenate ions and/or selenite ions (soluble selenium) present in the raw waste water (16) to simple selenium, which is insoluble, to thereby remove the selenate ions and/or the selenite ions in the form of insoluble simple selenium. In the chemical treatment means (12), for example, a metal salt that reacts with soluble selenium to form an insoluble selenium compound is added to water treated by the biological treatment means (6), to thereby remove residual soluble selenium in the form of the insoluble selenium compound. In the filtration means (14), an insoluble substance remaining in water treated by the chemical treatment means (12) is removed through filtration.

Abstract: A liquid level indicator has a transparent vessel for retaining hot water therein and a thermo-sensitive tape (thermo-tape) attached at a side wall of the vessel with the sensing side of the thermo-tape facing the side wall of the vessel. The thermo-tape first exhibits black, then turns white after the hot water is poured into the vessel. When the thermo-tape is pressed against a partially filled liquid container, the thermo-tape turns black at one side of a boundary and turns white at the other side of the boundary that defines the liquid/gas interface in the container. This occurs because the liquid in the container cools the thermo-tape more rapidly than the gas in the container does. The boundary is observed through the walls of the transparent vessel and the hot water to detect the liquid level within the container.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for producing ionic water which are capable of producing ionic water containing a low concentration of electrolyte with high reproducibility. The present invention also provides an apparatus and a method for producing electrolytic ionic water capable of producing electrolytic ionic water having stable characteristics. The ionic water producing apparatus has at least a gas-liquid mixing device for mixing raw water and a gas, and an ultrasonic exciting device for applying ultrasonic waves to the gas-liquid mixture obtained by the gas-liquid mixing device to generate ions.

Abstract: The disclosed process for rejuvenation treatment of a photoresist development waste mainly containing a photoresist and tetraalkylammonium (TAA) ions comprises at least the step of concentration of TAA ions by electrodialysis and/or electrolysis, and the step of removal of impurities ?(residual) photoresist, other anionic components, cationic components such as Na.sup.+, etc.! by adsorption thereof on an ion exchange resin (preferably an anion exchange resin and/or a cation exchange resin in at least one of the hydrogen ion form and the TAA ion form) through contact therebetween, whereby a high-purity solution of a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide reutilizable as a photoresist developer can be simply and efficiently regenerated and recovered from the photoresist development waste. The step of concentration by evaporation and/or reverse osmosis membrane treatment may desirably be taken at least before electrodialysis and/or electrolysis from the standpoint of treatment cost reduction.