Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a core-shell catalyst capable of achieving, when evaluated for a fuel cell, the catalytic activity anticipated from the catalyst activity value obtained using a rotating disc electrode (RDE); and a method for activating a core-shell catalyst in said manner. The present invention relates to a fuel cell catalyst, which is an electrode catalyst having a core-shell structure and is characterized in that at least 99% of the core member is covered by the shell member and the halogen content is not more than 5000 ppm. The present invention also relates to a method for activating said core-shell catalyst, the method comprising: a process for dispersing the core-shell catalyst in a dispersion solvent; a process for separating impurities from said core-shell catalyst by blowing a gas that has reducing properties or a mixed gas comprising same into said dispersion solvent; and a process for removing said impurities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a layered product, which, when processed into a textile product by sewing, fusing, or the like, overcomes such a practical restriction that a knit must be used on the side to be subjected to a sealing treatment, makes the sealing treatment easier, has intact appearance and touch feeling, and is lightweight. The layered product comprises a flexible film and a woven fabric layered thereon at the side to be subjected to the sealing treatment in processing the layered product into the textile product. The layered product has a total cover factor (CFtotal) from 700 to 1400, calculated from the cover factors of the warp and the weft constituting the woven fabric.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing an air-permeable composite sheet which has excellent mechanical strength and compression resistance as well as PTFE's innate property such as air-permeability, water repellency, heat resistance and chemical resistance; and a filter and a fabrics material containing the air-permeable composite sheet produced by the method as a constituent material. The method for producing an air-permeable composite sheet according to the present invention is characterized in comprising steps of filling pores of a porous PTFE sheet with a hardenable material solution; hardening or semi-hardening the porous PTFE sheet filled with the hardenable material solution; and expanding the hardened or semi-hardened porous PTFE sheet.

Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing an air-permeable composite sheet which has excellent mechanical strength and compression resistance as well as PTFE's innate property such as air-permeability, water repellency, heat resistance and chemical resistance; and a filter and a fabrics material containing the air-permeable composite sheet produced by the method as a constituent material. The method for producing an air-permeable composite sheet according to the present invention is characterized in comprising steps of filling pores of a porous PTFE sheet with a hardenable material solution; hardening or semi-hardening the porous PTFE sheet filled with the hardenable material solution; and expanding the hardened or semi-hardened porous PTFE sheet.

Abstract: A stretch composite fabric comprises a sintered expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene film and a stretch cloth laminated to each other while maintaining a flat state. The stretch composite fabric has a tensile stress at 10% elongation, as measured in at least one direction, of 1.8 N/15 mm or less. When a 5 cm-width test piece of the stretch composite fabric is stretched in a length direction under a load of 300 g and then released from the stress, an elongation recovery R of the stretch composite fabric, which is given by the following equation, is preferably 70% or more. R=(L2?L3)/(L2?L1)×100 (In the equation, L1, L2, and L3 represent the lengths of the composite fabric before the load is applied, when the load is applied, and after the load is removed, respectively.

Abstract: A moisture-permeable separating membrane material includes a porous fluororesin membrane, a continuous moisture-permeable resin layer formed on the surface of the porous fluororesin membrane, and a textile layer for reinforcing the porous fluororesin membrane and the continuous moisture-permeable resin layer. The textile layer contains a flame retardant in the inside of each fiber and the surface of each fiber has been treated with a flame retardant. The moisture-permeable separating membrane material makes it possible to improve flame retardancy without deteriorating heat exchange characteristics.

Abstract: In a carbon black (CB)/PTFE composite porous sheet that can be used as a gas diffusion layer in an electrochemical device in applications involving electro chemical reaction such as a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, electrolysis, gas sensor and the like, wrinkle or breakage may be produced due to its flexibility. A method is provided which makes it possible to easily handle this sheet that is difficult to handle, without giving rise to wrinkle or breakage. The present invention relates to a method for laminating the composite sheet on MEA, comprising the steps of: providing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA); providing a composite sheet comprising functional powder and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE); providing a release film; superimposing the composite sheet on the release film and pressing them at normal temperature; superimposing the composite sheet having the release film pressed at normal temperature thereto on MEA and hot-pressing them; and separating the release film from the composite sheet.

Abstract: An improved method for producing an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) porous film or tape supporting catalyst particles. The method for producing an expanded PTFE porous film or tape supporting catalyst particles according to the invention comprises a step of preparing tape-like porous PTFE, a step of impregnating the tape-like porous PTFE with a solution or dispersion of catalyst particles, a step of substantially removing the solvent or dispersing medium, and a step of further stretching the tape-like porous PTFE containing the catalyst particles in the machine direction (MD) and/or the transverse direction (TD).

Abstract: It is an object to provide an electro-acoustic converter which can be subjected to air leakage test allowing a gas to pass through a waterproof film in such a condition that the waterproof film is attached to the electro-acoustic converter. An electro-acoustic converter is produced, which includes: a casing having a sound hole; and a diaphragm provided in the casing, wherein the sound hole is covered with the waterproof film to form a closed space, and the closed space is in communication with the outside of the casing through a vent for air leakage test.

Abstract: A molded product including a film bonded to a resin frame is produced by a method including: 1) reinforcing the film with a solvent-soluble or solvent-disintegrable reinforcing layer; 2) inserting the reinforced film in an injection mold; 3) feeding a resin to the mold to attach a frame body to the reinforced film while injection molding the resin frame; and 4) treating the resulting injection molded product with a solvent to remove the reinforcing layer. This production process can establish a technique capable of bonding (integrally molding) the film solely to the frame body, regardless of the size of the film. The film may preferably be an expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene film, and the moisture-permeable resin may preferably be combined with the expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene film.

Abstract: The invention provides a solid polymer fuel cell whose operational stability over time has been enhanced. A reinforced solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane for a solid polymer fuel cell according to the present invention comprises two or more polymer electrolyte membranes and one or more layers of a sheet-like porous reinforcing member, wherein the polymer electrolyte membranes provide both the upper and lower surfaces of the composite membrane, and pores in the sheet-like porous reinforcing member are substantially filled with the electrolyte from the polymer electrolyte membranes, and wherein the sheet-like porous reinforcing member contains a peroxide decomposition catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electric double layer capacitor comprising a polarizable electrode layer that contains an activated carbon, a conductive agent, and a binder, wherein an external specific surface area of the activated carbon (defined as a specific surface area calculated from a nitrogen absorption isotherm by a t-plot method by excluding micropores of pore diameter smaller than 20 angstroms), per unit volume of the polarizable electrode layer, lies within a range of 450 to 800 m2/cm3, and a volume based on inter-particle interstices per unit volume of the polarizable electrode layer lies within a range of 0.05 to 0.12 cm3/cm3. The electric double layer capacitor according to the present invention is particularly suited to large current, quick discharge applications.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell electrolyte membrane reinforced with a porous substrate which has excellent durability and in which the amount of cross leakage as a result of chemical deterioration of electrolyte membrane components due to the presence of peroxide and/or radicals is particularly reduced. The present invention relates to an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell comprising a polyelectrolyte, which contains a porous substrate and a radical scavenger dispersed in the polyelectrolyte.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reinforced electrolyte membrane for fuel cell comprising a porous substrate impregnated with a polyelectrolyte liquid dispersion, wherein either the maximum tensile strength in the machine direction (for sheet processing) (MD) or the maximum tensile strength in the transverse direction (TD; vertical to the MD direction) for the electrolyte membrane is 70 N/mm2 or more at 23° C. at a relative humidity of 50% or 40 N/mm2 or more at 80° C. at a relative humidity of 90%. This reinforced electrolyte membrane for fuel cell, in which the amount of fluorine ions eluted as a result of deterioration of electrolyte membrane components in particular is reduced, has excellent durability.

Abstract: The laminated sheet of this invention is a sheet including expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene films laminated by thermal compression bonding, wherein the sheet has a specific surface area of 9.0 m2/g or larger and a density of from 0.4 g/cm3 to lower than 0.75 g/cm3, thereby making it possible to improve both the creep resistance and the adhesiveness between the films of the expanded porous PTFE film-laminated sheet.

Abstract: An object is to provide a vent plug having a structure in which an air-permeable membrane is unlikely to be damaged. More specifically, a vent plug is produced, which includes: a cylindrical member 1 having a through-hole 1a; a support 2 connected to the cylindrical member 1 so as to be across the through-hole 1a; and an air-permeable membrane 3 circumferentially attached to the cylindrical member 1, wherein the air-permeable membrane 3 is held on the support 2 and a convex portion 3a that follows the shape of the support 2 is formed on the air-permeable membrane 3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane electrode assembly that enhances the reliability, mechanical strength, and handling characteristics of a seal in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The membrane electrode assembly of the present invention comprises a membrane-electrode structure having electrode layers and gas diffusion layers on both sides of a polymer electrolyte membrane, and a resin frame provided in such a manner as to fully enclose the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane and to enclose at least portions of the outer peripheries of the gas diffusion layers, the resin frame being provided so as to enclose the electrolyte membrane side. The gas diffusion layer and electrode layer on one side are stacked on a surface of the electrolyte membrane so that a surface region of the electrolyte membrane is left exposed. The gas diffusion layer on the opposite side extends all around the outer periphery of the electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a filter medium for a water treatment filter having contradictory characteristics, that is, hydrophilicity and chemical resistance, and a long life, and to provide the production method thereof. A filter medium for a water treatment filter according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a porous base material having a hydrophilic coating layer; wherein the hydrophilic coating layer has a cross-linked hydrophilic polymer and a high electron density part; a hydrophilic polymer in the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer is cross-linked with an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon group which may contain one or more functional groups selected from a group consisting of an ether group, a hydroxy group and an amino group; the high electron density part has ? electrons; and the high electron density part is covalently bonded to the cross-linked hydrophilic polymer.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a fuel cell having improved long-term durability. The patent provides a fuel cell comprising a peroxide decomposition catalyst immobilized on a support, wherein the fuel cell is constituted of a membrane electrode assembly comprising a polyelectrolyte membrane, electrode layers placed on both the sides of the electrolyte membrane, and gas diffusion layers placed on the side opposite to the electrolyte membrane of the electrode layers, a gas sealing material placed surrounding the membrane electrode assembly, and separators sandwiching the foregoing.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a vent filer that can reduce contaminants diffusing through the vent filter into the inside of a housing, and has high diffusion efficiency and low pressure loss. The vent filter has an adhesive layer 1 having a through-hole 1a at least in one area; a flow path member 2 provided with a flow path 2a in communication with the through-hole 1a; and an air-permeable membrane 3 covering the flow path member 2 and part of the adhesive layer 1, wherein the peripheral portion 3a of the air-permeable membrane 3 is fixed to the adhesive layer 1 and the flow path member 2 is held within a hollow portion formed between the adhesive layer 1 and the air-permeable membrane 3.