Abstract: A fuel cell separator made of conductive material and resin wherein the conducive material is recycled from waste of fuel cell separators. The fuel cell separator consisting of conductive material and resin is made by using the waste of fuel cell separator consisting of conductive material and resin. The waste of fuel cell separator is pulverized to powder and is mixed with unused resin and, if necessary, supplemental conductive material, to establish powdered material. The powdered material is molded under the predetermined molding pressure and temperature. The fuel cell separators using the recycled material are comparable to fuel cell separators made solely from new material. In another aspect, a method of producing a fuel cell separator using the recycled material is disclosed.

Abstract: Compounds, compositions and methods are provided that are useful in the treatment or prevention of a condition or disorder mediated by PPAR&ggr;. In particular, the compounds of the invention modulate the function of PPAR&ggr;. The subject methods are particularly useful in the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator composition containing an electrically conductive carbonaceous powder and a binder that is a mixture of a thermoset resin with a polyoxazine compound having a plurality of oxazine rings can be used to efficiently mass-produce high-modulus fuel cell separators of excellent dimensional stability and gas impermeability. By employing such fuel cell separators as some or all of the separators in a solid polymer fuel cell, there can be obtained solid polymer fuel cells which are not subject to cracking or breakage during assembly, have good gas sealing properties, and are endowed with excellent vibration and impact resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides: an electroconductive resin composition comprising: (A) a liquid crystal polyester resin capable of forming an anisotropic melt phase, in an amount of 100 parts by weight, (B) a carbodiimide compound in an amount of 0.01 to 30 parts by weight, (C) an electroconductive carbon powder in an amount of 50 to 3,000 parts by weight, and (D) a filler in an amount of 0 to 10,000 parts by weight; a fuel cell separator made of the above electroconductive resin composition; a process for producing the above fuel cell separator; and a solid polymer type fuel cell using the above fuel cell separator. The electroconductive resin composition alleviates the problems of the prior art, can be mass-produced, and is superior in high temperature resistance and hydrolysis resistance.

Abstract: A separator for fuel cell, comprising

Abstract: The present invention provides a material for a fuel cell separator obtained by molding a mixture containing at least a conductive powder and a binder which is a rubber-modified phenolic resin, and a fuel cell separator made from the above material. The material for fuel cell separator alleviates the problems of the prior art, is superior in impact resistance or tenacity, causes no rupture or the like when made into a thin plate and used in a fuel cell, and is equivalent to conventional products in density and electrical properties.

Abstract: The present invention provides a separator for fuel cell which alleviates the problems of the prior art, which has high conductivity, high gas impermeability and high strength, and which can be produced easily. The separator for fuel cell according to the present invention is a molding comprising a conductive carbon powder and a polymer compound, wherein the conductive carbon powder in the molding has an aspect ratio of 4 to 60.

Abstract: A separator for fuel cell, formed using a base material obtained from a composition comprising at least a binder, a powdery carbon filler having an average particle diameter of 10 nm to 100 &mgr;m, and a short fiber having an average fiber length of 0.03 to 6 mm, in which composition the amount ratio of the above three components is such that the amount of the powdery carbon filler is 200 to 800 parts by weight and the amount of the short fiber is 10 to 300 parts by weight, both per 100 parts by weight of the binder.

Abstract: A powder material supply device is able to supply powder material to a mold system equally and accurately to produce a fuel cell separator of high surface accuracy, thereby producing a high performance fuel cell. The powder material supply device includes a material supplier which is provided with a plurality of supply openings in a downward direction, a slide plate provided at the lower part of the material supplier and is slidable between a location where all of the supply openings are closed and another location where all the supply openings are opened, and a base to support the material supplier and the slide plate. The base has a single opening with a size substantially corresponding to a size of all of the supply openings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a separator for a fuel cell, having a film on the surface, wherein the film has a water-holdability of 0.3 to 5.0 g per g of the film, or the film has a pore volume of 0.5 to 0.9 cc per cc of the film, and a thickness of 0.5 to 300 &mgr;m. The fuel cell separator is superior in hydrophilicity and water-holding property, and has at the same time low electrical resistance.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an electrically conductive resinous composition composed mainly of an electrically conductive carbon powder and a binding agent, wherein said binding agent is a mixture of a thermoplastic resin and a carbodiimide compound, a fuel cell separator and a process for production thereof, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The present invention permits efficient mass production of fuel cell separators having high elasticity, good releasability, good dimensional accuracy, and good gas impermeability. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in which all or part of separators are those pertaining to the present invention, is immune to the cracking of separators at the time of assembling, decreases only a little in output after continuous operation, and exhibits good gas sealing performance and high impact resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, having, at the surface contacting with the electrode of the fuel cell, a surface roughness of Ra=0.1 to 10 &mgr;m when measured by a surface roughness tester having a probe of 5 &mgr;m in front end diameter; and a process for producing the above separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which process comprises immersing a molding of a separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in an acidic solution. The above separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell alleviates the problems of the prior art and has low contact resistance at the interface with the electrode of the fuel cell.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel cell separator molded from a fuel cell separator composition mainly containing a conductive material and a binder, characterized in that said separator is specified such that after 3.5 g of a test piece cut from said fuel cell separator is put in 305 mL of pure water and the water is heated at 90° C. for 500 hr, an electric conductivity of the water is 50 &mgr;S/cm or less. The fuel cell separator thus obtained is effective to reduce elution of ions and exhibit a high moldability and a high dimensional stability. Further, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the fuel cell separators is effective to exhibit a stable output without reduction in output during operation and enhance the operational efficiency.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a mold for a fuel cell separator with which a flash, even if it occurs, does not cause a thickness unevenness.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing a fuel cell separator. In this method, dry granules of a composition for a fuel cell separator mainly containing a conductive material, a binder, and an additive are produced by mixing raw materials including at least the conductive material, the binder, and the additive, granulating the resultant mixture to obtain granules, and drying the granules. The dry granules may be further sized. Then, the granules are packed in a mold, and hot-press molded. This method is characterized in that the granules have a residual volatile matter content in a range of 4 wt % or less, and an average particle size in a range of 200 to 700 &mgr;m (60 to 160 &mgr;m for the sized granules) and a specific particle size distribution. With this method, a fuel cell separator having a high elasticity, an excellent dimensional accuracy, and a high gas non-permeability can be produced with no molding failures, accordingly, with a uniform quality.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, interposed between the gas diffusion electrodes of the fuel cell and having, in at least one side, a groove for supply of an oxidizing agent or a fuel gas, which separator is made of a carbon composite material comprising (a) 100 parts by weight of an expanded graphite powder and (b) 10-45 parts by weight of a thermosetting resin dispersed in the expanded graphite powder (a), wherein the expanded graphite powder has an average particle diameter of 5-12 &mgr;m and at least 80% of the total particles of the expanded graphite powder have particle diameters of 0.1-20 &mgr;m. The separator for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to the present invention is lightweight, can be grooved precisely and easily, and has a high gas barrier property, strength and electroconductivity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon composite material which is a molded material comprising (a) an expanded graphite powder and (b) a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin or a fired product of the thermosetting resin, and the expanded graphite powder (a) being dispersed in the component (b), wherein the expanded graphite powder has an average particle diameter of 5-12 .mu.m and at least 80% of the total particles of the expanded graphite powder have particle diameters of 0.1-20 .mu.m; and a process for producing a carbon composite material, which comprises mixing and dispersing a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin and the expanded graphite powder as mentioned above, and then pressure-molding the resulting mixture at room temperature to 400.degree. C., or a process for producing a carbon composite material, which comprises mixing and dispersing a thermosetting resin and the expanded graphite powder as mentioned above, pressure-molding the resulting mixture at room temperature to 400.degree. C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vitreous carbon-active carbon composite material wherein the vitreous carbon is derived from a polycarbodiimide resin; a process for producing the above vitreous carbon-active carbon composite material by firing a mixture of a polycarbodiimide resin and an active carbon, or a molded article of desired shape prepared from the mixture, in a non-oxidizing atmosphere; and a polarizable electrode for use in an electric double layer capacitor, which consists of the above vitreous carbon-active carbon composite material. The polarizable electrode is free from the drawbacks of the prior art, has a low internal resistance, causes a low degree of powder detachment, has a large electric capacitance per unit weight and per unit volume, and can be produced easily, quickly and inexpensively.

Abstract: A current collector for a molten salt battery using liquid sodium as an anode active material, which current collector has excellent electrolyte resistance and low electrical resistance and is able to be produced simply and rapidly at a low cost, and includes a current collector material in which a carbon composite material obtained by calcining a mixture of expanded powder with a thermosetting resin under a non-oxidizing atmosphere is bonded to a porous carbon material having a porosity of 99 to 30% and an average pore diameter of 0.5 mm to 5 .mu.m. The above current collector is produced by a process including bonding a carbon composite material obtained by calcining a mixture of an expanded graphite powder with a thermosetting resin under a non-oxidizing atmosphere, to a porous carbon material having a porosity of 99 to 30% and an average pore diameter of 0.5 mm to 5 .mu.

Abstract: The present invention provides; (1) a polarizable electrode for an electric double-layer capacitor, which includes a solid activated carbon obtained by pyrolyzing a mixture mainly containing an activated carbon and a thermosetting resin and which has, on the surface and/or inside, holes free from the solid activated carbon, and holes having a diameter of 5 .mu.m-70 .mu.m possessing a capacity of 0.01 cc/g-1.0 cc/g; (2) a process for producing the above polarizable electrode for an electric double-layer capacitor, which includes heat-treating, as necessary, a mixture mainly containing an activated carbon, a thermosetting resin and a fiber capable of vaporizing upon heating and then pyrolyzing the resulting materiall and (3) an electric double-layer capacitor including at least a pair of the above polarizable electrodes for an electric double-layer capacitor and an electroyte impregnated between the polarizable electrodes.