Abstract: Provided is an air conditioner including an indoor unit provided with a microphone element for receiving voice instructions, such that a voice instruction spoken by an operator is acquired with high quality and control based on the voice instruction spoken by the operator is likely to be ensured. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit, a transmission unit, and a reception unit. The indoor unit has a main body and a microphone element. The main body has formed therein a blow-out port through which air-conditioned air is blown out toward a space to be air-conditioned. The microphone element accepts a voice instruction captured from a voice capturing portion arranged at a position that deviates from a ventilation space through which the air blown out from the blow-out port flows, in such a manner as to face the space to be air-conditioned. The transmission unit transmits the voice instruction accepted by the microphone element to an outside as a signal.

Abstract: An electrostatic separation method includes: applying voltage between a lower electrode at a bottom portion of or in the raw material layer and an upper electrode above the raw material layer, generating an electric field between electrodes; fluidizing the raw material layer and bringing conductive particles and the lower electrode into contact in the raw material layer charging only the conductive particles wherein their polarity becomes the same as the lower electrode; generating polarity, the same as the upper electrode, by dielectric polarization on a conveyor belt downward-facing conveyance surface passing through a capture region above the raw material layer and under the upper electrode, the conveyance surface including a nonconductor; separates charged conductive particles from the raw material layer surface by electrostatic force and adhering conductive particles to the conveyor belt conveyance surface; and separating and collecting the particles from the conveyance surface that moved outside the ele

Abstract: An electrolyte for metal-air batteries, which is able to inhibit the self-discharge of metal-air batteries, and a metal-air battery using the electrolyte. The electrolyte for metal-air batteries having an anode containing at least one kind of metal element selected from aluminum and magnesium, may comprise an aqueous solution comprising a self-discharge inhibitor containing at least one kind of ion selected from the group consisting of an H2P2O72? anion and a Ca2+ cation and at least one kind of ion selected from the group consisting of a CH3S? anion, an S2O32? anion and an SCN? anion.

Abstract: An electrolyte for metal-air batteries, which is able to inhibit the self-discharge of metal-air batteries, and a metal-air battery using the electrolyte. The electrolyte for metal-air batteries having an anode containing at least one kind of metal element selected from aluminum and magnesium, may comprise an aqueous solution comprising a self-discharge inhibitor containing at least one kind of ion selected from the group consisting of an H2P2O72? anion and a Ca2+ cation and at least one kind of ion selected from the group consisting of a CH3S? anion, an S2O32? anion and an SCN? anion.