Abstract: A composite membrane material characterized by comprising a hydrogen-permeable membrane which is selectively permeable to hydrogen and is formed by rolling to a thickness of 30 ?m or less which is difficult for the membrane by itself to retain its shape, and a shape-retention mesh which is disposed on at least one side of the hydrogen-permeable membrane and is composed of a wire of a high-melting metal which does not cause thermal diffusion into the hydrogen-permeable membrane, wherein the hydrogen-permeable membrane and the shape-retention mesh are superposed and subjected to a pleat processing in a non-bonded state so that they are separable and the hydrogen-permeable membrane has a surface area increased at least 3 times per unit area. This material is used to constitute a hydrogen separation element.

Abstract: A composite membrane material characterized by comprising a hydrogen-permeable membrane which is selectively permeable to hydrogen and is formed by rolling to a thickness of 30 ?m or less which is difficult for the membrane by itself to retain its shape, and a shape-retention mesh which is disposed on at least one side of the hydrogen-permeable membrane and is composed of a wire of a high-melting metal which does not cause thermal diffusion into the hydrogen-permeable membrane, wherein the hydrogen-permeable membrane and the shape-retention mesh are superposed and subjected to a pleat processing in a non-bonded state so that they are separable and the hydrogen-permeable membrane has a surface area increased at least 3 times per unit area. This material is used to constitute a hydrogen separation element.

Abstract: It is a metal filter 1 including a fine filtering layer 3 and a supporting member 2 sintered to be porous and having a covering surface 4 to integrate the fine filtering layer 3 into a laminate to maintain its shape. The average pore diameter of the fine filtering layer 3 is set to be smaller than an average pore diameter of the supporting member 2. The covering surface 4 is formed in an uneven shape so as to allow a filtering surface of the fine filtering layer 3 to be an undulating filtering surface 3A such that the area ratio S1/S0 of its real filtration area S1 to the standard filtration area S0 of the case where it is not formed in an uneven shape, is larger than or equal to 1.3. The average thickness of the fine filtering layer 3 at valley portions 6 of the uneven shape is set to be larger than the average thickness of the fine filtering layer 3 at the crest portions 5 of the uneven shape, and the undulating filtering surface 3A is formed in a smoothly curved surface shape.

Abstract: A laminated filter material for removing foreign materials from gas or liquid with high precision, its fabricating method and a filter using a laminated filter material are described. The laminated filter material comprises a support member of porous metal and a particle layer of fine particles laminated on a surface having asperities of the support member, by immersing the support member in a suspension of the particles without a binder, and evacuating the suspension through the support member. The method for fabricating includes the steps of preparing a suspension of particles finer than the average pore diameter of support member without using a binder, immersing the support member, and evacuating the suspension through the support member.

Abstract: A guide wire for a catheter is disclosed that includes a core wire and a sheath for covering at least the distal end of the core wire. The core wire is formed from a nickel-titanium alloy having a nickel-titanium ratio in the range of 3:2 to 1:1. The core wire is worked in a manner such that in a tensile test wherein the core wire is elongated by at least 5%, the core wire has a recovery percentage of at least 90%. Additionally, elongations in the range of zero and 5% do not cause any stress-induced martensitic transformations and/or austinite reverse transformations. Thus, the load-elongation characteristics of the nickel-titanium alloy are such that the load increasing rate is either proportional or gradually decreasing throughout the elongation range of 0 to 5%.

Abstract: A method of making TiNi alloys is disclosed. The process includes forming a composite by providing in a sheathing container plural pieces of compound wire having Ti lineal wire made of Ti material and Ni material made to contact at least a portion of the surface of the Ti lineal wire. The composite is then subject to dimension-reduction, after which diffusion is effected to cause the production of a TiNi phase. The composite is removed from the sheathing container and cold-worked.

Abstract: A powder-air separator with a filter made by sintering short-cut filament-shaped particles or by sintering a mixture of short-cut filament-shaped particles and ordinary atomized round particles.

Abstract: A columnar stainless steel short fiber having a diameter of 2 to 20 .mu.m. and an aspect ratio of the length to the diameter of 1 to 50. The short fiber is prepared by heat-treating a stainless steel fiber for adjusting the growth of crystal grains and subjecting the heat-treated fiber to intergranular selective corrosion in an acidic solution. The short fiber is useful as a material of sintered metallic filters, and sintered compacts of the short fiber have high porosity, uniform pore size, excellent mechanical strength and small pressure loss.