Abstract: A process for production of a nonwoven fabric, which comprises a step wherein a thermoplastic polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent composed of a volatile good solvent and a volatile poor solvent, a step wherein the resulting solution is spun by an electrospinning method and a step wherein a nonwoven fabric accumulated on a collecting sheet is obtained, is employed to provide a nonwoven fabric having a surface area sufficiently large as a matrix for cell culturing in the field of regenerative medicine, with large gaps between filaments and a low apparent density suitable for cell culturing.

Abstract: Inorganic fibers consisting substantially of silicon, carbon, oxygen and a transition metal, having a fiber size of no greater than 2 ?m and having fiber lengths of 100 ?m or greater.

Abstract: A process for production of a nonwoven fabric, which comprises a step wherein a thermoplastic polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent composed of a volatile good solvent and a volatile poor solvent, a step wherein the resulting solution is spun by an electrospinning method and a step wherein a nonwoven fabric accumulated on a collecting sheet is obtained, is employed to provide a nonwoven fabric having a surface area sufficiently large as a matrix for cell culturing in the field of regenerative medicine, with large gaps between filaments and a low apparent density suitable for cell culturing.

Abstract: A polycarbonate containing an ether diol residue producible from a polysaccharide and expressed by the following formula (1), and a diol residue expressed by the following formula (2) —O—(CmH2m)—O— ??(2) (here, m is an integer of 2 to 12), wherein said ether diol residue amounts to 65-98 wt. % of all the diol residues, and having a glass transition temperature of 90° C. or higher.

Abstract: Inorganic fibers consisting substantially of silicon, carbon, oxygen and a transition metal, having a fiber size of no greater than 2 ?m and having fiber lengths of 100 ?m or greater.

Abstract: A microorganism which belongs to the genus Rhizobium and has the ability of degrading an aromatic polyester, and a method of degrading an aromatic polyester by using the microorganism. According to this method, the aromatic polyester can be degraded safely and relatively swiftly at a low cost.

Abstract: A fiber structure is obtained by spinning of a solution of an L-lactic acid condensate and a D-lactic acid condensate by electrospinning. It is possible to provide a fiber structure comprising fibers with extremely small fiber diameters, as well as excellent heat resistance and biodegradability.

Abstract: A microorganism which belongs to the genus Rhizobium and has the ability of degrading an aromatic polyester, and a method of degrading an aromatic polyester by using the microorganism. According to this method, the aromatic polyester can be degraded safely and relatively swiftly at a low cost.

Abstract: A catalyst-supporting fiber structure having a catalyst supported on a fiber constituting a fiber structure having both thorough flexibility and catalyst supporting performance, wherein the fiber has an average fiber diameter of not more than 1 ?m, and a fiber having a fiber length of not more than 20 ?m is not substantially contained. Since the subject fiber structure is excellent in catalyst-supporting characteristic, for example, it is possible to provide a fiber structure having an extremely high ability to degrade harmful chemicals.

Abstract: A separator, used for a lithium ion secondary battery that produces electromotive force by lithium doping/dedoping, which is composed of a porous film comprising an organic polymer (component A) which can swell in an electrolyte solution to retain it, surrounding a nonwoven fabric which cannot swell in the electrolyte solution, the porous film including an electrolyte solution non-swelling organic polymer with a melting point of 210° C. or above (component B) and an electrolyte solution non-swelling organic polymer with a melting point of 180° C. or below (component C), wherein component B is incorporated in the fiber composing the nonwoven fabric. The separator is highly safe and exhibits low reduction mechanical properties with respect to organic solvents.

Abstract: A polycarbonate containing an ether diol residue producible from a polysaccharide and expressed by the following formula (1), and a diol residue expressed by the following formula (2) —O—(CmH2m)—O—??(2) (here, m is an integer of 2 to 12), wherein said ether diol residue amounts to 65-98 wt. % of all the diol residues, and having a glass transition temperature of 90° C. or higher.

Abstract: A process for production of a composite porous film wherein a porous support, of which both sides have been coated with a solution (dope) of an organic polymer compound in a water-soluble organic solvent to form a coated film, is passed through an air gap step and conveyed into a coagulating bath comprising water or a mixture of water with the same solvent as the organic solvent, and is then immersed in the coagulating bath so that the coated film on both surfaces of the porous support directly contact the coagulating bath for coagulation, and is then washed and dried. This production process is suitable for production of non-aqueous secondary battery separators, and yields non-aqueous secondary battery separators with good handling properties and at low cost, whereby the ion permeability, adhesion with electrodes and electrolyte solution retention can be strictly controlled.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a nonaqueous electrolyte, where the separator essentially includes a porous sheet. The positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material can be reversibly doped and dedoped such that, where Qp (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing total lithium contained in the positive electrode to be dedoped and Qn (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing lithium to fully dope the negative electrode, Qp>Qn. Further, when the battery is charged at a charging current Ic (mA) in a range of 0.2 Qn/h<Ic<2 Qn/h, in a range of an electric charge for charging Qc (mAh) of 1<Qc/Qn<Qp/Qn, doping of the positive electrode by lithium is initiated by producing lithium particles on the negative electrode by charging of the battery until Qc>Qp.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a nonaqueous electrolyte, where the separator essentially includes a porous sheet. The positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material can be reversibly doped and dedoped such that, where Qp (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing total lithium contained in the positive electrode to be dedoped and Qn (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing lithium to fully dope the negative electrode, Qp>Qn. Further, when the battery is charged at a charging current Ic (mA) in a range of 0.2 Qn/h<Ic<2 Qn/h, in a range of an electric charge for charging Qc (mAh) of 1<Qc/Qn<Qp/Qn, doping of the positive electrode by lithium is initiated by producing lithium particles on the negative electrode by charging of the battery until Qc<Qp.

Abstract: The adhesive agent composition of the present invention comprises from 50 to 90% by weight of an acrylic adhesive agent, 2.5 to 50% by weight of a polyhydric alcohol-containing liquid component, and 0.01 to 10% by weight of a salt of a mono- to tri-valence metal of an aliphatic acid that contains a hydrocarbon group of 8 to 18 carbon atoms. The adhesive agent composition shows good adhesion, cohesive force and permeability, and an adhesive drug composition having the above properties can be prepared by adding a drug (medicine, etc.) to the adhesive composition. An adhesive tape excellent in permeability or an adhesive tape preparation excellent in permeability and cutaneous absorption of the drug can be produced by coating a substrate with the adhesive agent composition or adhesive drug composition.

Abstract: A separator, used for a lithium ion secondary battery that produces electromotive force by lithium doping/dedoping, which is composed of a porous film comprising an organic polymer (component A) which can swell in an electrolyte solution to retain it, surrounding a nonwoven fabric which cannot swell in the electrolyte solution, the porous film including an electrolyte solution non-swelling organic polymer with a melting point of 210° C. or above (component B) and an electrolyte solution non-swelling organic polymer with a melting point of 180° C. or below (component C), wherein component B is incorporated in the fiber composing the nonwoven fabric. The separator is highly safe and exhibits low reduction mechanical properties with respect to organic solvents.

Abstract: A lithium ion secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the separator consists essentially of a porous sheet, the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material can be reversibly doped and dedoped such that, where Qp (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing total lithium contained in the positive electrode to be dedoped and Qn (mAh) is an electric charge necessary for causing lithium to fully dope the negative electrode, Qp>Qn, and when the battery is charged at a charging current Ic (mA) in a range of 0.2Qn/h<Ic<2Qn/h, in a range of an electric charge for charging Qc (mAh) of 1<Qc/Qn<Qp/Qn, doping of the positive electrode by lithium is started through lithium particles produced on the negative electrode by charging of the battery and is continued up to Qc>Qp.

Abstract: A process for production of a composite porous film wherein a porous support, of which both sides have been coated with a solution (dope) of an organic polymer compound in a water-soluble organic solvent to form a coated film, is passed through an air gap step and conveyed into a coagulating bath comprising water or a mixture of water with the same solvent as the organic solvent, and is then immersed in the coagulating bath so that the coated film on both surfaces of the porous support directly contact the coagulating bath for coagulation, and is then washed and dried. This production process is suitable for production of non-aqueous secondary battery separators, and yields non-aqueous secondary battery separators with good handling properties and at low cost, whereby the ion permeability, adhesion with electrodes and electrolyte solution retention can be strictly controlled.

Abstract: The gel adhesive of the present invention contains an elastomer component (A), a self-adhesive polymer component (B) compatible with the elastomer component (A), and a liquid component (C) compatible with the elastomer component (A) and the self-adhesive polymer (B), the liquid component (C) being held in a mixture of the elastomer component (A) and the self-adhesive polymer (B) without exuding, to form as a whole, a gel, and is useful for forming a self-adhesive layer of an adhesive material or a pharmaceutical-containing self-adhesive layer of an adhering pharmaceutical preparation, which layer is capable of being firmly adhered to a surface to be adhered, and particularly a body skin surface, and of being easily removed therefrom without leaving a portion of the layer on the adhered surface.

Abstract: A liquid pigment composition for master-coloring polyamides is described, which is comprised of a pigment and a pigment dispersant composed of a polymeric material selected from liquid polyesters and a liquid polyether esters, each having a hydroxyl value of 30 to 120 mg.KOH/g. The amount of the pigment dispersant is usually 30 to 3,000 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the pigment. A master-colored polyamide yarn also is described which contains, based on the weight of the yarn, 0.01 to 2% by weight of a pigment ingredient and up to 6% by weight of the above-mentioned pigment dispersant.