Abstract: A transparent vessel is filled with a mixture solution containing a first photo-curable resin of a low refractive index and a second photo-curable resin of a high refractive index different in curing mechanism. When light at a wavelength capable of curing the first photo-curable resin but incapable of curing the second photo-curable resin is applied to the mixture solution through an optical fiber, the first photo-curable resin can be cured in a state in which the second photo-curable resin is enclosed in the cured first photo-curable resin. Because the refractive index increases according to curing, a self-condensing phenomenon can be generated so that an optical path portion is formed. The optical path portion emits leakage light to its surroundings to thereby form an outer circumferential portion. Then, all uncured resins in the mixture solution are cured.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a cyclohexene oxide compound that gives a cured resin having a low refractive index and excellent transparency, curability, mold release properties, and mechanical properties, and that can be used as a component of an actinic radiation curing composition and/or heat curing composition. The present invention is a cyclohexene oxide compound having a cyclohexyl group or a long-chain alkyl group, represented by Formula (1) below (in Formula (1), A denotes a cyclohexyl group, Formula (2) below, or an optionally branched alkyl group having 8 to 16 carbons) (in Formula (2), R1 denotes a hydrogen atom or an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbons and R2 denotes a hydrogen atom or an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbons).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a charging member in which a toner, an additive for use in the toner, or the like is hard to adhere to the surface even under repeated use for a long time, and hence the charging and image output are made stable for a long time even if the charging member is used in the DC contact charging method, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the charging member. The present invention provides a charging member comprising a support, a conductive elastic layer formed on the support, and a surface layer formed on the conductive elastic layer, characterized in that the surface layer contains a polysiloxane having a fluoroalkyl group and an oxyalkylene group, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the charging member.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a cathode catalyst for fuel cells containing platinum and iron which can maintain the durability of a battery and can make a battery high output. The cathode catalyst for fuel cells comprises a supporting layer which consists of an alloy containing platinum and iron and further containing the third component which has an affinity for iron including one or more sorts of elements selected from the group consisting of tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, rhenium, zinc, manganese, tin, tantalum and rhodium, and a support on which the supporting layer is loaded. A catalyst using an alloy containing platinum and iron enables the batteries to become high output. By alloying one or more sorts of elements of the third component which has an affinity for iron with an alloy containing platinum and iron, it is possible to prevent eluting of the iron into the electrolyte.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention attains simple and accurate evaluation of the performance of a fuel cell and enables produce of a high-performance electrode catalyst and a high-performance fuel cell. The procedure makes platinum, a noble metal, and iron, a base metal, carried on carbon having a large specific surface area, and heats up the carbon with platinum and iron to a specific temperature to reduce iron. A resulting platinum-iron alloy electrode catalyst exerts excellent catalytic functions. A fuel cell using this electrode catalyst has a high IR compensation voltage. The quantity of carbon monoxide adsorbed by this novel electrode catalyst is not less than 14 Ncc per one gram of platinum. The atomic number ratio of iron (Fe) to platinum (Pt) in the catalyst is not lower than 0.14 by EDX analysis, and the ratio of the binding number of Pt atom with Fe atom to the total binding number relating to Pt atom is not lower than 0.10 by EXAFS analysis.

Abstract: In an aspect of the invention, a fuel cell electrocatalyst comprises a carrier and a catalyst layer made of a Pt—Ru alloy supported on the carrier, and having the oxygen content of 4.4 wt % or less. Moreover, a value of the amount of oxygen that exists in one layer of the outermost surface of a component atom of the catalyst layer is 14.1% or less. Furthermore, in another aspect of the invention, a method of producing the fuel cell electrocatalyst comprises a supporting step of supporting a catalyst layer made of an alloy including Pt and Ru on a carrier, and an oxygen content regulating step of regulating the oxygen content of the catalyst layer.

Abstract: In a conductive member having a support and provided thereon at least one cover layer, the cover layer has a surface layer, and the surface layer contains fine particles. In the surface layer, fine particles present at the surface-layer lower part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the lowermost plane have an average particle diameter which is larger than the average particle diameter of fine particles present at the surface-layer upper part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the uppermost plane. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus have such a conductive member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a charging member for charging a surface of a member to be charged in an image forming apparatus, and one aspect of the present invention provides a charging member having an outermost surface layer containing a conductive elastic material. The conductive elastic material comprises a polymer including a polar polymer, primarily including (i) acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, (ii) an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-allyl glycidyl ether terpolymer, and (iii) a homopolymer of epichlorohydrin. The weights x, y and z of the components (i), (ii) and (iii), respectively, have a relationship of 0.2<y/(x+y+z)?0.5 and 4<y/z?20. This charging member can realize uniform charging and is small in resistance variation, even when used for a long time.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a cathode catalyst for fuel cells containing platinum and iron which can maintain the durability of a battery and can make a battery high output. The cathode catalyst for fuel cells comprises a supporting layer which consists of an alloy containing platinum and iron and further containing the third component which has an affinity for iron including one or more sorts of elements selected from the group consisting of tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, rhenium, zinc, manganese, tin, tantalum and rhodium, and a support on which the supporting layer is loaded. A catalyst using an alloy containing platinum and iron enables the batteries to become high output. By alloying one or more sorts of elements of the third component which has an affinity for iron with an alloy containing platinum and iron, it is possible to prevent eluting of the iron into the electrolyte.

Abstract: A device and a method for simply and accurately evaluating-performance of fuel cells have been provided. Hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are caused to flow into a sample holder where an electrode catalyst sample is laid, and the amount of carbon monoxide gas discharged therefrom is detected. The amount of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst sample is calculated based on the amount of supplied carbon monoxide gas and the amount of detected carbon monoxide gas. The output voltage of a fuel cell is calculated based on a correlation between calculated amounts of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst and output voltages of the fuel cell.

Abstract: An electrode catalyst for a fuel cell includes a conductive support, and catalytic particles loaded on the conductive support. The catalytic particles include platinum and a base metal being on the lower end of the electrochemical series with respect to platinum. The number of the atoms of the base metal, forming metallic oxides without alloying with the platinum, is less than 5 atomic % of the number of the atoms of the platinum on a surface of the catalytic particles. The electrode catalyst is produced by loading the platinum and base metal on the conductive support, alloying the platinum and base metal thereon by a heat treatment, thereby making the catalytic particles, and removing metallic oxides from a surface of the catalytic particles. The electrode catalyst is less expensive comparatively, exhibits high catalytic activities, and hardly lowers the battery performance of fuel cells.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing cerebral infarction comprising the step of measuring the concentration of nick &bgr;2 glycoprotein I in a body fluid sample; and a method of diagnosing cerebral infarction comprising the steps of measuring the nicked &bgr;2 glycoprotein I concentration (N) and the total &bgr;2 glycoprotein I concentration (T) in a body fluid sample, calculating the ratio (N/T) of the nicked &bgr;2 glycoprotein I concentration (N) to the total &bgr;2 glycoprotein I concentration (T), and using the ratio as an indicator, are disclosed.

Abstract: A device and a method for simply and accurately evaluating-performance of fuel cells have been provided. Hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are caused to flow into a sample holder where an electrode catalyst sample is laid, and the amount of carbon monoxide gas discharged therefrom is detected. The amount of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst sample is calculated based on the amount of supplied carbon monoxide gas and the amount of detected carbon monoxide gas. The output voltage of a fuel cell is calculated based on a correlation between calculated amounts of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst and output voltages of the fuel cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a charging member for charging a surface of a member to be charged in an image-forming apparatus, and one aspect of the present invention provides a charging member having an outermost surface layer containing a conductive elastic material.

Abstract: A transparent vessel is filled with a mixture solution containing a first photo-curable resin of a low refractive index and a second photo-curable resin of a high refractive index different in curing mechanism. When light at a wavelength capable of curing the first photo-curable resin but incapable of curing the second photo-curable resin is applied to the mixture solution through an optical fiber, the first photo-curable resin can be cured in a state in which the second photo-curable resin is enclosed in the cured first photo-curable resin. Because the refractive index increases according to curing, a self-condensing phenomenon can be generated so that an optical path portion is formed. The optical path portion emits leakage light to its surroundings to thereby form an outer circumferential portion. Then, all uncured resins in the mixture solution are cured.

Abstract: In an aspect of the invention, a fuel cell electrocatalyst comprises a carrier and a catalyst layer made of a Pt—Ru alloy supported on the carrier, and having the oxygen content of 4.4 wt % or less. Moreover, a value of the amount of oxygen that exists in one layer of the outermost surface of a component atom of the catalyst layer is 14.1% or less. Furthermore, in another aspect of the invention, a method of producing the fuel cell electrocatalyst comprises a supporting step of supporting a catalyst layer made of an alloy including Pt and Ru on a carrier, and an oxygen content regulating step of regulating the oxygen content of the catalyst layer.

Abstract: A device and a method for simply and accurately evaluating performance of fuel cells have been provided. Hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are caused to flow into a sample holder where an electrode catalyst sample is laid, and the amount of carbon monoxide gas discharged therefrom is detected. The amount of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst sample is calculated based on the amount of supplied carbon monoxide gas and the amount of detected carbon monoxide gas. The output voltage of a fuel cell is calculated based on a correlation between calculated amounts of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst and output voltages of the fuel cell.

Abstract: In a conductive member having a support and provided thereon at least one cover layer, the cover layer has a surface layer, and the surface layer contains fine particles. In the surface layer, fine particles present at the surface layer lower part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the lowermost plane have an average particle diameter which is larger than the average particle diameter of fine particles present at the surface layer upper part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the uppermost plane. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus have such a conductive member.

Abstract: In a powder-form electrode catalyzer for a fuel cell which comprises catalyst particles that contain platinum, and an electrically conductive support supporting the catalyst particles, the ratio between a mean value D111 of crystallite diameters of catalyst particles in a direction perpendicular to a (111) crystal face and a mean value D100 of crystallite diameters of the catalyst particles in a direction perpendicular to a (100) crystal face is D100/D111<1, and a mean crystallite diameter of the catalyst particles is at most 5 nm. Due to a large surface area that functions as a catalyst and a great proportion of the catalyst particles that have (100) crystal faces present on surfaces, the electrode catalyzer has high oxygen reduction activity.

Abstract: An electrode catalyst for a fuel cell includes a conductive support, and catalytic particles loaded on the conductive support. The catalytic particles include platinum and a base metal being on the lower end of the electrochemical series with respect to platinum. The number of the atoms of the base metal, forming metallic oxides without alloying with the platinum, is less than 5 atomic % of the number of the atoms of the platinum on a surface of the catalytic particles. The electrode catalyst is produced by loading the platinum and base metal on the conductive support, alloying the platinum and base metal thereon by a heat treatment, thereby making the catalytic particles, and removing metallic oxides from a surface of the catalytic particles. The electrode catalyst is less expensive comparatively, exhibits high catalytic activities, and hardly lowers the battery performance of fuel cells.