Abstract: Disclosed is a resin composition that has excellent impact resistance and excellent heat resistance without substantially deteriorating biodegradability that the lactic acid based resin has inherently. The resin composition includes (A) a lactic acid based resin; (B) an aromatic aliphatic polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0° C. or less and a heat of crystal melting (AHm) of 5 J/g to 30 J/g, and/or an aliphatic polyester other than the lactic acid based resin, having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0° C. or less and a heat of crystal melting (?Hm) of 5 J/g to 30 J/g, and (B) an aromatic aliphatic polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0° C. or less and a heat of crystal melting (?Hm) of 5 J/g to 30 J/g, and/or an aliphatic polyester other than the lactic acid based resin, having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0C or less and a heat of crystal melting (?Hm) of 5 J/g to 30 J/g, has a content of 5 mass % to 25 mass %.

Abstract: In order to provide a resin composition containing a lactic acid resin, and a molded article obtained from this resin composition which impart flame retardance to the resin composition and suppress a reduction in the molecular weight, use is made of a flame-retardant resin composition which contains a resin composition of which the major component is a lactic acid resin, and a surface-treated metallic hydroxide, wherein the surface-treated metallic hydroxide is added by 50-150 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the lactic acid resin.

Abstract: To provide moldings such as automobile parts and home electric appliance parts having excellent physical properties and recyclability, and shredder dust for recycling to produce a resource as well as a method for recycling the shredder dust, the shredder dust for recycling to produce a resource includes a pulverisate of a molding consisting mainly of a lactic acid-based resin composition. The lactic acid-based resin composition includes: 1) 30 to 100% by weight of a lactic acid-based resin; 2) 0 to 50% by weight of an aliphatic polyester and/or an aromatic-aliphatic polyester having a glass transition temperature, Tg, of 0° C. or less; 3) 0 to 50% by weight of an inorganic filler; 4) 0 to 10% by weight of a hydrolysis inhibitor; and 5) 0 to 50% by weight of a plasticizer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a biodegradable bag which can be heat-sealed at low temperature, does not develop corrugation, has transparency, and has degradability in the natural environment. Laminates including a biaxially oriented film of which the major component is a polylactic acid-family polymer, and a film of which the major component is an aliphatic polyester having a predetermined structure are heat-sealed so that the biaxially oriented film of which the major component is the polylactic acid-family polymer will be an outer layer.

Abstract: A fuel cell electrode comprising a structure wherein fine particles of a noble metal or a noble metal element-containing alloy are supported on inner walls of fine pores of a porous graphite film having fine continuous pores, a fuel cell electrode having an ion-conducting electrolyte material coated on the inner walls of continuous pores of the electrode, a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising the fuel cell electrode assembled onto at least one side of the ion-conducting electrolyte material, and a fuel cell comprising the membrane-electrode assembly as a constituent element thereof. It is thereby possible to obtain, by a simple fabrication process, a fuel cell electrode, membrane-electrode assembly and fuel cell having a support structure which allows effective use of noble metal catalysts, which reliably maintains paths for fuel gas, electrons, protons and water, and which consistently exhibits stable performance over extended periods.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte solution useful in the fabrication of solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell electrodes, characterized by comprising a solvent containing a hydrophilic and high-boiling polar solvent, preferably a mixed solvent mainly comprising the polar solvent and water, having dissolved therein a perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid polymer.

Abstract: A packaging box, for a golf ball, is formed by folding a packaging sheet comprising a decomposable laminate material consisting of a polylactic acid-containing polymer film and a sheet of paper laminated with the polylactic acid-containing polymer film. A portion corresponding to a window is cut out from the paper, and the window is covered with the polylactic acid-containing polymer film laminated on the paper. The window is formed straddlingly on two or three planes such that the polylactic acid-containing polymer film covering the window is bent perpendicularly at a boundary between the planes adjacent to each other. A raised portion is formed on the packaging sheet.

Abstract: An object is to provide a biaxially stretched film which allows tacking, is heat-stickable, is less liable to unevenness in thickness, breakage, whitening, unevenness, etc. i.e. has stretching stability and is decomposable in the natural environment. It comprises a polylactic acid-family polymer as its major component, and has a storage elastic modulus E′ at 120° C. of 100-230 MPa as measured using a test method concerning temperature dependency of the dynamic viscous elasticity under JIS K7198.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a catamenial tampon, comprising: a primary absorbent member; and a withdrawal cord having a withdrawal portion and an attachment portion. The attachment portion is joined to the primary absorbent member. The withdrawal cord includes a composite yarn which includes a continuous string, and a secondary absorbent member joined to a part of the continuous string. The continuous string which has the secondary absorbent member joined thereto is woven according to a predetermined weaving manner after being provisionally twisted, thereby forming the attachment portion and the withdrawal portion. The present invention is also directed to a composite yarn having thinner portions and thicker portions which are alternatively disposed. The composite yarn comprises: a continuous string; and a plurality of fleeces intermittently joined to the continuous string.

Abstract: An efficient method of manufacturing a three-dimensional printed wiring board is provided in which a conductor foil can be reliably heat-fused to the board at a relatively low temperature and the three-dimensional shape such as convex and concave of a mold can be reproduced precisely with no residual stress. The method comprises the steps of providing a filmy insulator comprising a thermoplastic resin composition containing 65-35 wt % of a polyaryl ketone resin having a crystal-melting peak temperature of 260° C. or over, and 35-65 wt % of an amorphous polyetherimide resin, and having a glass transition temperature as measured when the temperature is increased for differential scanning calorie measurement of 150-230° C.

Abstract: Disclosed are a carbon porous membranous structure having fine interconnecting pores an average diameter of which is 0.05 to 10 &mgr;m and a porosity of 15 to 85% and a metal-dispersed carbon structure comprising that carbon porous membranous structure having dispersed therein fine particles of at least one kind of a metal and an alloy. The carbon porous membranous structures are useful as a component of fuel cells, particularly as an electrode base material of gas diffusion electrodes for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells and phosphoric acid fuel cells.

Abstract: A metal-plated aromatic polyimide film composed of an aromatic polyimide resin film, a surface layer of which contains a dispersed palladium metal or a palladium compound, and a metal layer which is chemically plated on the surface layer of the polyimide resin film. The surface layer is preferably formed by placing a palladium compound on a self-supporting aromatic polyimide precursor film and heating the self-supporting film having the palladium compound on its surface layer to a temperature at which the polyimide precursor is converted into its corresponding aromatic polyimide.

Abstract: A film degradable in natural environment and high in both flexibility and transparency. A biodegradable film comprises a polymer of polylactic acid family and an aliphatic polyester other than polylactic acid in a weight ratio of from 70:30 to 20:80, said film having a tensile modulus of not more than 250 kg/mm2 and a light transmittance of not less than 65%.

Abstract: A biodegradable card comprising a laminated member having over-layers whose major component is a composition comprising 60-100 wt % of a polylactic acid and 40-0 wt % of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0° C. or under on both sides of a core layer whose major component is a is composition comprising 40-90 wt % of a polylactic acid and 60-10 wt % of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0° C. or under, characterized in that for the core layer and the over-layers, the crystallinities {(&Dgr;Hm-&Dgr;Hc))/&Dgr;Hm} converted from the melting calorie after crystallizing (&Dgr;Hm) of the polylactic acid portion when the temperature is raised, and the crystallizing calorie (&Dgr;Hc) of the polylactic acid portion generated due to crystallization during the temperature rise are 0.8 or over and 0.9 or over, respectively.

Abstract: A plastic film is provided in which brittleness has been improved, and which is not too soft, and which has practically satisfactory physical properties, heat-sealability stable with time, and biodegradability in natural environment. The film comprises a polylactic acid-family polymer and other aliphatic polyester at the ratio of 80:20 to 20:80, and the heat of fusion &Dgr;Hm1 converted to the polylactic acid-family polymer when the temperature of the film is raised is 35 J/g or under.

Abstract: A packaging box, for a golf ball, is formed by folding a packaging sheet comprising a decomposable laminate material consisting of a polylactic acid-containing polymer film and a sheet of paper laminated with the polylactic acid-containing polymer film. A portion corresponding to a window is cut out from the paper, and the window is covered with the polylactic acid-containing polymer film laminated on the paper. The window is formed straddlingly on two or three planes such that the polylactic acid-containing polymer film covering the window is bent perpendicularly at a boundary between the planes adjacent to each other. A raised portion is formed on the packaging sheet.

Abstract: A base plate for a printed circuit board, having a conductive foil heat-bonded to at least one side of a film insulator which comprises from 65 to 35 wt % of a polyarylketone resin and from 35 to 65 wt % of a non-crystalline polyether imide resin and of which the glass transition temperature is from 150 to 230° C. and the peak temperature of crystal fusion is at least 260° C., as measured when the temperature is raised in the differential scanning calorimetry, if necessary after forming a through-hole and filling a conductive paste therein, and of which, after the heat bonding, the heat of crystal fusion &Dgr;Hm and the heat of crystallization &Dgr;Hc generated by crystallization during the temperature rise, as measured when the temperature is raised by the differential scanning calorimetry, satisfy the following relation: [(&Dgr;Hm−&Dgr;Hc)/&Dgr;Hm]≦0.5.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing yarns comprising a first yarn feeding roller, a second yarn feed roller, winders for winding the respective yarns, yarn breakage detectors and detect yarn breakage, and yarn cutting and sucking devices disposed upstream from the yarn feed rollers and operative in response to a yarn breakage detection signal to cut the group of yarns being wound to which the broken yarn belongs. The respective one yarn cutting and sucking device and the respective one winder form winding units, respectively, and at least two such winding units share at least one of the yarn feed rollers. Therefore, it is possible to increase the yield of yarns.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having a print head for printing characters on a medium and an ink tank for holding ink to be supplied to the print head. The ink tank includes an ink chamber having an ink holding member and an ink supplying port. A first meniscus forming member is located in the ink supplying port so as to be in communication with the ink holding member. The print head includes an ink introducing port for receiving ink from the ink tank and a second meniscus forming member located in the ink introducing port. When the ink tank is attached to the print head, the ink introducing port is coupled with the ink supplying port. An ink passing member is located in the portion where the ink introducing port is coupled with the ink supplying port. The ends of the ink passing member are in contact with the first meniscus forming member and the second meniscus forming member. The ink passing member is subject to only minor changes in volume upon contact with ink.

Abstract: In an ink tank, there are provided a main ink chamber containing a capillary vessel member, and an intermediate ink chamber. When the ink is consumed, the ink held by capillary force of a capillary vessel member is supplied via a communication port from a joint port. The same amount of air as the amount of the consumed ink is conducted from the atmospheric communication port into the main ink chamber. The conducted air is supplied via a groove formed in a lid to an upper surface of the capillary vessel member. As a result, the air is entered into the capillary vessel member under better condition. In a plane portion of the lid, the ink is in contact with only the capillary vessel member, and the ink remaining this portion is reduced. Thus, the ink using efficiency is increased.