Abstract: Agents containing polyaniline or derivative of polyaniline of one or more specified kinds shown by Formulas (1)-(4) given below can generate active oxygen when contacted with an oxygen-containing gas: where A is a negative ion, x and y are positive numbers such that x+y=1 and n is a positive integer between 2 and 1000.

Abstract: Agents containing polyaniline of one or more specified kinds shown by Formulas (1)-(4) given below can generate active oxygen efficiently and economically when contacted with a liquid having oxygen dissolved therein: ##STR1## where A is a negative ion, n is an integer between 2 and 5000, x and y are numbers such that x+y=1 and 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.5.

Abstract: An improved electric resistance heating element made of a carbon material, provided around its surface with a layer essentially comprising carbon fiber, and an improved electric resistance heating furnace using the heating element.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a carbon fabric composed of carbon fibers having improved tensile strength and modulus of elasticity from a precursor fabric made of an acrylonitrile polymer fiber. The acrylonitrile polymer fiber used has a fusing temperature of at least 310.degree. C., contains not more than 0.1 wt. % of a residual solvent, and is prepared by a process wherein an acrylonitrile polymer comprised of at least 94 wt. % of acrylonitrile and not more than 6 wt. % of another comonomer and having an intrinsic viscosity of 1.4-2.3 is spun into filaments and then the filaments are stretched at a total stretching ratio of at least 6. The fiber of the fabric woven therefrom is treated with a transition metal-containing compound. The precursor fabric exhibits a free areal shrinkage of not more than 50% and has a weight per unit area falling within the specified range. The precursor fabric is heated in an oxidizing gas atmosphere at 200.degree.-400.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for producing a carbon fabric wherein a fabric, which is made of an acrylonitrile polymer fiber having a fusing temperature (T.sub.f) of at least 310.degree. C. and exhibits a free areal shrinkage of not larger than 50%, is heated in an active gas atmosphere under conditions such that shrinkage of the fabric is permitted, thereby to be stablized, and then, the fabric is carbonized in an inactive gas atmosphere.

Abstract: Organic fibrous material is changed to heat-stabilized material by heating in an atmosphere, and then the heat-stabilized material is carbonized in a carbonizing furnace at a temperature of from about 800.degree.C to 1600.degree.C.When temperature at any given point in the furnace is plotted on a vertical axis and the particular location along the length of the carbonizing furnace is plotted on a horizontal axis, the slope of the resulting temperature profile above 800.degree.C either remains constant or decreases until the maximum temperature in the furnace is reached.