Abstract: A bag-shaped actuator system includes: a bag-shaped actuator including an airtight bag member and flowable particulates filled in the bag member; a bag-member communication pipe configured to communicate with an inside of the bag member; a low-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a low air pressure source; a high-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a high air pressure source; a switching mechanism configured to perform switching between communication destinations of the bag member such that the inside of the bag member communicates with any of external air, the low-air-pressure-source communication pipe, and the high-air-pressure-source communication pipe via the bag-member communication pipe; and a switching controlling portion configured to control the switching between the communication destinations by the switching mechanism.

Abstract: A bag-shaped actuator system includes: a bag-shaped actuator including an airtight bag member and flowable particulates filled in the bag member; a bag-member communication pipe configured to communicate with an inside of the bag member; a low-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a low air pressure source; a high-air-pressure-source communication pipe configured to communicate with a high air pressure source; a switching mechanism configured to perform switching between communication destinations of the bag member such that the inside of the bag member communicates with any of external air, the low-air-pressure-source communication pipe, and the high-air-pressure-source communication pipe via the bag-member communication pipe; and a switching controlling portion configured to control the switching between the communication destinations by the switching mechanism.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary battery electrode sheet includes the steps of: conveying a current collector (11) coated with a binder solution (12); feeding a powder material (13) of granulated particles (13a) onto the current collector (11) while guiding the powder material (13) of the granulated particles (13a) toward a gap between the current collector (11) and a squeegee member (25) disposed so as to be spaced with the gap from the current collector (11) being conveyed; and shaping the powder material (13) of the granulated particles (13a) fed on the current collector (11) by using a squeegee member (25).

Abstract: A method for producing an electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries proposed herein includes: a step of forming a binder coat layer 16 on a collector 12, with the binder coat layer 16 being formed so as to have a large coat amount region 18A of relatively a large coating amount and a small coat amount region 18B of relatively small coating amount, and the large coat amount region 18A being provided at both side edge portions 16E of the binder coat layer 16; a step of supplying granulated particles containing active material particles and a binder, onto the binder coat layer 16; and a step of forming an active material layer by pressing of aggregates of the granulated particles.

Abstract: Provided is a technique capable of evenly smoothing powder supplied to the surface of a supply member. A powder coating apparatus includes a pair of press rollers, hoppers, and squeegee rollers disposed such that prescribed gaps are formed between the squeegee rollers and the press rollers, and adjusting thickness of the powder by smoothing the powder supplied to each outer circumferential surface of the press rollers. The powder coating apparatus presses the powder, smoothed by the squeegee rollers, between the press rollers to form compressed powder layers on both the surfaces of the web. The squeegee roller is formed in a column having an axis being parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the press roller and being orthogonal to a moving direction of the outer circumferential surface of the press roller.

Abstract: A powder supplying device (2) includes a case (6) in which a storage portion (6a) is formed for temporarily storing powder (10), the case (6) having an inlet (6b) formed in an upper end of the storage portion (6a), and a rectangular outlet (6c) formed in a lower end of the storage portion (6a); a rotor (7) that is arranged in the case (6) and transports the powder (10) in the storage portion (6a) to the outlet (6c) by rotating; and a mesh body (8) through which the powder (10) that has been transported to the outlet (6c) passes. The powder supplying device (2) supplies the powder (10) onto an upper surface of an electrode foil (5). The rotor (7) has a brush-like shape, with a plurality of hair members (7b) radially implanted pointing radially outward with an axial center (G) of the rotor (7) as the center.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrode for lithium ion secondary batteries proposed herein includes: a step of forming a binder coat layer 16 on a collector 12, with the binder coat layer 16 being formed so as to have a large coat amount region 18A of relatively a large coating amount and a small coat amount region 18B of relatively small coating amount, and the large coat amount region 18A being provided at both side edge portions 16E of the binder coat layer 16; a step of supplying granulated particles containing active material particles and a binder, onto the binder coat layer 16; and a step of forming an active material layer by pressing of aggregates of the granulated particles.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery that makes it possible to form a more uniform active material layer by using granulated particles. The manufacturing apparatus includes: a conveying mechanism, a supply unit, a squeegee, an adjustment unit, and rolling rolls. The conveying mechanism conveys a collector. The supply unit supplies granulated particles, including active material particles and a binder, onto the surface of the conveyed collector. The squeegee levels the supplied granulated particles. The adjustment unit is disposed upstream of the squeegee. The adjustment unit controls the accumulation height of the granulated particles accumulated upstream of the squeegee. The rolling rolls roll the leveled granulated particles and form the active material layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary battery electrode sheet includes the steps of: conveying a current collector (11) coated with a binder solution (12); feeding a powder material (13) of granulated particles (13a) onto the current collector (11) while guiding the powder material (13) of the granulated particles (13a) toward a gap between the current collector (11) and a squeegee member (25) disposed so as to be spaced with the gap from the current collector (11) being conveyed; and shaping the powder material (13) of the granulated particles (13a) fed on the current collector (11) by using a squeegee member (25).

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing an electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery that makes it possible to form a more uniform active material layer by using granulated particles. The manufacturing apparatus includes: a conveying mechanism, a supply unit, a squeegee, an adjustment unit, and rolling rolls. The conveying mechanism conveys a collector. The supply unit supplies granulated particles, including active material particles and a binder, onto the surface of the conveyed collector. The squeegee levels the supplied granulated particles. The adjustment unit is disposed upstream of the squeegee. The adjustment unit controls the accumulation height of the granulated particles accumulated upstream of the squeegee. The rolling rolls roll the levelled granulated particles and form the active material layer.

Abstract: A powder supplying device (2) includes a case (6) in which a storage portion (6a) is formed for temporarily storing powder (10), the case (6) having an inlet (6b) formed in an upper end of the storage portion (6a), and a rectangular outlet (6c) formed in a lower end of the storage portion (6a); a rotor (7) that is arranged in the case (6) and transports the powder (10) in the storage portion (6a) to the outlet (6c) by rotating; and a mesh body (8) through which the powder (10) that has been transported to the outlet (6c) passes. The powder supplying device (2) supplies the powder (10) onto an upper surface of an electrode foil (5). The rotor (7) has a brush-like shape, with a plurality of hair members (7b) radially implanted pointing radially outward with an axial center (G) of the rotor (7) as the center.

Abstract: Provided is a technique capable of evenly smoothing powder supplied to the surface of a supply member. A powder coating apparatus includes a pair of press rollers, hoppers, and squeegee rollers disposed such that prescribed gaps are formed between the squeegee rollers and the press rollers, and adjusting thickness of the powder by smoothing the powder supplied to each outer circumferential surface of the press rollers. The powder coating apparatus presses the powder, smoothed by the squeegee rollers, between the press rollers to form compressed powder layers on both the surfaces of the web. The squeegee roller is formed in a column having an axis being parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the press roller and being orthogonal to a moving direction of the outer circumferential surface of the press roller.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for the preparation of a sorbent capable of efficiently and selectively sorbing cesium ions from an aqueous solution. The method comprises impregnating the pores of a high-porosity carrier material such as silica gel and porous adsorbent resin with water-soluble potassium or sodium hexacyanoferrate (II) and contacting the carrier material with a solution of a copper salt in a solvent in which the water-soluble hexacyanoferrate (II) is hardly soluble such as ethyl alcohol to convert the water-soluble hexacyanoferrate (II) into water-insoluble copper hexacyanoferrate (II). The cesium ions sorbed on the sorbent can be readily desorbed and the sorbent can readily be regenerated. Alternatively, the carrier material is impregnated with a water-soluble hexacyanoferrate (III) which is converted into copper hexacyanoferrate (III) followed by a reducing reaction of the same into copper hexacyanoferrate (II).

Abstract: Proposed is a method for the preparation of an efficient ion exchanger useful for separation and recovery of cesium ions from an aqueous solution such as strongly acidic waste solutions containing radioactive species of cesium. The method comprises the steps of (a) adsorption of hexacyanoferrate (II) ions on to porous particles of an anion exchange resin, (b) conversion of the hexacyanoferrate (II) ions into water-insoluble copper salt thereof in situ in the resin pores, (c) an oxidation treatment of the resin particles and (d) a reduction treatment in the presence of potassium ions followed by contacting of the resin particles with an aqueous solution containing copper ions. A method for the regeneration of the ion exchanger after adsorption of cesium ions is also proposed.

Abstract: An efficient method is proposed for the recovery of a trace amount of a gallium value from an aqueous solution containing a large amount of an aluminum salt as the principal solute as in the solution which is prepared by dissolving the precipitates obtained by neutralizing a Bayer's solution with carbon dioxide in hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. The method comprises admixing the aqueous solution with a water-soluble ferrocyanide compound, e.g., sodium ferrocyanide, as a precipitant of gallium ferrocyanide in such a controlled small amount as not to exceed 2.5 times by moles of the gallium ions in the starting solution so that coprecipitation of aluminum ferrocyanide is minimized.

Abstract: The invention provides an improvement in the disposal of a waste water coining iron-cyanide complexes including ferricyanides by the reduction of the ferricyanide ions into ferrocyanide in the presence of a zinc salt to precipitate the ferrocyanide ions in the form of zinc ferrocyanide. The improvement comprises the use of a sulfite, e.g. sodium sulfite, and a thiosulfate, e.g. sodium thiosulfate, in combination as the reducing agent whereby the reduction of the ferricyanide ions is complete within a relatively short time without being affected by the atmospheric oxygen or other factors.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel method for the preparation of guanidine sulfamate from the reaction mixture of urea and an ammonium aqua-ammonosulfate, e.g. ammonium imidosulfonate, obtained by the reaction under atmospheric pressure followed by hydrolysis with water. Different from conventional procedures, the hydrolysis in the inventive method is carried out at a temperature not exceeding 100.degree. C. or, preferably, at about 70.degree. C., in which the retardation of the reaction velocity at the lower temperature is compensated for by admixing the aqueous solution of the reaction mixture with a portion of the hydrolysis product obtained in the preceding run. After completion of the hydrolysis reaction, the hydrolysis product is admixed with calcium hydroxide or oxide and the desired guanidine sulfamate is obtained from the liquid portion from which the excess of the calcium ions has been removed.