Abstract: The present invention is to provide an air cathode for air batteries, having excellent high-rate discharge performance, and an air battery comprising the air cathode. Disclosed is an air cathode for air batteries, using oxygen as an active material and configured to form an air battery comprising the air cathode, an anode and an electrolyte layer present between the air cathode and the anode, the air cathode comprising: a catalyst layer which contains at least an electrode catalyst and an electroconductive material; an oxide as the electrode catalyst, which is active against at least oxygen reduction reaction; and at least one kind of metal carbide as the electroconductive material, selected from the group consisting of a tungsten carbide, a titanium carbide and a molybdenum carbide.

Abstract: An air electrode (6) for a metal-air battery includes an air electrode catalyst, an electrolyte for air electrodes and a; conductive material. The electrolyte for air electrodes contains a layered double hydroxide.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an air cathode for air batteries, having excellent high-rate discharge performance, and an air battery comprising the air cathode. Disclosed is an air cathode for air batteries, using oxygen as an active material and configured to form an air battery comprising the air cathode, an anode and an electrolyte layer present between the air cathode and the anode, the air cathode comprising: a catalyst layer which contains at least an electrode catalyst and an electroconductive material; an oxide as the electrode catalyst, which is active against at least oxygen reduction reaction; and at least one kind of metal carbide as the electroconductive material, selected from the group consisting of a tungsten carbide, a titanium carbide and a molybdenum carbide.

Abstract: An air electrode (6) for a metal-air battery includes an air electrode catalyst, an electrolyte for air electrodes and a; conductive material. The electrolyte for air electrodes contains a layered double hydroxide.

Abstract: A polyurethane elastomeric filament-containing weft knit fabric is obtained by plating a bare yarn of highly fusible, alkali-resistant polyurethane elastomeric filament having at least 50% retention of tenacity following dry heat treatment under 100% extension at 150° C. for 45 seconds, a melting point of 180° C. or below, and at least 60% retention of tenacity following treatment in a 2 g/L aqueous sodium hydroxide solution under 100% extension at 100° C. for 60 minutes at every loop of a weft knit fabric having a 1×1 rib knit structure or a center yarn-containing reversible knit structure composed of at least one type of non-elastomeric yarn, then heat setting the plated structure so as to thermally fuse the highly fusible, alkali-resistant polyurethane elastomeric filaments to each other or to the non-elastomeric yarns at crossover points therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an anion conducting electrolyte resin with high anion conducting ability and excellent workability, and a method for producing the same. An anion conducting electrolyte resin comprising a perfluorocarbon electrolyte polymer in which the whole or part of the polymer has a sulfonate group (—SO3?), and a modifier molecule comprising two or more positively-charged groups, wherein an ionic interaction occurs between the sulfonate group of the perfluorocarbon electrolyte polymer and one or more of the positively-charged groups of the modifier molecule to modify the perfluorocarbon electrolyte polymer by the modifier molecules, and wherein an ionic interaction occurs between the rest of the positively-charged groups of the modifier molecule and an anion.

Abstract: An observation apparatus is provided. An apex angle of a contact prism is inputted by operating an apex angle setting knob of a control panel. A fining angle of the contact prism is inputted by operating a fitting angle setting knob. A control unit determines the amount of correction for astigmatism of a left observation optical system and the amount of correction for astigmatism of a right observation optical system based on a recognized observation magnification and the inputted apex angle. An axial angle for the astigmatism of the left observation optical system and an axial angle for the astigmatism of the right observation optical system are determined based on the inputted fitting angle. Variable cross cylinder lens rotating drive units are controlled to rotate cylinder lenses of each of the right and left observation optical systems, thereby obtaining the determined axial angle and the determined amount of correction.

Abstract: A polyurethane elastomeric filament-containing weft knit fabric is obtained by plating a bare yarn of highly fusible, alkali-resistant polyurethane elastomeric filament having at least 50% retention of tenacity following dry heat treatment under 100% extension at 150° C. for 45 seconds, a melting point of 180° C. or below, and at least 60% retention of tenacity following treatment in a 2 g/L aqueous sodium hydroxide solution under 100% extension at 100° C. for 60 minutes at every loop of a weft knit fabric having a 1×1 rib. knit structure or a center yarn-containing reversible knit structure composed of at least one type of non-elastomeric yarn, then heat setting the plated structure so as to thermally fuse the highly fusible, alkali-resistant polyurethane elastomeric filaments to each other or to the non-elastomeric yarns at crossover points therebetween.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A method of producing a hydrogen storage alloy, for use in alkaline storage batteries, includes two steps. A first step involves preparing alloy particles having a CaCu5-type crystal structure and the compositional formula MmNixCoyMnzM1?z, wherein M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu), 3.0?x?5.2, 0?y?1.2, 0.1?z?0.9, and 4.4?x+y+z?5.4. A second step involves immersing the alloy particles in an acid treating solution containing a cobalt compound and a copper compound, each in the amount of 0.1 to 5.0% by weight based on the weight of the alloy particles, and an organic additive to remove oxide films from and to reductively deposit cobalt and copper on a surface of each alloy particle to form a surface region surrounding a bulk region and having a graded composition. When the sum in percentage of numbers of cobalt (Co) atoms and copper (Cu) atoms present in the surface region is given by a and that in the bulk region by b, the relationship a/b?1.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A battery module has a plurality of electrically connected unit cells fixed in a container. A buffer member is provided at the void between the inner wall of the container and the unit cell. By virtue of the buffer member in the battery module formed of a heat conductive elastic body, the requirement of vibration resistance can be met by the buffer member while the heat generated by the unit cell can be easily discharged via the buffer member. Thus, a battery module suppressed in degradation of the performance of the unit cell caused by heat can be provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a metal hydride alkaline storage cell includes a first step of preparing a negative electrode by applying a paste containing hydrogen absorbing alloy powder onto a substrate; and a second step of placing the negative electrode and a positive electrode into a cell can with disposing separator therebetween, and thereafter pouring an electrolyte into the cell can. Into the paste or the electrolyte, a catalytic metal compound that has a proportion of 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder and that is soluble in the electrolyte is added. Consequently, the catalytic action of the metal is fully utilized by this method that dots a catalytic metal or metal compound on the alloy surface, and thereby the inner pressure characteristic (high-rate charge characteristic) of a cell is improved.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding, is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: An observation apparatus capable of preferably removing an astigmatism and chromatic aberration which occur in an observation image is provided. An apex angle of a contact prism is inputted by operating an apex angle setting knob of a control panel. A fitting angle of the contact prism is inputted by operating a fitting angle setting knob. A control unit determines the amount of correction for astigmatism of a left observation optical system and the amount of correction for astigmatism of a right observation optical system based on a recognized observation magnification and the inputted apex angle. An axial angle for the astigmatism of the left observation optical system and an axial angle for the astigmatism of the right observation optical system are determined based on the inputted fitting angle.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to improve the system efficiency of the fuel cell generator that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing water and generates electricity using the generated hydrogen. For this purpose, a fuel cell generator, which includes a fuel cell for generating electricity using hydrogen, a electrolytic device for electrolyzing water using electricity from an external electricity system, and a hydrogen storage device for storing the hydrogen that has been generated by the electrolytic device and supplying the stored hydrogen to the fuel cell, is equipped with an heat supplying device for supplying the heat that has been generated in the fuel cell during the electricity generation to the electrolytic device.

Abstract: A battery module has a plurality of electrically connected unit cells fixed in a container. A buffer member is provided at the void between the inner wall of the container and the unit cell. By virtue of the buffer member in the battery module formed of a heat conductive elastic body, the requirement of vibration resistance can be met by the buffer member while the heat generated by the unit cell can be easily discharged via the buffer member. Thus, a battery module suppressed in degradation of the performance of the unit cell caused by heat can be provided.

Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a polymer electrolyte, a polymer-based material containing a copolymer of ethylene glycol (meth)acrylate compound represented by the following general formula (1) and alkyl (meth)acrylate represented by the following general formula (2) is used as said polymer electrolyte.