Abstract: This invention provides a magnetic recording medium excellent in terms of corrosion resistance. The magnetic recording medium comprises a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer and a lubricant layer provided on a nonmagnetic substrate, and the lubricant layer comprises a compound having a heterocyclic ring.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating, within a short time, the life of a cable insulating coating material containing an antioxidant in a suitable concentration based on the rate of decrease of the antioxidant and on the critical concentration of the antioxidant at which oxidative degradation rapidly proceeds. The method tests the coating material to examine its life, the coating material including a base polymer, and an antioxidant having a functional group suppressing an oxidative deteriorative reaction of the base polymer. The method includes performing a thermal degradation test on the coating material; determining the degradation levels and degradation rates of the coating material at two or more time points in the thermal degradation test, based on the ratio of the absorbance of the functional group of the antioxidant to the absorbance of the base polymer; and thereby evaluating the life of the coating material.

Abstract: The present invention allows simple and sensitive detection of microimpurities, microdefects, and corrosion starting points which may be present in a material. A probe microscope has a function to sense ions diffused from a specimen in a liquid. A probe is caused to scan over a predetermined range on a specimen. Then, the probe is fixed to a particular position in a liquid so as to set the distance between the specimen and the probe to a given value at which the microstructure of the specimen surface cannot be observed. Thereafter, one of the current between the probe and a counter electrode and the potential between the probe and a reference electrode is controlled, and the other of the current and potential which varies in accordance with the control is measured. Thus, ions diffused from the specimen are sensed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for estimating, within a short time, the life of a cable insulating coating material containing an antioxidant in a suitable concentration based on the rate of decrease of the antioxidant and on the critical concentration of the antioxidant at which oxidative degradation rapidly proceeds. The method tests the coating material to examine its life, the coating material including a base polymer, and an antioxidant having a functional group suppressing an oxidative deteriorative reaction of the base polymer. The method includes performing a thermal degradation test on the coating material; determining the degradation levels and degradation rates of the coating material at two or more time points in the thermal degradation test, based on the ratio of the absorbance of the functional group of the antioxidant to the absorbance of the base polymer; and thereby evaluating the life of the coating material.

Abstract: This invention provides a magnetic recording medium excellent in terms of corrosion resistance. The magnetic recording medium comprises a magnetic recording layer, a protective layer and a lubricant layer provided on a nonmagnetic substrate, and the lubricant layer comprises a compound having a heterocyclic ring.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a probe microscope that permits qualitative and quantitative evaluation on ions existing near the surface of a sample and permits to detect further simply and easily such as impurities, flaws and corrosion origins existing on the sample in high sensitivity. A probe microscope according to the present invention is provided with a test cell that holds a sample and permits to receive liquid, a probe, a counter electrode, a reference electrode, a drive mechanism that causes the probe to follow the surface of the sample as well as to scan the same, a potential control portion that controls a potential between the probe and the reference electrode and a current measuring portion that measures a current flowing between the probe and the counter electrode, and is characterized in that the material of the probe is constituted by a conductive body containing any of gold or gold alloy, carbon or carbon compound, boron, zinc, lead, tin and mercury.

Abstract: The present invention allows simple and sensitive detection of microimpurities, microdefects, and corrosion starting points which may be present in a material. A probe microscope has a function to sense ions diffused from a specimen in a liquid. A probe is caused to scan over a predetermined range on a specimen. Then, the probe is fixed to a particular position in a liquid so as to set the distance between the specimen and the probe to a given value at which the microstructure of the specimen surface cannot be observed. Thereafter, one of the current between the probe and a counter electrode and the potential between the probe and a reference electrode is controlled, and the other of the current and potential which varies in accordance with the control is measured. Thus, ions diffused from the specimen are sensed.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording medium which exhibits an excellent corrosion resistance. To this end, proposed is a magnetic recording medium including a magnetic recording layer in which: a magnetic body and a filling body alternately appear along a recording surface; and a layer made of a passivated metal or an alloy containing at least one passivated metal is formed in an interface portion between an area of the magnetic body and an area of the filling body.

Abstract: A secondary battery comprises a single-plate lead acid battery (Va), a positive electrode capacitor layer and a negative electrode capacitor layer, which are formed on the respective surfaces of a positive electrode plate, and a negative electrode plate. Each of the positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate contains an active material, to have a configuration in which activated carbon has a concentration gradient. The electronic resistance between a collector terminal and the center of a portion where activated carbon is present at a high concentration is lower than the electronic resistance between the collector terminal and the center of a portion where activated carbon is present at a low concentration. In the single-plate lead acid battery, charges are accumulated in the positive electrode capacitor layer and in the negative electrode capacitor layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to take fundamental measures against the phenomenon that the positive current collector of a lead-acid battery elongates due to corrosion, in consideration of a mechanism, and to inhibit corrosion elongation. A current collector is prepared by the steps of: mixing a lead oxide of pinning compounds for inhibiting recrystallization with the atomized powder of lead or a lead alloy; and then powder-rolling the mixture. A lead-acid battery is composed with the use of the current collector.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to take fundamental measures against the phenomenon that the positive current collector of a lead-acid battery elongates due to corrosion, in consideration of a mechanism, and to inhibit corrosion elongation. A current collector is prepared by the steps of: mixing a lead oxide of pinning compounds for inhibiting recrystallization with the atomized powder of lead or a lead alloy; and then powder-rolling the mixture. A lead-acid battery is composed with the use of the current collector.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to take fundamental measures against the phenomenon that the positive current collector of a lead-acid battery elongates due to corrosion, in consideration of a mechanism, and to inhibit corrosion elongation. A current collector is prepared by the steps of: mixing a lead oxide of pinning compounds for inhibiting recrystallization with the atomized powder of lead or a lead alloy; and then powder-rolling the mixture. A lead-acid battery is composed with the use of the current collector.

Abstract: A secondary battery comprises a single-plate lead acid battery (Va), a positive electrode capacitor layer and a negative electrode capacitor layer, which are formed on the respective surfaces of a positive electrode plate, and a negative electrode plate. Each of the positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate contains an active material, to have a configuration in which activated carbon has a concentration gradient. The electronic resistance between a collector terminal and the center of a portion where activated carbon is present at a high concentration is lower than the electronic resistance between the collector terminal and the center of a portion where activated carbon is present at a low concentration. In the single-plate lead acid battery, charges are accumulated in the positive electrode capacitor layer and in the negative electrode capacitor layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a power generation controller for a generator that conducts appropriate power generation control of a spirally wound battery. The power generation controller 150 is constructed so that in order for an output current from the generator 100 to match a set target current, the controller 150 controls power generation of the generator 100 by controlling a field current supplied to a field winding of the generator 100.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a lead acid battery which generates a higher power than the conventional lead acid battery does. To this end, the lead acid battery of the present invention is characterized in that electrodes are formed, each of the electrodes having a structure in which a metallic powder is disorderly distributed, the metallic powder being composed of a metallic lead powder or a lead alloy powder containing lead as a main element of composition. In the lead acid battery, a charge collection network of a metallic powder containing lead is formed. As a result, the lead acid battery generates a higher power than the conventional lead acid battery does.

Abstract: A power assist mechanism is provided that assists operation of a steering mechanism when receiving a pressurized hydraulic fluid. A hydraulic pump feeds the power assist mechanism with the pressurized hydraulic fluid when driven. An electric motor drives the hydraulic pump. A battery unit is provided for energizing the electric motor. A control unit is provided for controlling the electric power from the battery unit to the electric motor. The battery unit comprises a plurality of lead-acid batteries that are connected in series. Each lead-acid battery comprises a spirally wound positive plate, a spirally wound negative plate, a spirally wound insulating plate that is spirally wound and sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, a battery case that puts therein the spirally wound positive, negative and insulating plates and an electrolyte that is provided in the battery case.

Abstract: In a single plate lead-acid battery of the present invention are respectively formed a positive electrode capacitor layer and a negative electrode capacitor layer on surfaces of a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate containing an active substance, and an electric charge is accumulated in the positive electrode capacitor layer and the negative electrode capacitor layer. As a result, the single plate lead-acid battery brings out an output higher than a conventional single plate lead-acid battery.

Abstract: An electric power steering system having high performance and high reliability. The electric power steering system employs, as a power supply, a wound lead storage battery in which a thin band-shaped positive plate, a thin band-shaped negative plate, and a band-shaped separator interposed between the positive and negative plates are wound to form a plate group and the plate group is immersed in an electrolyte. In a motor used for electric power steering, a plate-shaped conductor is employed as a connecting ring for electrical connection between a cable for introducing multi-phase AC power to stator coils and the stator coils.

Abstract: A lead-acid battery superior in high-efficiency charging characteristic to conventional lead-acid batteries and a carbon material used in the lead-acid battery having excellent charge acceptability are disclosed. The lead-acid battery uses, as an additive to the anode active material, a simple substance and/or compound thereof, both having a catalysis for desulfurization or a catalyst for SOx oxidation by adding to, or loading on, a carbon material such as active carbon, carbon black, or the like. When the lead-acid battery with an anode containing carbon material is applied to electric cars, various hybrid cars, power storage systems, elevators, electromotive tools and power source systems such as uninterruptible power source, distributed power source and the like, all having high input and output requirements, stable control can be obtained.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to take fundamental measures against the phenomenon that the positive current collector of a lead-acid battery elongates due to corrosion, in consideration of a mechanism, and to inhibit corrosion elongation. A current collector is prepared by the steps of: mixing a lead oxide of pinning compounds for inhibiting recrystallization with the atomized powder of lead or a lead alloy; and then powder-rolling the mixture. A lead-acid battery is composed with the use of the current collector.