Abstract: The present invention is to provide a process for preparing a highly polymerized aromatic polycarbonate resin, which comprises the steps of a highly polymerizing step for reacting an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer and an aliphatic diol compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst to obtain a highly polymerized aromatic polycarbonate resin, a cyclic carbonate removal step for removing at least part of the cyclic carbonate by-produced in the above highly polymerizing step out of the reaction system, and a recycle step of hydrolyzing the cyclic carbonate removed in the cyclic carbonate removal step to obtain an aliphatic diol compound and using the obtained aliphatic diol compound as at least a part of the aliphatic diol compound to be used in the highly polymerizing step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a branched aromatic polycarbonate resin that is molecular weight-increased, which comprises subjecting an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer and a linking agent comprising a trifunctional or more of an aliphatic polyol compound to transesterification reaction in the presence of a transesterification catalyst under a reduced pressure condition.

Abstract: A high molecular weight polycarbonate resin is continuously produced by subjecting an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer and an aliphatic diol compound to a linking and highly polymerizing reaction. Even an aliphatic diol compound having a comparatively low boiling point can be allowed to efficiently contribute to the linking and highly polymerizing reaction. An aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer is produced by a polycondensation reaction between an aromatic dihydroxy compound and a diester carbonate, adding an aliphatic diol compound having an aliphatic group bonding to a terminal hydroxyl group to obtain a prepolymer mixture, and subjecting the resulting prepolymer mixture to a linking and highly polymerizing reaction under reduced pressure.

Abstract: The nonaqueous ink composition for ink jet printing contains a compound represented by General Formula (1) below, and a heterocyclic compound selected from lactones and lactams. (In Formula (1), R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 represent a methyl group or an ethyl group.

Abstract: A branched aromatic polycarbonate resin having a degree of branching (N value) controlled within a specific range is manufactured by subjecting an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer that has a branched structure introduced using a specific amount of a branching agent to molecular-weight-increasing linking reaction with an aliphatic diol compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst under the condition of a reduced pressure. The amount (A) of the branching agent used is adjusted on the basis of the correlation between the amount (A) of the branching agent used and the N value of the branched aromatic polycarbonate resin.

Abstract: A non-aqueous cleaning liquid which is used for cleaning an ink flow path, through which a non-aqueous ink is circulated, in an ink jet recording apparatus including the ink flow path and with which a container composed of polyolefin is filled, includes a pigment and an organic solvent. In the non-aqueous cleaning liquid, a content of the pigment is 0.001% by mass to 0.5% by mass and an average particle size (d50) of the pigment is 10 nm to 500 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for continuously producing a high-molecular-weight polycarbonate resin by carrying out a linking and highly-polymerizing reaction of an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer with an aliphatic diol compound wherein the retention time of the reaction mixture in the linking and highly-polymerizing reactor is shortened to achieve excellent performance.

Abstract: The present inventions provide a novel polycarbonate copolymer having high fluidity and high molecular weight which is formed of a structural unit derived from an aliphatic diol compound and a structural unit derived from an aromatic dihydroxy compound, having a structure represented by the formula (III): having the content of the structural unit derived from the aliphatic diol compound of 1-30 mol %, having the Q-value (280° C., 160 kg load) in the range from 0.02 to 1.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a process for manufacturing, easily and using a conventional branching agent, a branched aromatic polycarbonate resin which has both a sufficiently high molecular weight and a desired degree of branching. [Solution] A branched aromatic polycarbonate resin having a degree of branching (N value) controlled within a specific range is manufactured by subjecting an aromatic polycarbonate prepolymer that has a branched structure introduced using a specific amount of a branching agent to molecular-weight-increasing linking reaction with an aliphatic diol compound in the presence of a transesterification catalyst under the condition of a reduced pressure. The amount (A) of the branching agent used in adjusted on the basis of the correlation between the amount (A) of the branching agent used and the N value of the branched aromatic polycarbonate resin.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an actuator device configured to prevent separation of a vibration plate and to enhance durability and reliability, and a liquid-jet apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of forming a vibration plate on one surface of a substrate, and forming a piezoelectric element having a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode on the vibration plate. The step of forming a vibration plate at least includes an insulation film forming step of forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide by forming a zirconium layer on the one surface side of the substrate in accordance with a sputtering method and subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation by inserting the substrate formed with the zirconium layer to a thermal oxidation furnace heated to a temperature greater than or equal to 700° C. at a speed greater than or equal to 200 mm/min.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head having increased the durability and reliability thereof by preventing delamination of a vibration plate is provided. At least the following two steps are included: a vibration plate forming step which includes at least a step of forming a zirconium layer on one side of a passage-forming substrate by sputtering so that a degrees of orientation to a (002) plane of the surface becomes equal to 80% or more, as well as forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide and constituting a part of the vibration plate by subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation; and a piezoelectric element forming step of forming piezoelectric elements on the vibration plate.

Abstract: Provided are an actuator device, a liquid jet head and a liquid jet apparatus, which can improve reliability by preventing peeling-off of respective films forming a vibration plate. The vibration plate has a first oxide film (elastic film 50) formed on the one surface of a passage-forming substrate 10, and a second oxide film (insulation film 55) formed on the first oxide film 50 by use of a sputtering method. In only a part of an interface between the first and second oxide films 50 and 55, an altered layer is formed which has a first element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the first oxide film 50 and a second element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the second oxide film 55, and which is a layer in which a proportion of the first element is lower than that in the first oxide film 50 and a proportion of the second element is lower than that in the second oxide film 55.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head having increased the durability and reliability thereof by preventing delamination of a vibration plate is provided. At least the following two steps are included: a vibration plate forming step which includes at least a step of forming a zirconium layer on one side of a passage-forming substrate by sputtering so that a degrees of orientation to a (002) plane of the surface becomes equal to 80% or more, as well as forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide and constituting a part of the vibration plate by subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation; and a piezoelectric element forming step of forming piezoelectric elements on the vibration plate.

Abstract: A step of forming a vibration plate includes a step of forming an insulation film in order to cause the surface roughness Ra of the insulation film to be in the range of 1 nm to 3 nm: the insulation film being made of zirconia which has been obtained by depositing a zirconium layer, and accordingly by the thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer at a predetermined temperature, and the insulation film constituting the uppermost surface of the vibration plate. In addition, a step of forming a piezoelectric elements includes: a step of applying titanium (Ti) onto a lower electrode by use of a sputtering method, and of forming a seed titanium layer thereon; and a step of forming a piezoelectric precursor film by applying a piezoelectric material onto the seed titanium layer, and of forming a piezoelectric layer by baking, and crystallizing, the piezoelectric precursor layer.

Abstract: An intermediate film (15, 12, 53) is formed on a substrate (11, 52), a bottom electrode (13, 542) is formed on top of this intermediate film, a ferroelectric film (24) or piezoelectric film (543) is formed on top of this bottom electrode by an ion beam assist method, and a top electrode (25, 541) is formed on top of this ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film. The ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film is formed by PZT, BST or a relaxer material. As a result of the use of an ion beam assist method in the formation of any one of the intermediate film, bottom electrode, ferroelectric film or piezoelectric film, a piezoelectric device or ferroelectric device which has a piezoelectric film or ferroelectric film with an in-plane orientation can be manufactured with good efficiency.

Abstract: A liquid-ejecting apparatus according to which targeted good characteristics can be obtained, and moreover the scope for material selection can be broadened is provided. The liquid-ejecting apparatus contracts a pressure chamber and thus ejects liquid through application of voltage to a piezoelectric body, and is such that the driving waveform applied to the piezoelectric body during the liquid ejecting operation comprises a high potential period (a2) in which a voltage exhibiting an electric field strength exceeding the coercive electric field of the piezoelectric body is applied, and a reverse potential period (a6) in which a voltage such that the potential becomes of the opposite polarity to the polarity in the high potential period or the potential becomes zero is applied.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an actuator device configured to prevent separation of a vibration plate and to enhance durability and reliability, and a liquid-jet apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of forming a vibration plate on one surface of a substrate, and forming a piezoelectric element having a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode on the vibration plate. The step of forming a vibration plate at least includes an insulation film forming step of forming an insulation film made of zirconium oxide by forming a zirconium layer on the one surface side of the substrate in accordance with a sputtering method and subjecting the zirconium layer to thermal oxidation by inserting the substrate formed with the zirconium layer to a thermal oxidation furnace heated to a temperature greater than or equal to 700° C. at a speed greater than or equal to 200 mm/min.

Abstract: A method for producing an actuator device, comprising the steps of: forming a vibration plate on one surface of a substrate; and forming piezoelectric elements, each of which composes a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode, on the vibration plate, and wherein the step of forming the vibration plate has an insulation film formation step including at least a film forming step of forming a zirconium layer on the one surface of the substrate, and a thermal oxidation step of thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer at a predetermined thermal oxidation temperature to form an insulation film comprising a zirconium oxide layer and, simultaneously, adjusting a stress of the insulation film.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an actuator device, and a liquid jet head, which can improve characteristics of a piezoelectric layer constituting piezoelectric elements and can stabilize the characteristics of the piezoelectric layer. A step of forming a vibration plate includes a step of forming an insulation film in order to cause the surface roughness Ra of the insulation film to be in the range of 1 nm to 3 nm: the insulation film being made of zirconia which has been obtained by depositing a zirconium layer, and accordingly by the thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer at a predetermined temperature, and the insulation film constituting the uppermost surface of the vibration plate.

Abstract: Provided are an actuator device, a liquid jet head and a liquid jet apparatus, which can improve reliability by preventing peeling-off of respective films forming a vibration plate. The vibration plate has a first oxide film (elastic film 50) formed on the one surface of a passage-forming substrate 10, and a second oxide film (insulation film 55) formed on the first oxide film 50 by use of a sputtering method. In only a part of an interface between the first and second oxide films 50 and 55, an altered layer is formed which has a first element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the first oxide film 50 and a second element that is a constituent element other than oxygen included in the second oxide film 55, and which is a layer in which a proportion of the first element is lower than that in the first oxide film 50 and a proportion of the second element is lower than that in the second oxide film 55.