Patents by Inventor Masatoshi Majima

Masatoshi Majima has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200036011
    Abstract: The metal porous body according to one aspect of the present invention has a framework of a three-dimensional network structure. The framework is hollow inside and is formed of a metal film, and the metal film contains titanium metal or titanium alloy as the main component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koma NUMATA, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Mitsuyasu OGAWA, Takahiro HIGASHINO, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA
  • Patent number: 10505196
    Abstract: In an SOFC, a solid electrolyte layer and an anode are integrated with each other to provide an electrolyte layer-anode assembly. The anode contains a nickel element and a first proton conductor. The first proton conductor is composed of a first perovskite oxide having proton conductivity. The first perovskite oxide has an AXO3-type crystal structure, the A-site containing Ba, the X-site containing Y and at least one selected from the group consisting of Zr and Ce. The nickel element is at least partially in the form of NiO. The anode has a porosity Pa of 10% or more by volume when INi/INiO?0.1, where INi/INiO denotes a relative intensity ratio of the peak intensity INi of metallic Ni to the peak intensity INiO of the NiO in an XRD spectrum of the anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naho Mizuhara, Masatoshi Majima, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Chihiro Hiraiwa, Takahiro Higashino, Yohei Noda, Kazunari Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20190359487
    Abstract: A carbon material has at least either a peak related to diamond bonds, or a peak related to diamond-like bonds, appearing in a range of 1250 to 1400 cm?1 in a spectrum measured by Raman scattering spectrometry, and a full width at half maximum of a maximum peak, or each of full widths at half maximum of the maximum peak and a second largest peak, among peaks appearing in the range of 1250 to 1400 cm?1, has a signal less than 100 cm?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., KYOTO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tomoyuki AWAZU, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Yoshiki NISHIBAYASHI, Toshiyuki NOHIRA, Kouji YASUDA, Kouji HIDAKA
  • Patent number: 10431840
    Abstract: Provided are a membrane electrode assembly, including a solid electrolyte layer, an anode layer provided on one side of the solid electrolyte layer, and a cathode layer provided on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer, the anode layer being stacked on the solid electrolyte layer to be pressed thereagainst, the anode layer including a porous anode member having electrical conductivity; and a method for manufacturing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chihiro Hiraiwa, Masatoshi Majima, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Takahiro Higashino, Yohei Noda, Naho Mizuhara, Tatsumi Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10424801
    Abstract: A cell structure includes a cathode, an anode, and a protonically conductive solid electrolyte layer between the cathode and the anode. The solid electrolyte layer contains a compound having a perovskite structure and containing zirconium, cerium, and a rare-earth element other than cerium. If the solid electrolyte layer has a thickness of T, the elemental ratio of zirconium to cerium at a position 0.25 T from a surface of the solid electrolyte layer opposite the cathode, ZrC/CeC, and the elemental ratio of zirconium to cerium at a position 0.25 T from a surface of the solid electrolyte layer opposite the anode, ZrA/CeA, satisfy ZrC/CeC>ZrA/CeA, and ZrC/CeC>1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Higashino, Yohei Noda, Chihiro Hiraiwa, Naho Mizuhara, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Hisao Takeuchi, Masatoshi Majima
  • Patent number: 10374243
    Abstract: Provided is a porous current collector which is used for a fuel electrode and has a high gas reforming function and high durability. A porous current collector 9 is provided adjacent to a fuel electrode 4 of a fuel cell 101 that includes a solid electrolyte layer 2, the fuel electrode 4 disposed on one side of the solid electrolyte layer, and an air electrode 3 disposed on the other side. The porous current collector includes a porous metal body 1 and a first catalyst 20. The porous metal body has an alloy layer 12a at least on a surface thereof, the alloy layer containing nickel (Ni) and tin (Sn). The first catalyst, which is in the form of particles, is supported on a surface of the alloy layer, the surface facing pores of the porous metal body, and is capable of processing a carbon component contained in a fuel gas that flows inside the pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Higashino, Masatoshi Majima, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Naho Mizuhara, Kazuki Okuno, Chihiro Hiraiwa, Yohei Noda, Masahiro Kato
  • Patent number: 10309022
    Abstract: An element recovery method and an element recovery apparatus are provided by which an element containing a high-purity rare earth element can be recovered at low cost. The element recovery method includes the steps of: preparing molten salt containing a rare earth element; and controlling electric potentials in a pair of electrode members at prescribed values while keeping the pair of electrode members in contact with the molten salt, thereby depositing the rare earth element existing in the molten salt on one of the pair of electrode members. In this way, as compared with the conventional wet separation method, an element such as a rare earth element that is to be recovered can be directly recovered from the molten salt in which the element is dissolved, so that the steps of the recovery method can be simplified and reduced in cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Kyoto University
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Awazu, Takayasu Sugihara, Masatoshi Majima, Toshiyuki Nohira, Rika Hagiwara, Seitaro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10287646
    Abstract: Provided is a porous metal body having superior corrosion resistance to conventional metal porous bodies composed of nickel-tin binary alloys and conventional metal porous bodies composed of nickel-chromium binary alloys. The porous metal body has a three-dimensional network skeleton and contains at least nickel, tin, and chromium. The concentration of chromium contained in the porous metal body is highest at the surface of the skeleton of the porous metal body and decreases toward the inner side of the skeleton. In one embodiment, the chromium concentration at the surface of the skeleton of the porous metal body is more preferably 3% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Masatoshi Majima, Kengo Tsukamoto, Hitoshi Tsuchida, Hidetoshi Saito
  • Publication number: 20190093249
    Abstract: Provided is a conductive material including: a base material that is conductive at least at a surface thereof; and a titanium film on the surface of the base material, the titanium film having an average film thickness of not less than 1 ?m and not more than 300 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., Kyoto University
    Inventors: Koma NUMATA, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Mitsuyasu OGAWA, Toshiyuki NOHIRA, Kouji YASUDA, Yutaro NORIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20190081332
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to inexpensively provide a porous metal body which is usable for an electrode of a fuel cell or the like and which has excellent corrosion resistance. There is provided a porous metal body for a fuel cell, which is a sheet-shaped porous metal body, including at least nickel, tin, and chromium, in which the chromium concentration of at least one surface of the porous metal body is 3% to 50% by mass. In the porous metal body, preferably, the chromium concentration of one surface is higher than the chromium concentration of another surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuki OKUNO, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Masahiro KATO, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Kengo TSUKAMOTO, Hitoshi TSUCHIDA, Hidetoshi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20190067703
    Abstract: Provided are a porous metal body that is excellent in terms of corrosion resistance and that is suitable for a collector for batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, capacitors, or fuel cells; and methods for producing the porous metal body. A production method includes a step of coating a porous nickel body with an alloy containing at least nickel and tungsten or a metal containing at least tin; and a subsequent step of a heat treatment. Another production method includes a step of forming a nickel-plated layer on a porous base and then continuously forming an alloy-plated layer containing at least nickel and tungsten or tin, a step of removing the porous base, and a step of reducing metal. Such a method can provide a porous metal body in which tungsten or tin is diffused in a porous nickel body or a nickel-plated layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuki OKUNO, Masahiro KATO, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Hidetoshi SAITO, Junichi NISHIMURA, Keiji SHIRAISHI, Hitoshi TSUCHIDA, Kengo TSUKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10205177
    Abstract: A porous metal body is provided that is inexpensive, usable for an electrode of a fuel cell or the like, and has excellent corrosion resistance. There is provided a porous metal body for a fuel cell, which is a sheet-shaped porous metal body, including at least nickel, tin, and chromium, in which the chromium concentration of at least one surface of the porous metal body is 3% to 50% by mass. In the porous metal body, preferably, the chromium concentration of one surface is higher than the chromium concentration of another surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Tomoyuki Awazu, Masahiro Kato, Masatoshi Majima, Kengo Tsukamoto, Hitoshi Tsuchida, Hidetoshi Saito
  • Publication number: 20190044159
    Abstract: A porous metal body has a three-dimensional mesh-like structure skeleton and containing at least nickel and tin. The nickel content is 50 mass % or more, and the tin content is 5 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less. The porous metal body has a thickness of 0.10 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunari MIYAMOTO, Tomoyuki AWAZU, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Kazuki OKUNO, Takahiro HIGASHINO
  • Publication number: 20190036131
    Abstract: Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell including a flat-plate-shaped cell structure including a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte layer containing a solid oxide, a frame-shaped sealing member disposed so as to surround a periphery of the cathode, the sealing member having a larger outside diameter than the cathode, a first pressing member and a second pressing member that hold the sealing member therebetween, and a flat-plate-shaped cathode current collector adjacent to the cathode, the flat-plate-shaped cathode current collector being formed of a porous metal body having a three-dimensional mesh-like skeleton, in which the cathode current collector has a peripheral portion that is not opposite the anode, the outer edge portion of a main surface of the sealing member adjacent to the anode faces the first pressing member, the inner edge portion of the main surface of the sealing member adjacent to the anode faces the peripheral portion of the electrolyte layer, the outer edge portion of a main surface of the
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro HIRAIWA, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Takahiro HIGASHINO, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA, Kazunari MIYAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10193161
    Abstract: A method for producing an anode capable of increasing output of a solid oxide fuel cell is provided. The method for producing an anode for a solid oxide fuel cell includes a first step of shaping a mixture that contains a perovskite oxide having proton conductivity and a nickel compound and a second step of firing a shaped product, which has been obtained in the first step, in an atmosphere containing 50% by volume or more of oxygen at 1100° C. to 1350° C. so as to generate an anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yohei Noda, Masatoshi Majima, Hiromasa Tawarayama, Naho Mizuhara, Chihiro Hiraiwa, Takahiro Higashino
  • Publication number: 20190017144
    Abstract: A method for separating metal components from a treatment material containing a silicate and metal elements includes: a reaction step of reacting the treatment material and a molten alkali hydroxide in which bubbles due to water vapor derived from water are generated by heating a hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal and the water in a state where the hydroxide and the water coexist, to obtain a reaction product; and a first precipitation step of dissolving the reaction product of the treatment material and the molten alkali hydroxide after the reaction step in water, thereby generating a precipitate containing the metal elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Tomoyuki AWAZU, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Mitsutaka TSUBOKURA, Tetsuo OISHI
  • Publication number: 20190006681
    Abstract: A fuel cell includes a cell structure including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte layer, a gas diffusion layer disposed adjacent to the first electrode, and a gas channel plate disposed adjacent to the gas diffusion layer, in which the gas diffusion layer is formed of a porous metal body having a three-dimensional mesh-like skeleton, the gas channel plate includes a first region including a first channel, a second region including a second channel, and a third region including a third channel, the first channel includes a slit extending from the center of the gas channel plate toward its outer edge at the boundary surface between the first region and the second region, letting the total area of the first channel at the boundary surface be a first opening area S1, letting the total area of the second channel at the boundary surface between the second region and the third region be a second opening area S2, and letting the total area of the third channel at the boundary surface between t
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Chihiro HIRAIWA, Takahiro HIGASHINO, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Toshihiro YOSHIDA, Kazunari MIYAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190006692
    Abstract: A method for producing a cell structure includes: a step of firing a laminated body of a layer containing an anode material and a layer containing a solid electrolyte material, to obtain a joined body of an anode and a solid electrolyte layer; a step of laminating a layer containing a cathode material on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer, and firing the obtained laminated body to obtain a cathode. The anode material contains a metal oxide Ma1 and a nickel compound. The metal oxide Ma1 is a metal oxide having a perovskite structure represented by A1x1B11-y1M1y1O3-? (wherein: A1 is at least one of Ba, Ca, and Sr; B1 is at least one of Ce and Zr; M1 is at least one of Y, Yb, Er, Ho, Tm, Gd, In, and Sc; 0.85?x1?0.99; 0<y1?0.5; and ? is an oxygen deficiency amount).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., KYOTO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Takahiro HIGASHINO, Kazunari MIYAMOTO, Yohei NODA, Chihiro HIRAIWA, Naho MIZUHARA, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA, Hisao TAKEUCHI, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Tetsuya UDA, Donglin HAN
  • Publication number: 20190006680
    Abstract: In an SOFC, a solid electrolyte layer and an anode are integrated with each other to provide an electrolyte layer-anode assembly. The anode contains a nickel element and a first proton conductor. The first proton conductor is composed of a first perovskite oxide having proton conductivity. The first perovskite oxide has an AXO3-type crystal structure, the A-site containing Ba, the X-site containing Y and at least one selected from the group consisting of Zr and Ce. The nickel element is at least partially in the form of NiO. The anode has a porosity Pa of 10% or more by volume when INi/INiO?0.1, where INi/INiO denotes a relative intensity ratio of the peak intensity INi of metallic Ni to the peak intensity INiO of the NiO in an XRD spectrum of the anode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naho MIZUHARA, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA, Chihiro HIRAIWA, Takahiro HIGASHINO, Yohei NODA, Kazunari MIYAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180375114
    Abstract: A proton conductor contains a metal oxide having a perovskite structure and represented by AaBbMcO3-? (wherein: A is at least one of Ba, Ca, and Sr; B is at least one of Ce and Zr; M is at least one of Y, Yb, Er, Ho, Tm, Gd, and Sc; 0.85?a?1; 0.5?b<1; c=1-b; and ? is an oxygen deficiency amount), and a standard deviation in a triangular diagram representing an atomic composition ratio of the A, the B, and the M is not greater than 0.04.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., KYOTO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Takahiro HIGASHINO, Yohei NODA, Kazunari MIYAMOTO, Chihiro HIRAIWA, Naho MIZUHARA, Hiromasa TAWARAYAMA, Hisao TAKEUCHI, Masatoshi MAJIMA, Tetsuya UDA, Donglin HAN, Takayuki ONISHI, Yuki OTANI