Abstract: The invention provides a crystallizing method and an apparatus for producing a biopolymer capable of simplifying operations for taking out a produced crystal and mounting the crystal onto a crystal structure analyzer, thereby improving efficiency in the operations as well as reducing a labor burden. A crystallizing apparatus for producing a biopolymer crystal from a solution containing a biopolymer includes a crystal-growing chip 10 made of a material allowing electromagnetic waves to permeate through the chip, and in which a circular frame 16 is formed to retain a droplet 20 of a solution containing a biopolymer and a biopolymer crystal 28 produced in the droplet.

Abstract: A dynamic quantity sensor device capable of measuring a dynamic quantity at a high precision and securing insulation of a pressure sensing body easily. This dynamic quantity sensor includes a pressure sensing body composed of composite ceramics in which a material having a pressure resistance effect is dispersed on a matrix made of an electrical insulation ceramic material and a pressure receiving body having an electrical insulation characteristic and disposed on a pressure receiving surface of the pressure receiving body, wherein the pressure sensing body and the pressure receiving body are integrated with each other.

Abstract: Sputtering particles are deposited immediately after activating a surface of a substrate composed of a carbon-containing material. Accordingly, a process for reforming a surface of a substrate, a substrate with a reformed surface, and an apparatus therefor are provided in which the depositability and adhesiveness of the sputtering particles are improved. A vacuum ultraviolet light is generated by a laser beam. A surface of a substrate composed of a carbon-containing material is exposed to the generated vacuum ultraviolet light. As a result, the surface of the substrate is activated. Simultaneously therewith, a sputtering particles-generating device generates sputtering particles, such as neutral atoms, ions and clusters. The resultant sputtering particles are deposited on the activated surface of the substrate. Since the sputtering particles are deposited immediately after the surface of the substrate is activated, they are adhered firmly on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a dynamic quantity sensor device capable of measuring a dynamic quantity at a high precision and securing insulation of a pressure sensing body easily. This dynamic quantity sensor comprises a pressure sensing body 11 composed of composite ceramics in which material having pressure resistance effect is dispersed on a matrix made of electrical insulation ceramic material and a pressure receiving body 12 having electrical insulation characteristic and disposed on a pressure receiving surface of the pressure receiving body 11, wherein the pressure sensing body and the pressure receiving body are integrated with each other.

Abstract: Sputtering particles are deposited immediately after activating a surface of a substrate composed of a carbon-containing material. Accordingly, a process for reforming a surface of a substrate, a substrate with a reformed surface, and an apparatus therefor are provided in which the depositability and adhesiveness of the sputtering particles are improved. A vacuum ultraviolet light is generated by a laser beam. A surface of a substrate composed of a carbon-containing material is exposed to the generated vacuum ultraviolet light. As a result, the surface of the substrate is activated. Simultaneously therewith, a sputtering particles-generating device generates sputtering particles, such as neutral atoms, ions and clusters. The resultant sputtering particles are deposited on the activated surface of the substrate. Since the sputtering particles are deposited immediately after the surface of the substrate is activated, they are adhered firmly on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a crystallizing method and an apparatus for producing a biopolymer capable of simplifying operations for taking out a produced crystal and mounting the crystal onto a crystal structure analyzer, thereby improving efficiency in the operations as well as reducing a labor burden. A crystallizing apparatus for producing a biopolymer crystal from a solution containing a biopolymer includes a crystal-growing chip 10 made of a material allowing electromagnetic waves to permeate through the chip, and in which a circular frame 16 is formed to retain a droplet 20 of a solution containing a biopolymer and a biopolymer crystal 28 produced in the droplet.

Abstract: A sensor material for measuring physical parameters capable of configuring a sensor capable of directly measuring a high value of physical parameters such as high stress or high pressure without employing a pressure resistance container. The sensor material for measuring static and dynamic physical parameters includes a matrix made of an electrically insulating ceramic material, and piezoresistance materials which are dispersed in the matrix so as to be electrically continuous to each other.

Abstract: Disclosed are alumina particles with a dispersed noble metal. The alumina particles are hollow-structured alumina particles which comprise alumina as a major component of the matrix, and in which at least one noble metal is dispersed in the alumina matrix and/or on the surface of the alumina particles with a dispersion degree of 10% or more when being measured by the CO adsorption method. The noble metal dispersion degree is so high that the alumina particles are suitable for making a catalyst. The resulting catalyst exhibits the purifying performance, which hardly differs before and after a high temperature durability test, and is extremely good in terms of the durability.

Abstract: A composition of a high sensitivity sensor for detecting mechanical quantity including: an insulating matrix material; and a conductive path formed by discontinuously dispersing second phase particles of a conductor or a semiconductor into the insulating matrix material at an interparticle distance from 0.001 to 1 &mgr;m, thereby imparting the high sensitivity in the mechanical quantity to the composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sensor material for measuring physical parameters capable of configuring a sensor capable of directly measuring a high value of physical parameters such as high stress or high pressure without employing a pressure resistance container.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic composition, having a tetragonal perovskite structure and represented by a general formula PbaSrb(ZrcTidSbeMnf)O3 wherein Pb and Sr are assumed to occupy A site, Zr, Ti, Sb and Mn are assumed to occupy B site, and a molar ratio of A site/B site atoms of (a+b)/(c+d+e+f) is more than 1.00 to 1.03, preferably 0.01 to 0.03.

Abstract: This invention concerns a composite material which is characterized by comprising a large number of composite material cells, as structural units of the composite material, each comprising a first phase composed of a base material and a second phase composed of a dispersion material surrounding the first phase discontinuously; and comprising a matrix comprising the base material and the dispersion material dispersed in the matrix, the dispersion material being dispersed discontinuously in the form of a three-dimensional network in the composite material; wherein the dispersion materials of the composite material cells are combined to form a composite material skeletal part, thereby exhibiting properties of the dispersion material without reducing the strength of the matrix owing to the skeletal part, and improving strength characteristics thereof owing to the skeletal part serving as a resistance to external stress.

Abstract: A metal matrix composite casting comprises a metal matrix composite and a processed member inserted in the metal matrix composite by enveloped casting. By the processed member which is easier to process than the metal matrix composite, a processed portion of a predetermined shape can be formed in the metal matrix composite. That is, by a simple processing such that the processed member is removed from the metal matrix composite or the processed portion is formed in the processed member itself, the processed portion having a desired shape can be easily formed in the metal matrix composite.

Abstract: A composite material is composed of a matrix and dispersed components which form a discontinuous three-dimensional network structure in the matrix. It permits the dispersed components to fully exhibit the characteristic properties without any loss of mechanical properties. A process for producing the above-mentioned composite material includes preparing a raw material powder such that granules of desired shape for the matrix are discontinuously covered with components of desired shape for the dispersed phase, molding the raw material powder into a desired shape, and heating the molded article.

Abstract: A catalyst support, a catalyst using the catalyst support and a process for producing the same are disclosed. For instance, the catalyst support includes a composite oxide powder produced by spraying and burning a W/O type emulsion, the W/O type emulsion including an aqueous solution dispersed in an organic solvent, the aqueous solution containing aluminum as a major component and at least one co-metallic element in addition to the aluminum. Thus, the catalyst support can be produced less expensively without using any expensive alkoxide. Further, due to the spraying and burning, the composite oxide powder is composed of porous hollow particles which have a very thin shell thickness of dozens of nanometers, and makes the catalyst support which is amorphous and exhibits a large specific surface area. Hence, the catalyst support can maintain the large specific surface area even after a high-temperature durability test.

Abstract: Micropipe defects existing in a silicon carbide single crystal are closed within the single crystal. At least a portion of the micropipe defects opened on the surface of the silicon carbide single crystal (SiC substrate) is sealed up with a coating material. Then heat treatment is performed so as to saturate the inside of the micropipe defects with silicon carbide vapors. By this, the micropipe defects existing in the SiC substrate can be closed within the SiC substrate, not in a newly grown layer. Further, the micropipe defects can be efficiently closed by filling the micropipe defects with a silicon carbide material by preliminarily using super critical fluid and the like.

Abstract: Provided are wide-range thermistor materials with high responsibility, which have linear resistance temperature characteristics and a large rate of temperature-dependent resistance change in wide temperature range of from lower than room temperature to higher than 1000.degree. C. The thermistor material comprises an electrically-insulating ceramic matrix and second phase grains as discontinuously dispersed in the matrix, in which the second phase grains are of a semiconductive or conductive substance having a large rate of temperature-dependent resistance chance. The material may optionally contain a resistance-controlling additive of one or more of nitrides, borides, silicides, sulfides, oxides and carbide of elements, third phase grains with internal stress-relaxing ability having a lower modulus of elasticity than the matrix and the second phase grains, and a resistance stabilizer of TiO.sub.2 and/or Ti.sub.n O.sub.2n-1 (n=4 to 9).

Abstract: A pressure detection device for detecting an increase of pressure acting thereon includes an electrically conductive device housing which has an accommodation bore extending inward from one end of the device housing and a slide bare extending between the accommodation bore and the other end of the device housing. A piston is slidably disposed within the slide bore and adopted to receive a pressure, and a terminal serving as one electric contact is fixed to the accommodation bore via an electrical insulator. A disk spring serving as the other electric contact deforms due to a pressing force of the piston and coming in contact with the terminal. The pressure detection device further comprises an electro-functional member attached to either the terminal or the disk spring in which the electro-functional member is changeable its electric resistance due to an impressed pressing force acting thereon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hollow oxide particle including a shell wall constituting a hollow room, and the shell wall has a thickness of 20 nm or less. The shell wall may be mainly composed from at least one selected from the group consisting of alumina, spinel, iron oxides, yttrium oxides, and titanium oxides. A process for producing the hollow oxide particle comprises the steps of: forming a Water in Oil (W/O) type emulsion including aqueous microspheres having a each diameter of 100 nm or more, by adding an organic solvent to an aqueous solution dissolving and/or suspending at least one of metal salts and metal compounds; and forming the hollow oxide particle by atomizing the Water in Oil (W/O) type emulsion to burn. When the hollow oxide particle is brought into contact with a water-containing solution, a surface of the shell wall may have a minutely irregular surface.

Abstract: An easy and low-cost method of producing a large-size and high-purity silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal includes reacting silicon vapor directly with a carbon-containing compound gas under a heated atmosphere (growth space 14) to grow a silicon carbide single crystal (15) on a silicon carbide seed crystal (12), in which the silicon vapor generated from molten silicon (13) is used as a silicon vapor source, and a hydrocarbon gas (9) (e.g., propane gas) is used as the carbon-containing compound gas.