Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion of a front face; a plurality of radial fins that are provided on the rear face of a disc plate portion, and that have a shape that extends in the radial direction of the disc plate portion; and a circumferential rib that is provided between each pair of adjacent radial fins, and that has a shape that extends in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion. A flow path for air is formed between the pair of radial fins, and the flow path for air is narrowed by the circumferential rib. On the circumferential rib, a gradual slope for suppressing fluctuations in an airflow that passes between the pair of radial fins is provided from a base part to a top part.

Abstract: Disclosed is a brake disc for a railway vehicle including: a disc plate portion with a sliding portion in a surface; and a through hole that penetrates the disc plate portion from a front surface to a back surface of the disc plate portion, in which a bolt for fastening the disc plate portion to a wheel of the railway vehicle is inserted. An inclined surface is formed at an edge of an opening of the through hole at a front side of the disc plate portion, and the inclined surface extends larger in a circumferential direction of the disc plate portion than in a radial direction of the disc plate portion.

Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle is provided in which noise arising from the brake disc during high-speed rotation of a wheel is reduced by a large margin. A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion on a front face thereof; a plurality of through-holes that pass from the front face to a rear face of the disc plate portion and are arranged in alignment in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion, the through-holes allowing bolts to pass therethrough for fastening together the disc plate portion and a wheel of the railway vehicle; and a groove provided to link a plurality of through-holes on the front face side of the disc plate portion.

Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle is provided in which noise arising from the brake disc during high-speed rotation of a wheel is reduced by a large margin. A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion on a front face thereof; a plurality of through-holes that pass from the front face to a rear face of the disc plate portion and are arranged in alignment in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion, the through-holes allowing bolts to pass therethrough for fastening together the disc plate portion and a wheel of the railway vehicle; and a groove provided to link a plurality of through-holes on the front face side of the disc plate portion.

Abstract: A brake disc for a railway vehicle includes: a disc plate portion that has a sliding portion of a front face; a plurality of radial fins that are provided on the rear face of a disc plate portion, and that have a shape that extends in the radial direction of the disc plate portion; and a circumferential rib that is provided between each pair of adjacent radial fins, and that has a shape that extends in the circumferential direction of the disc plate portion. A flow path for air is formed between the pair of radial fins, and the flow path for air is narrowed by the circumferential rib. On the circumferential rib, a gradual slope for suppressing fluctuations in an airflow that passes between the pair of radial fins is provided from a base part to a top part.

Abstract: A method for producing a thermoplastic cellulose composition according to the present invention includes a process of ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ester with a cellulosic material or oligoesterified cellulose after mechanochemical pretreatment or during mechanochemical treatment, to improve thermoplasticity of the resultant thermoplastic cellulose composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a biodegradable article formed from enzyme-synthesized amylose using phosphorylase, wherein the enzyme-synthesized amylose is composed of glucose monomers exclusively bonded by ?-1,4-glucosidic likage and has a weight average molecular weight of not less than 100 kDa, preferable not less than 600 kDa. The enzyme-synthesized amylose employed in the present invention has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of not more than 1.25 and can be chemically modified if desired. The biodegradable article of the present invention can be produced by (a) the enzyme-synthesized amylose and/or its modified one, or a combination of the amylose (a) and another polymer material (b).

Abstract: The invention intends to provide a technique for making a dispersion phase of a biomass origin component of a polymer composite material, wherein the dispersion phase is formed in a parent phase of a synthetic polymer, highly minutely and evenly.

Abstract: A method for producing a thermoplastic cellulose composition according to the present invention includes a processs of ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ester with a cellulosic material or oligoesterified cellulose after mechanochemical pretreatment or during mechanochemical treatment, to improve thermoplasticity of the resultant thermoplastic cellulose composition.

Abstract: A cosmetic material sheet which comprises a sheet substrate 1 having, on an upper surface thereof, a large number of concave portions 5 arranged in a checkered pattern, a foundation layer 6 provided at a given position on the upper surface of the sheet substrate 1 in a state of covering arbitrary concave portions 5 out of a large number of concave portions 5, and a protective cover 3 attached releaseably on the upper surface of the sheet substrate 1 in a state of covering the foundation layer 6, wherein each concave portion 5 has an oblong shape in a plan view and has a bottom part thereof formed into a curved plane of a dish shape.

Abstract: The present invention provides a biodegradable article formed from enzyme-synthesized amylose using phosphorylase, wherein the enzyme-synthesized amylose is composed of glucose monomers exclusively bonded by &agr;-1,4-glucosidic likage and has a weight average molecular weight of not less than 100 kDa, preferable not less than 600 kDa. The enzyme-synthesized amylose employed in the present invention has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of not more than 1.25 and can be chemically modified if desired.

Abstract: The invention provides a composite resin composition comprising aliphatic polyester resin (component A) having aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acid units, one or more biomass material (component B) selected from the group consisting of cellulose, lignocellulose and starch and unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof (component C), wherein the composite resin composition comprises a component obtained by covalently bonding a portion or the whole of component A and component B through component C. On processing into various formed items, the composite resin composition of the invention exhibits excellent tensile strength and other physical properties and processability and simultaneously has good biodegradability, and enable biomass materials of low added value to apply to high added value uses in a large amount.

Abstract: The invention provides a composite resin composition comprising aliphatic polyester resin (component A) having aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acid units, one or more biomass material (component B) selected from the group consisting of cellulose, lignocellulose and starch and unsaturated carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof (component C), wherein the composite resin composition comprises a component obtained by covalently bonding a portion or the whole of component A and component B through component C. On processing into various formed items, the composite resin composition of the invention exhibits excellent tensile strength and other physical properties and processability and simultaneously has good biodegradability, and enable biomass materials of low added value to apply to high added value uses in a large amount.

Abstract: A benzylated lignocellulosic substance obtained through benzylation, wherein 46 to less than 97% of lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) contained in a wood raw material from which the substance is formed remains.

Abstract: A benzylated lignocellulosic substance obtained through benzylation, wherein 46 to less than 97% of lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) contained in a wood raw material from which the substance is formed remains.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing cellulose derivative of the formula:[C.sub.6 H.sub.7 O.sub.2 (OH).sub.a (OR).sub.b (OCOA).sub.c ].sub.