Abstract: Provided is an initial break-in lubricant composition capable of easily and economically reducing the coefficient of friction of a sliding portion. The initial break-in lubricant composition includes an organic dispersion medium and nanocarbon particles in a quantity from 0.1 to 2000 ppm by mass. The nanocarbon particles are preferably particles of one or more nanocarbon material(s) selected from the group consisting of: nanodiamonds, fullerenes, graphene oxide, nanographite, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofilaments, onion-like carbon, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon black, carbon nanohorns, and carbon nanocoils.

Abstract: Provided is a nanodiamond dispersion composition having excellent dispersibility of nanodiamond particles in an organic dispersion medium. A nanodiamond dispersion composition including an organic dispersion medium, nanodiamond particles dispersed in the organic dispersion medium, and a fatty acid ester dispersing agent, the nanodiamond particles being surface-modified by a surface-modifying group or compound containing an organic group. The fatty acid ester dispersing agent preferably has a mass loss rate of 30% or less when held in an air atmosphere at a temperature of 200° C. for 180 minutes.

Abstract: Provided is an initial break-in lubricant composition capable of easily and economically reducing the coefficient of friction of a sliding portion. The initial break-in lubricant composition includes an organic dispersion medium and nanocarbon particles in a quantity from 0.1 to 2000 ppm by mass. The nanocarbon particles are preferably particles of one or more nanocarbon material(s) selected from the group consisting of: nanodiamonds, fullerenes, graphene oxide, nanographite, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofilaments, onion-like carbon, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon black, carbon nanohorns, and carbon nanocoils.

Abstract: Provided is a nanodiamond dispersion composition having excellent dispersibility of nanodiamond particles in an organic dispersion medium even when the organic dispersion medium has a small SP value. The nanodiamond dispersion composition according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an organic dispersion medium, nanodiamond particles dispersed in the organic dispersion medium, and a fatty acid ester dispersing agent. The fatty acid ester dispersing agent preferably has a mass loss rate of 20% or less when held in an air atmosphere at a temperature of 200° C. for 180 minutes. The fatty acid ester dispersing agent preferably has an acid value of 40 mgKOH/g or less.

Abstract: A sliding member includes a carbon transfer layer and can superiorly effectively decrease friction and reduce wear. A method produces the sliding member. The sliding member includes a substrate and a carbon transfer layer. The carbon transfer layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate and includes both sp2 bonded carbon and sp3 bonded carbon. The carbon transfer layer preferably has a ratio sp3/(sp2+sp3) of the sp3 bonded carbon to the totality of the sp2 bonded carbon and the sp3 bonded carbon of 0.1 or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lubricant composition suitable for reducing friction between sliding members such as those within a pump for circulating a heat medium of a heat pump device, and a lubricating system using the composition as a heat medium. A lubricant composition 10 of the present invention comprises: an antifreeze liquid 11 containing ethylene glycol; and 0.01 mass % or less of nanodiamond particles 12. The nanodiamond particles 12 are preferably detonation nanodiamond particles. The lubricant composition 10 is preferably a liquid composition for a heat pump. In addition, the lubricating system of the present invention uses the lubricant composition 10 as a heat medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an initial running-in agent composition suitable for forming a low-friction surface (running-in surface) on a sliding member, such as a hard carbon film, in a system in which water is used as a lubricant. The initial running-in agent composition (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention contains water 11 as a lubricant base and nanodiamond particles (12). In the initial running-in agent composition (10), a content of the water (11) is preferably 99 mass % or greater, and a content of the nanodiamond particles (12) is preferably 1.0 mass % or less.

Abstract: Provided is an initial break-in lubricant composition capable of easily and economically reducing the coefficient of friction of a sliding portion. The initial break-in lubricant composition includes an organic dispersion medium and nanocarbon particles in a quantity from 0.1 to 2000 ppm by mass. The nanocarbon particles are preferably particles of one or more nanocarbon material(s) selected from the group consisting of: nanodiamonds, fullerenes, graphene oxide, nanographite, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofilaments, onion-like carbon, diamond-like carbon, amorphous carbon, carbon black, carbon nanohorns, and carbon nanocoils.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lubricant composition suitable for reducing friction between sliding members such as those within a pump for circulating a heat medium of a heat pump device, and a lubricating system using the composition as a heat medium. A lubricant composition 10 of the present invention comprises: an antifreeze liquid 11 containing ethylene glycol; and 0.01 mass % or less of nanodiamond particles 12. The nanodiamond particles 12 are preferably detonation nanodiamond particles. The lubricant composition 10 is preferably a liquid composition for a heat pump. In addition, the lubricating system of the present invention uses the lubricant composition 10 as a heat medium.

Abstract: Provided is a plating film that can exhibit a high gloss and a low contact resistance value. The plating film according to an embodiment of the present invention is a plating film including a noble metal matrix and nanodiamond particles dispersed in the noble metal matrix. The plating film according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably has a gloss at an incident angle of 60° of not less than 250 GU and/or a contact resistance value at a load of 50 gf of not greater than 1 m?, and a difference between a contact resistance value at a load of 50 gf and a contact resistance value at a load of 5 gf of not greater than 5 m?. The nanodiamond particles are preferably nanodiamond particles including a surface-modifying group containing a sterically repulsive group and particularly preferably nanodiamond particles including a surface-modifying group containing a polyglycerol chain.

Abstract: A water lubricant composition (10) of the present invention contains water (11) as a lubricating base material and ND particles (12), which are hydrogen-reduced nanodiamond particles. The content of the water (11) in the water lubricant composition (10) is, for example, 90% by mass or more. The content of the ND particles (12) in the water lubricant composition (10) is, for example, 0.1% by mass or less. The water lubricant composition (10) is suitable for achieving low friction in water lubrication. A water lubricating system of the present invention includes the water lubricant composition (10) which is being used for the lubrication of a SiC member and/or a SiO2 member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an initial running-in agent composition suitable for forming a low-friction surface (running-in surface) on a sliding member, such as a hard carbon film, in a system in which water is used as a lubricant. The initial running-in agent composition (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention contains water 11 as a lubricant base and nanodiamond particles (12). In the initial running-in agent composition (10), a content of the water (11) is preferably 99 mass % or greater, and a content of the nanodiamond particles (12) is preferably 1.0 mass % or less.

Abstract: A sliding member includes a carbon transfer layer and can superiorly effectively decrease friction and reduce wear. A method produces the sliding member. The sliding member includes a substrate and a carbon transfer layer. The carbon transfer layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate and includes both sp2 bonded carbon and sp3 bonded carbon. The carbon transfer layer preferably has a ratio sp3/(sp2+sp3) of the sp3 bonded carbon to the totality of the sp2 bonded carbon and the sp3 bonded carbon of 0.1 or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lubricant composition suitable for reducing friction between sliding members such as those within a pump for circulating a heat medium of a heat pump device, and a lubricating system using the composition as a heat medium. A lubricant composition 10 of the present invention comprises: an antifreeze liquid 11 containing ethylene glycol; and 0.01 mass % or less of nanodiamond particles 12. The nanodiamond particles 12 are preferably detonation nanodiamond particles. The lubricant composition 10 is preferably a liquid composition for a heat pump. In addition, the lubricating system of the present invention uses the lubricant composition 10 as a heat medium.

Abstract: A water lubricant composition (10) of the present invention contains water (11) as a lubricating base material and ND particles (12), which are hydrogen-reduced nanodiamond particles. The content of the water (11) in the water lubricant composition (10) is, for example, 90% by mass or more. The content of the ND particles (12) in the water lubricant composition (10) is, for example, 0.1% by mass or less. The water lubricant composition (10) is suitable for achieving low friction in water lubrication. A water lubricating system of the present invention includes the water lubricant composition (10) which is being used for the lubrication of a SiC member and/or a SiO2 member.

Abstract: A suspension of nanodiamond aggregates according to the present invention is a suspension of detonation nanodiamond aggregates. The suspension has such a pH and an electric conductivity as to meet one of conditions (1) and (2) as follows. (1) The suspension has a pH of 4 to 7 and an electric conductivity of 50 ?S/cm or less per weight percent of the solids concentration of the suspension; and (2) the suspension has a pH of 8 to 10.5 and has an electric conductivity of 300 ?S/cm or less per weight percent of the solids concentration of the suspension.

Abstract: Novel enzymes that stereoselectively reduce imine derivatives were isolated and purified, and polynucleotides encoding the enzymes were cloned. Optically active amine derivatives were produced by acting on imine derivatives with a culture of microorganisms having the ability to stereoselectively reduce the compounds, microbial cells or processed products thereof, and/or imine reductases thereof, followed by collecting the generated optically active amine derivatives. The present invention enables, for example, production of an optically active compound represented by formula (IV): (wherein R group represents an alkyl group having one to three carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 1 to 4).

Abstract: Optically active amine derivatives are produced by acting on imine derivatives with a culture of microorganisms having the ability to stereoselectively reduce the compounds, microbial cells, or processed products thereof, followed by collecting the generated optically active amine derivatives. Optically active amine derivatives obtained in the present invention are useful as materials for pharmaceutical agents. The present invention enables, for example, production of an optically active compound represented by formula (IV): (wherein R group represents an alkyl group having one to three carbon atoms; and n represents an integer of 1 to 4).

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing the L-form of an amino acid enzymatically from an enantiomeric mixture of the amino acid. The process includes the step of contacting a transformant or a treated product thereof with an enantiomeric mixture of the amino acid. The transformant includes a single host and one or more recombinant vectors introduced thereinto, in which the one or more recombinant vectors include one or more expression vectors and nucleotide sequences integrated thereinto respectively, and the nucleotide sequences are a nucleotide sequence encoding an enzyme capable of converting the D-form of an amino acid into a keto acid and a nucleotide sequence encoding an enzyme capable of converting a keto acid into the L-form of an amino acid. According to this process, a reaction for converting the D-form of an amino acid into a keto acid and a reaction for converting the keto acid into the L-form of the amino acid can be conducted in a single step.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ?-keto acid reductase isolated from Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, and a DNA encoding the reductase. The enzyme and homologs thereof reduce ?-keto acids under the presence of NADH to produce optically active ?-hydroxy acids. The ?-hydroxy acids of the present invention include optically active mandelic acid derivatives of formula II.