Abstract: A fully automatic washing machine includes a detector for detecting a cloth volume, cloth type, soil degree and soil type in regard to clothes contained in a wash tub. A control device calculates a wash water stream in a wash step and a period of the wash step in the washing operation by a neurocontrol in which data of the cloth volume, the cloth type, soil degree and soil type are supplied to a neural network as input data. The neurocontrol is compensated for in accordance with the turbidity of a wash liquid detected at the time of completion of the wash step.

Abstract: A mechanical seal is, at a sliding surface and at its vicinty, formed of a pore-dispersed cemented carbide, so that the lubricating characteristics can be improved and the strength maintained by strictly stipulating the magnitude, shape, and volumetric ratio of the pores, such that pores are contained in an amount of 0.5 to 20 volume %, formed in at least one shape selected from the group of a substantialy spherical shape and a substantially cylindrical shape, the pores in the substantially spherical shape having an average diameter of 3 to 20 .mu.m, the pores in the substantially cylindrical shape having an average diameter of 3 to 20 .mu.m and an average length in the range from the average diameter up to 300 .mu.m, and that the pores are prevented from linking to each other to give a length greater than 2 mm.

Abstract: A mechanical seal is, at a sliding surface and at its vicinity, formed of a pore-dispersed cemented carbide, so that the lubricating characteristics can be improved and the strength maintained by strictly stipulating the magnitude, shape, and volumetric ratio of the pores, such that pores are contained in an amount of 0.5 to 20 volume %, formed in at least one shape selected from the group of a substantially spherical shape and a substantially cylindrical shape, the pores in the substantially spherical shape having an average diameter of 3 to 20 .mu.m, the pores in the substantially cylindrical shape having an average diameter of 3 to 20 .mu.m and an average length in the range from the average diameter up to 300 .mu.m, and that the pores are prevented from linking to each other to give a length greater than 2 mm.