Abstract: An inventive method includes the steps of: loading a fiber product in an appropriate form into a treatment vessel; wetting the fiber product; forcibly circulating an ozone-containing liquid in contact with the wetted fiber product to thereby bleach the fiber product; and forcibly circulating an ozone decomposing chemical agent liquid in contact with the ozone-treated fiber product to decompose ozone. This method ensures efficient bleaching of the fiber product with the ozone. Further, the method is advantageous in that the resulting bleached fiber product is less liable to be yellowed over time.

Abstract: An inventive method includes the steps of: loading a fiber product in an appropriate form into a treatment vessel; wetting the fiber product; forcibly circulating an ozone-containing liquid in contact with the wetted fiber product to thereby bleach the fiber product; and forcibly circulating an ozone decomposing chemical agent liquid in contact with the ozone-treated fiber product to decompose ozone. This method ensures efficient bleaching of the fiber product with the ozone. Further, the method is advantageous in that the resulting bleached fiber product is less liable to be yellowed over time.

Abstract: In a material feeding mechanism in association with a continuous sintering apparatus, a material (S) carried by a transporting conveyer (1) into an atmosphere-displacement chamber (2) is fed into a furnace casing (4) of the continuous sintering apparatus by using a loading pusher (3). The transporting conveyor, the atmosphere-displacement chamber, and the loading pusher are arranged in such a manner that a direction in which the material is carried by the transporting conveyor and a direction in which the material is fed from the atmosphere-displacement chamber into the furnace casing by the loading pusher are linearly aligned, and the loading pusher and a drive unit thereof are installed under a floor of the atmosphere-displacement chamber so that the loading pusher moves up over the floor surface of the atmosphere-displacement chamber and moves forward and backward on the floor surface of the atmosphere-displacement chamber when the material is fed into the furnace casing.

Abstract: A continuous sintering apparatus to be used for sintering nuclear fuel pellets includes a casing integrally constructed to have an upper portion enclosed in a maintenance glove box. The furnace casing includes a casing body and a ceiling cover removably mounted on the casing body, and the ceiling cover can be opened in the glove box while retaining containment. A furnace member to be accommodated in the casing body comprises a combination of a plurality of divided furnace member units, and the furnace member units can be maintained by glove operations when they are delivered from the inside of the casing body into the glove box. A ceiling crane is disposed at an upper portion of the inside of the glove box, and a ceiling cover tentative space and a maintenance working space are provided in the glove box. A turntable for placing the delivered furnace member unit is preferably disposed in the maintenance working space.