Abstract: A new Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid plant particularly distinguished by having a pink with vein flower color and mounding plant growth habit is disclosed.

Abstract: Stainless steel for fuel cell separators contains C: ?0.03%, Si: ?1.0%, Mn: ?1.0%, S: ?0.01%, P: ?0.05%, Al: ?0.20%, N: ?0.03%, Cr: 16 to 40%, and one or more of Ni: ?20%, Cu: ?0.6% and Mo: ?2.5%, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the surface of the stainless steel contains fluorine and provides a 3.0 or higher ratio of the total of atomic concentrations of Cr and Fe in other than the metallic forms calculated from data resulting from the separation of peaks of Cr and Fe into metallic peaks and peaks other than the metallic peaks to the total of atomic concentrations of Cr and Fe in the metallic forms calculated from data resulting from the separation of peaks of Cr and Fe into metallic peaks and peaks other than the metallic peaks.

Abstract: A ferritic stainless steel excellent in corrosion resistance and conductivity and a method for manufacturing the same, the stainless steel having a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.001% or more and 0.05% or less, Si: 0.001% or more and 0.5% or less, Mn: 0.001% or more and 1.0% or less, Al: 0.001% or more and 0.5% or less, N: 0.001% or more and 0.05% or less, Cr; 17% or more and 23% or less, Mo: 0.1% or less and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities and a passivation film on the surface of the stainless steel which is obtained by immersing the stainless steel in a solution for an immersion treatment, said solution mainly contains hydrofluoric acid or a liquid mixture of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid.

Abstract: A stainless steel for use in a fuel cell separator is produced by subjecting stainless steel containing 16 mass % or more of Cr to electrolytic treatment and thereafter to immersion treatment in a solution containing fluorine. The electrolytic treatment is carried out by anodic electrolyzation or by a combination of anodic electrolyzation and cathodic electrolyzation, and an anodic electrolytic quantity Qa and a cathodic electrolytic quantity Qc preferably satisfy Qa?Qc. The solution containing fluorine preferably has a temperature of 40° C. or higher, and hydrofluoric acid concentration [HF] (mass %) and nitric acid concentration [HNO3] (mass %) satisfying [HF]?0.8×[HNO3].

Abstract: A stainless steel foil contains, in percent by mass, 0.05% or less of C, 2.0% or less of Si, 1.0% or less of Mn, 0.003% or less of S, 0.05% or less of P, 25.0% to 35.0% of Cr, 0.05% to 0.30% of Ni, 3.0% to 10.0% of Al, 0.10% or less of N, 0.02% or less of Ti, 0.02% or less of Nb, 0.02% or less of Ta, 0.005% to 0.20% of Zr, 0.02% or less of Ce, 0.03% to 0.20% of REM excluding Ce, 0.5% to 6.0% in total of at least one of Mo and W, and the balance being Fe and incidental impurities.

Abstract: An object is to provide at a low cost a metal sheet which can be ideally used as a separator of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell and which has not only low contact resistance but also excellent durability in the environment in which the separator is used. Specifically, a metal sheet for a separator of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell consists of a metal substrate on the surface of which a film made of a Sn alloy layer containing conducting particles is formed.

Abstract: A stainless steel having good conductivity and ductility for use in a fuel cell separator is provided. In particular, the stainless steel has a composition of, in terms of % by mass, C: 0.01% or less, Si: 1.0% or less, Mn: 1.0% or less, S: 0.01% or less, P: 0.05% or less, Al: 0.20% or less, N: 0.02% or less, Cr: 20 to 40%, Mo: 4.0% or less, and at least one selected from Nb, Ti, and Zr: 0.05 to 0.60% in total, the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. At least one precipitate having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.1 ?m or more is present per 100 ?m2, a ratio of a thickness t (?m) to a maximum diameter Dmax (?m) of the precipitates satisfies formula (1) below 20?t/Dmax??(1) and the thickness is 200 ?m or less.

Abstract: The invention provides stainless steel for conductive members which exhibits excellent electrical conductivity (namely, low contact electric resistance), and a method for producing such stainless steel. In an exemplary embodiment of the method, stainless steel is dipped into a solution containing fluoride ions at a rate of dissolution of not less than 0.002 g/(m2·s) to less than 0.50 g/(m2·s), thereby incorporating fluorine into a passive film on the steel surface.

Abstract: A stainless steel for a fuel cell having good corrosion resistance throughout a wide potential range and a method for producing the same are provided. In particular, a coating having an intensity ratio [(OO/OH)/(Cr/Fe)] of 1.0 or more determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis is formed by performing an anodic electrolyzation treatment on a surface of a stainless steel in an electrolyte solution, the stainless steel containing 16% by mass or more of Cr and preferably having a composition that includes, in terms of percent by mass, C: 0.03% or less, Si: 1.0% or less, Mn: 1.0% or less, S: 0.01% or less, P: 0.05% or less, Al: 0.20% or less, N: 0.03% or less, Cr: 20 to 40%, at least one selected from Nb, Ti, and Zr, in total: 1.0% or less, and the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.

Abstract: A metallic material for a conductive member has good corrosion resistance and low contact resistance. The metallic material has 0.3 ?m or less of mean spacing of local peaks of the surface roughness profile. A proton-exchange membrane fuel cell includes a proton-exchange membrane, an electrode, a gas diffusing layer, and a separator using the metallic material for a conductive member, where the metallic material for a conductive member includes a stainless steel and includes 0.03% or less C, 0.03% or less N, 16 to 45% Cr, 0.1 to 5.0% Mo, 0.03% or less (C+N), by mass, and balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, and where the metallic material for a conductive member has 0.3 ?m or less of mean spacing of local peaks of the surface roughness profile.

Abstract: A stainless steel having good conductivity and ductility for use in a fuel cell separator is provided. In particular, the stainless steel has a composition of, in terms of % by mass, C: 0.01% or less, Si: 1.0% or less, Mn: 1.0% or less, S: 0.01% or less, P: 0.05% or less, Al: 0.20% or less, N: 0.02% or less, Cr: 20 to 40%, Mo: 4.0% or less, and at least one selected from Nb, Ti, and Zr: 0.05 to 0.60% in total, the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. At least one precipitate having an equivalent circle diameter of 0.1 ?m or more is present per 100 ?m2, a ratio of a thickness t (?m) to a maximum diameter Dmax (?m) of the precipitates satisfies formula (1) below 20?t/Dmax??(1) and the thickness is 200 ?m or less.

Abstract: A method of processing a metallic material includes immersing ferritic stainless steel or austenitic stainless steel in an acid solution containing hydrochloric acid in an amount of two times or more relative to the concentration of nitric acid or an acid solution containing hydrofluoric acid in an amount of one and a half times or more relative to the concentration of nitric acid to adjust surface roughness of the metallic material.

Abstract: ‘SAKPXC006’ is a new Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid particularly distinguished by having a violet flower color, medium to large flower size and a semi-creeping growth habit.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser element realizes a high COD light output in broader range of reflection factor at a facet with high reliability. A semiconductor laser element has a multi-layered reflection film formed on at least one end facet of a resonator. An optical path length of each layer of said multi-layered reflection film is determined by (2m?1)·?/4, where ? is oscillation wavelength, and m is positive integer). A high-refractive-index layer and a low-refractive-index layer are alternately stacked starting from a first layer adjacent to said semiconductor.

Abstract: An inexpensive metallic material for interconnects of solid-oxide fuel cells, a fuel cell using the metallic material, and a method for producing the metallic material having excellent oxidation resistance and spalling resistance of an oxide layer, high electrical conductivity, and a small difference in thermal expansion from an electrolyte. Specifically, 0.20 percent by mass or less of C, 0.02 to 1.0 percent by mass of Si, 2.0 percent by mass or less of Mn, 10 to 40 percent by mass of Cr, 0.03 to 5.0 percent by mass of Mo, 0.1 to 3.0 percent by mass of Nb, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Zr, and Hf in a total of 1.0 percent by mass or less are added so as to satisfy 0.1?Mo/Nb?30, for decreasing the growth rate of the oxide layer and improving the spalling resistance.

Abstract: ‘SAKPXC005’ is a new Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid particularly distinguished by having a vanilla and blue-purple flower color and medium to large flower size.

Abstract: ‘SAKPXC007’ is a new Petunia-Calibrachoa intergeneric hybrid particularly distinguished by having a rosy-red flower color, good blooming ability, and mounding plant growth habit.

Abstract: ‘SAKPXC006’ is a new Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid particularly distinguished by having a violet flower color, medium to large flower size and a semi-creeping growth habit.

Abstract: A new Osteospermum plant particularly distinguished by having a creamy purple inflorescence color, vigorous growth habit, and an earliness to flower, is disclosed.

Abstract: ‘SAKPXC009’ is a new Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid plant particularly distinguished by its pink flower color, excellent blooming ability and semi-creeping growth habit.