Abstract: ?-ZrNCl polycrystalline powder prepared by chemical transport method and NH4Cl are mixed in a molar ratio of 1:2. The mixture is encapsulated in a Au capsule (6 mm in inner diameter and 6 mm in depth) of a reaction vessel 2, which is then enclosed in a highly heat-conductivitive sodium chloride block as an electrically insulating pressure medium 6. The mixture held in the sodium chloride block is placed in a carbon tube 8 for serving as a heater. In a cubic-pressing apparatus using a pyrophyllite 12 as a pressure-transmitting medium, the mixture is heated at 900° C. for 2 hours under an applied pressure of 3 GPa. After the mixture is allowed to stand until it is cooled down to room temperature, the Au capsule is taken out and light green ?-ZrNCl single crystals are obtained. A large single crystal among them had a hexagonal plate-like habit and is transparent with dimensions about 2 mm in diameter, and 0.3 mm in thickness.

Abstract: As-prepared AlPO4—B2O3—Na2O-based glasses were placed in an autoclave together with distilled water and were treated at 150° C. for two hours. Although the specific surface area of the as-prepared glass prior to autoclave treatment was negligibly small, the autoclave treatment dissolved most of the borate component and the sodium component to obtain a mesoporous material having a specific surface area of 236 m2/g and a pore size distribution of 5 to 10 nm. This mesoporous material is hydrophobic and has weak solid acidity and small polarity.

Abstract: &bgr;-ZrNCl polycrystalline powder prepared by chemical transport method and NH4Cl are mixed in a molar ratio of 1:2. The mixture is encapsulated in a Au capsule (6 mm in inner diameter and 6 mm in depth) of a reaction vessel 2, which is then enclosed in a highly heat-conductivitive sodium chloride block as an electrically insulating pressure medium 6. The mixture held in the sodium chloride block is placed in a carbon tube 8 for serving as a heater. In a cubic-pressing apparatus using a pyrophyllite 12 as a pressure-transmitting medium, the mixture is heated at 900° C. for 2 hours under an applied pressure of 3 GPa. After the mixture is allowed to stand until it is cooled down to room temperature, the Au capsule is taken out and light green &bgr;-ZrNCl single crystals are obtained. A large single crystal among them had a hexagonal plate-like habit and is transparent with dimensions about 2 mm in diameter, and 0.3 mm in thickness.

Abstract: As-prepared AlPO4—B2O3—Na2O-based glasses were placed in an autoclave together with distilled water and were treated at 150° C. for two hours. Although the specific surface area of the as-prepared glass prior to autoclave treatment was negligibly small, the autoclave treatment dissolved most of the borate component and the sodium component to obtain a mesoporous material having a specific surface area of 236 m2/g and a pore size distribution of 5 to 10 nm. This mesoporous material is hydrophobic and has weak solid acidity and small polarity.

Abstract: A sifter frame is composed of a pair of frame elements including an outer frame and an inner frame, and the outer frame is formed from a frame member having the same height and includes a pair of fine powder dropping ports, a rough powder dropping port and a rectangular fine powder receiving plate disposed in a region surrounded by these openings and one of the outer block frame members and the inner frame is fitted with the space above the receiving plate.

Abstract: A sifter frame is composed of a pair of frame elements including an outer frame and an inner frame, and the outer frame is formed from a frame member having the same height and includes a pair of fine powder dropping ports, a rough powder dropping port and a rectangular fine powder receiving plate disposed in a region surrounded by these openings and one of the outer block frame members and the inner frame is fitted with the space above the receiving plate.

Abstract: A grease composition comprises a base oil and a particular amount of at least one intercalation compound consisting of a metal phosphorus chalcogenide as a host and an alkylamine or alkylammonium chloride as a guest, and has excellent extreme pressure property and wear resistance.

Abstract: In order to measure the adsorption and desorption characteristics of water vapor by a porous or powdery sample, the sample is placed in an automated device which measures the difference between an equilibrium pressure and a sample pressure for various values of sample pressures, during both adsorption and desorption. A programmable computer calculates the amount of water vapor adsorption and desorption based upon the equilibrium pressure and can be used to control a printer for plotting the resulting data.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a process of reducing the polarity on the internal surfaces of various zeolites having a SiO.sub.2 to Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio of at least about 3 and an average pore diameter size within the range of from about 4 to about 10 angstroms. The modified zeolites in accordance with the present invention are prepared by heating the starting zeolite in an aqueous medium also containing an acid or a source of ammonium ions to at least partially dealuminize the zeolite and thereby increase the ratio of silicon to aluminum present in the tetrahedral structure. At the same time, the process provides for hydrogen ion exchange with respect to those zeolites which contain significant amounts of metallic cation in the structure thereby replacing the bulky metallic cations with less bulky hydrogen ions and thereby increasing the water adsorptive capacity of the zeolite.

Abstract: A novel process for producing clay derivatives having porous structure comprises hydrolyzing a metal alkoxide such as Al(OR).sub.3, Ti(OR).sub.4 and Si(OR).sub.4 in which each R represents a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, deflocculating the resulting hydrolyzate with an acid to obtain a hydrous metal oxide sol, and reacting the sol with smectite.The thus obtained porous clay derivatives have larger interlaminar interstices and a larger surface area than conventional ones. The interstices can be arbitrarily controlled by the acid amount. In addition, the derivatives are thermally stable so that they can be widely utilized in various fields as pigments, encapsulating agents, adsorbents, catalysts, carriers for catalysts and the like.

Abstract: A layered compound of beta-ZrNX in which X is chlorine, bromine or a solid solution of chlorine and bromine is useful as a lubricant or an electrochromic display member.

Abstract: A layered compound of beta-ZrNX in which X is chlorine, bromine or a solid solution of chlorine and bromine is useful as a lubricant or an electrochromic display member.

Abstract: A layered compound of beta-ZrNX in which X is chlorine, bromine or a solid solution of chlorine and bromine is useful as a lubricant or an electrochromic display member.