Abstract: An anion absorbent comprising sintered clay of porous structure and a rare earth compound supported on the sintered clay. The anion absorbent is produced by a production method of an anion absorbent comprising a mixing step of mixing clay with an additive for making the clay porous, a sintering step of sintering a mixture obtained in the mixing step, and a supporting step of supporting a rare earth compound on the clay before the mixing step and/or on a sintered matter after the sintering step. A water treatment method comprising a step of bringing the anion absorbent into contact with water to be treated at a predetermined pH so as to absorb and thus remove anions in the water to be treated, and a step of bringing the absorbent, which absorbed anions, into contact with solution having pH, which is different from the aforementioned predetermined pH, so as to desorb anions from the absorbent.

Abstract: A powdery or slurry removing agent is solidified into grains having excellent handling property with maintaining its removing capability. A removing agent, a high polymer compound, and two or more kinds of solvents are mixed and a mixture thus obtained is dried. When the high polymer compound has high solubility relative to one of the solvents and has low solubility relative to the other solvent, the high polymer compound is concentrated to a side of the good solvent for the high polymer compound and is thus subjected to phase separation according to the evaporation of the solvents during drying process and the high polymer compound then functions as a binder for combining the removing agent. Pores are formed at portions where the poor solvent for high polymer compound existed, thereby making a formed solid matter porous. As a result, it is possible to solidifying a removing agent into grains having larger grain diameter without severely deteriorating the removing capability.

Abstract: Cross-flow microchannel apparatus for producing emulsions includes a pump 9 and a pump 11 which are driven to respectively supply a continuous phase to a concave portion 4 via a supply pipe 10, a supply hole 6 and a supply port 18 and a dispersed phase to a space between the outside of a base 3 and the inside of a concave portion 2 formed in a case 1 via a supply pipe 12 and a supply hole 7. Then, by applying a predetermined pressure to the dispersed phase, the dispersed phase is formed into fine particles via a microchannels 21 and mixed with the continuous phase, thereby forming emulsions. The emulsions are withdrawn to a tank and so on via a withdrawal port 19, a withdrawal hole 8, and a withdrawal pipe 13 for emulsions.

Abstract: In an apparatus for continuously manufacturing microspheres, a dispersed phase (O) is supplied to a chamber 27 for the dispersed phase inside of a bulkhead member 26 via a supply port 23. Thereafter, the dispersed phase enters into a gap 31 between a plate 22 via a supply port 29 in a base 25. The dispersed phase which enters into the gap 31 grows microspheres (particles) having a certain diameter while passing through a microchannel 33 by pressure applied by, for example, a pump, and is mixed with a continuous phase (W), so that microspheres are produced. The thus-produced microspheres float or are suspended in the continuous phase without needing any particular external force in response to their specific gravity, allowing the microspheres to be generated and withdrawn from a withdrawal port 32 at a significantly reduced pressure in comparison to conventional methods and apparatus.

Abstract: A dispersed phase (O) supplied inside a bulkhead member (17) through a supply port (14) enters a gap (20) between a plate (16) and a base (18) through a supply port (19) of the base (18) and the dispersed phase (O) having entered the gap (20) then enters a continuous phase (W) through a boundary section (21) by virtue of pressure applied by a pressurizing means such as a pump. Then, the dispersed phase is made into a particle having a predetermined diameter by a microchannel (24) in passing through this boundary section (21), thereby forming an emulsion (E) in which the dispersed phase (O) of the predetermined diameter is dispersed in the continuous phase (W).