Abstract: A positive electrode for an air battery that can remarkably improve the battery performance is provided by uniformly dispersing fine Nb (Nb oxide) therein. An air battery using the positive electrode as well as a method of manufacturing the positive electrode is also provided. A positive electrode for an air battery includes an expanded graphite sheet containing expanded graphite and Nb dispersed within the sheet. It is desirable that the Nb be contained in a weight proportion of from 5 ppm to 50000 ppm with respect to the expanded graphite.

Abstract: A positive electrode for an air battery that can remarkably improve the battery performance is provided by uniformly dispersing fine Nb (Nb oxide) therein. An air battery using the positive electrode as well as a method of manufacturing the positive electrode is also provided. A positive electrode for an air battery includes an expanded graphite sheet containing expanded graphite and Nb dispersed within the sheet. It is desirable that the Nb be contained in a weight proportion of from 5 ppm to 50000 ppm with respect to the expanded graphite.

Abstract: An expanded graphite sheet is provided that can remarkably improve the quality and yield rate by preventing chipping and cracks in the surface in molding the sheet into a desired shape by inhibiting degradation in the flexibility while reducing the ash content to a certain degree. An expanded graphite sheet (3) has a flexibility of 25 times or greater, as determined in a flexibility test in which the flexibility is defined as the number of times the expanded graphite sheet (3) can be bent using a flexibility testing device having a rotator (2) to which one end of a plate-shaped expanded graphite sheet (3) is fixed, a weight (7) fixed to the other end of the expanded graphite sheet (3), and a bending position determining member (5) for determining a bending position of the expanded graphite sheet (3) when the rotator (2) is rotated.

Abstract: A crucible protection sheet is provided that can prevent damages to an inner crucible, hinder an outer crucible from silicon-carbidization, and transmit heat from the outer crucible to the inner crucible uniformly. In a crucible having an inner crucible 2 and an outer crucible 3, the crucible protection sheet is arranged between the two crucibles and is made of expanded graphite. The planar thermal conductivity is 120 W/(m·K) or higher, the gas permeability is less than 1.0×10?4 cm2/s, and the compression ratio is 20% or higher when the sheet is compressed in a thickness direction at a pressure of 34.3 MPa. Since the compression ratio is high, the effect of preventing breakage is great when inserting the inner crucible, improving workability and preventing the inner crucible from tilting inside the outer crucible.

Abstract: An object is to provide an expanded graphite sheet at the use stage that can prevent can prevent degradation in product quality and deterioration in product yield by inhibiting the expanded graphite sheet from containing impurities even when the expanded graphite sheet is actually used. An expanded graphite sheet at the use stage in a condition in which the expanded graphite sheet is packed with a packing material and thereafter removed from the packing material, characterized in that all of the amounts of Al, B, Be, Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Ni, S, Ti, V, and Zn as determined by an ICP emission spectroscopy method, the amounts of K and Na as determined by an atomic absorption spectrometry method, and the amount of Si as determined by an absorption spectrophotometry method are at a level less than the detection limit.

Abstract: An expanded graphite sheet is provided that can remarkably improve the quality and yield rate by preventing chipping and cracks in the surface in molding the sheet into a desired shape by inhibiting degradation in the flexibility while reducing the ash content to a certain degree. An expanded graphite sheet (3) has a flexibility of 25 times or greater, as determined in a flexibility test in which the flexibility is defined as the number of times the expanded graphite sheet (3) can be bent using a flexibility testing device having a rotator (2) to which one end of a plate-shaped expanded graphite sheet (3) is fixed, a weight (7) fixed to the other end of the expanded graphite sheet (3), and a bending position determining member (5) for determining a bending position of the expanded graphite sheet (3) when the rotator (2) is rotated.

Abstract: A carbon crucible prevents leakage of SiO gas from a boundary portion between a straight trunk portion and a tray portion and prevents SiC formation from quickly developing. A carbon crucible (5) for retaining a quartz crucible (4) used in a metal single crystal pulling apparatus for silicon or the like has a straight trunk portion (9) and a tray portion (10) that are divided from each other. A graphite sheet (11) is disposed between the quartz crucible (4) and the carbon crucible (5) so as to cover at least a boundary portion (A) of an inner surface of the carbon crucible (5) between the straight trunk portion (9) and the tray portion (10). The graphite sheet (11) is an expanded graphite sheet.

Abstract: An object is to provide an expanded graphite sheet at the use stage that can prevent can prevent degradation in product quality and deterioration in product yield by inhibiting the expanded graphite sheet from containing impurities even when the expanded graphite sheet is actually used. An expanded graphite sheet at the use stage in a condition in which the expanded graphite sheet is packed with a packing material and thereafter removed from the packing material, characterized in that all of the amounts of Al, B, Be, Ca, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Ni, S, Ti, V, and Zn as determined by an ICP emission spectroscopy method, the amounts of K and Na as determined by an atomic absorption spectrometry method, and the amount of Si as determined by an absorption spectrophotometry method are at a level less than the detection limit.

Abstract: There is provided a mold release sheet (4) disposed between silica powder M and an inner face of an outer member 1b of a mold and made of expanded graphite. The mold release sheet has a gas permeability represented by the following equation (1) from 5.0×10?7 cm2/s to 1.0×10?4 cm2/s. Gas permeability=Q·L/(?P·A) (1). In this equation (1), Q is the gas flow rate (Pa·cm3/s), ?P is the pressure difference (Pa) between two chambers, A is the gas transmission area (cm2) of the mold release sheet, which is the area of a passage that allows the two chambers to communicate with each other, and L is the thickness (cm) of the mold release sheet.

Abstract: A solar battery unit is provided that can release the heat of the solar battery module sufficiently and suppress the temperature increase of a solar battery module by inhibiting the presence of an air layer with a low thermal conductivity in a heat transfer passage, whereby the energy conversion efficiency can be improved remarkably. A solar battery unit has: a solar battery module; and a heat dissipating member, provided on a back surface of the solar battery module, for releasing heat from the solar battery module. A heat transfer sheet including expanded graphite is interposed between the solar battery module and the heat dissipating member, and the heat transfer sheet is attached in a compressed state to the solar battery module and the heat dissipating member.

Abstract: A circuit board using a heat radiating member that can cool an electronic component sufficiently without causing a substrate to break, increasing the total weight of the substrate, lowering the productivity, or increasing cost and device size. A circuit board has a substrate main body (4) having a wiring pattern (3) formed on a surface side, and a structure in which an LED module (1) is connected to the wiring pattern (3). The circuit board is characterized in that: a through hole (6) is provided in a portion of the substrate main body (4) so as to penetrate the substrate main body (4) from the surface side to a back side thereof; a heat radiating member (5) is provided on the back side of the substrate main body (4) so as to close one end of the through hole (6); and the LED module (1) is disposed in the through hole (6) so that the heat radiating member (5) and the LED module (1) are directly in contact with each other.

Abstract: A method is provided of protecting a carbonaceous crucible that is easy to handle, reduces work hour, and can cover the inner surface of a crucible without breaking the sheet and without gaps. A single-crystal pulling apparatus is also provided. The method of protecting a carbonaceous crucible by interposing a protective sheet made of an expanded graphite material between a quartz crucible and a carbonaceous crucible on which the quartz crucible is placed, including: laying two or more protective sheet pieces on an inner surface of the carbonaceous crucible, each of the protective sheet pieces having such a shape that the protective sheet pieces are combined integrally to form the protective sheet in laying the protective sheet between the crucibles.

Abstract: An expanded graphite sheet with improved tensile strength is provided. By using an expanded graphite sheet with improved tensile strength as a lining for a carbonaceous crucible, a method of protecting a carbonaceous crucible is provided that reduces work hours remarkably, makes it possible to cover the inner surface of the crucible without breaking the sheet or producing gaps, and is suitable for increasing the size of the crucible, and a single-crystal pulling apparatus is also provided. An expanded graphite sheet (10) is characterized in that a reinforcing material (12) comprising carbon fibers is formed in a laminate form on at least one side of a substrate (11) made of an expanded graphite material. Another feature is interposing the expanded graphite sheet (10) between a quartz crucible and a carbonaceous crucible in which the quartz crucible is placed, to use the expanded graphite sheet as a lining for covering an inner surface of the carbonaceous crucible.

Abstract: [Problems] An object is to provide a mold release sheet, made of expanded graphite, that can achieve high product quality and that can remarkably improve the work efficiency and production yield when silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, or the like is produced by compressing. [Means for Solving the Problems] A mold release sheet (4) disposed between silica powder M and an inner face of an outer member 1b of a mold and made of expanded graphite, characterized in that: the gas permeability represented by the following equation (1) is 1.0×10?4 cm2/s or less, Gas permeability=Q·L/(?P·A),??(1) where Q is the gas flow rate (Pa·cm3/s), ?P is the pressure difference (Pa) between two chambers, A is the gas transmission area (cm2) of the mold release sheet, which is the area of a passage that allows the two chambers to communicate with each other, and L is the thickness (cm) of the mold release sheet.

Abstract: A crucible protection sheet is provided that can prevent damages to an inner crucible, hinder an outer crucible from silicon-carbidization, and transmit heat from the outer crucible to the inner crucible uniformly. In a crucible having an inner crucible 2 and an outer crucible 3, the crucible protection sheet is arranged between the two crucibles and is made of expanded graphite. The planar thermal conductivity is 120 W/(m·K) or higher, the gas permeability is less than 1.0×10?4 cm2/s, and the compression ratio is 20% or higher when the sheet is compressed in a thickness direction at a pressure of 34.3 MPa. Since the compression ratio is high, the effect of preventing breakage is great when inserting the inner crucible, improving workability and preventing the inner crucible from tilting inside the outer crucible.