Abstract: A platinum wire in which crystal grain growth is slowed in order to prevent damage caused by creep without dispersing a metal oxide, and occurrence of slip at crystal grain boundaries is slowed. A platinum thermocouple wire that is used in a negative electrode of a platinum-based thermocouple and has a nitrogen mass concentration of 10 to 100 ppm, and when structure observation of the cross section of the wire in a longitudinal direction is performed, a structure is observed in which there is a plurality of crystal grains, which have an aspect ratio {(length of major axis)/(length of minor axis perpendicular to major axis)} of 5 or more and elongate in the longitudinal direction of the wire, in a wire thickness direction.

Abstract: A tool for friction stir welding includes a tool part, a shank part and a cap part. The tool part and the shank part have a hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and a hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section to enable movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation while movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction around the axis of rotation is restricted, by the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section of the tool part and the shank part are fitted to each other. After the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section are fitted to each other, by the tool part and the shank part being covered by the cap part, the tool part is fixed to the shank part.

Abstract: A tool for friction stir welding includes a tool part, a shank part and a cap part. The tool part and the shank part have a hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and a hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section to enable movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation while movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction around the axis of rotation is restricted, by the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section of the tool part and the shank part are fitted to each other. After the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section are fitted to each other, by the tool part and the shank part being covered by the cap part, the tool part is fixed to the shank part.

Abstract: A carbon atmosphere thermometer 10a has: a thermocouple having thermocouple wires 16, 18, a thermocouple temperature measuring junction 14, and an insulating tube 12; a first protection tube 20 surrounding the thermocouple, while at least partially spaced apart from the thermocouple wires 16, 18 and others of the thermocouple; and a second protection tube 22 surrounding the first protection tube 20, while at least partially spaced apart from the first protection tube 20. For this reason, it becomes feasible to protect the thermocouple from the external environment, while preventing the thermocouple from reacting with the first protection tube 20. Furthermore, it becomes feasible to protect the thermocouple and the first protection tube 20 from the external environment, while preventing the first protection tube 20 from reacting with the second protection tube 22.

Abstract: A tool for friction stir welding includes a tool part, a shank part and a cap part. The tool part and the shank part have a hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and a hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section to enable movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation while movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction around the axis of rotation is restricted, by the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section of the tool part and the shank part are fitted to each other. After the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section are fitted to each other, by the tool part and the shank part being covered by the cap part, the tool part is fixed to the shank part.

Abstract: A tool for friction stir welding includes a tool part, a shank part and a cap part. The tool part and the shank part have a hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and a hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section to enable movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation while movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction around the axis of rotation is restricted, by the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section of the tool part and the shank part are fitted to each other. After the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section are fitted to each other, by the tool part and the shank part being covered by the cap part, the tool part is fixed to the shank part.

Abstract: A platinum wire in which crystal grain growth is slowed in order to prevent damage caused by creep without dispersing a metal oxide, and occurrence of slip at crystal grain boundaries is slowed. A platinum thermocouple wire that is used in a negative electrode of a platinum-based thermocouple and has a nitrogen mass concentration of 10 to 100 ppm, and when structure observation of the cross section of the wire in a longitudinal direction is performed, a structure is observed in which there is a plurality of crystal grains, which have an aspect ratio {(length of major axis)/(length of minor axis perpendicular to major axis)} of 5 or more and elongate in the longitudinal direction of the wire, in a wire thickness direction.

Abstract: A thermocouple that can stably perform direct temperature measurement under a high temperature environment (1500° C. or higher but 2300° C. or lower) and a manufacturing method for the same. A thermocouple according to a first embodiment is a thermocouple including at least a protective tube and element wires, the protective tube and the element wires are insulated from one another by an insulator, and the insulator is either one or both of a powder and a compact, and is composed of at least one of a zirconium oxide, a hafnium oxide, or a composite oxide of zirconium and hafnium.

Abstract: A tool for friction stir welding includes a tool part, a shank part and a cap part. The tool part and the shank part have a hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and a hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section to enable movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction parallel to an axis of rotation while movement of the tool part with respect to the shank part in a direction around the axis of rotation is restricted, by the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section of the tool part and the shank part are fitted to each other. After the hexagonal frustum-shaped concave section and the hexagonal frustum-shaped convex section are fitted to each other, by the tool part and the shank part being covered by the cap part, the tool part is fixed to the shank part.

Abstract: A carbon atmosphere thermometer 10a has: a thermocouple having thermocouple wires 16, 18, a thermocouple temperature measuring junction 14, and an insulating tube 12; a first protection tube 20 surrounding the thermocouple, while at least partially spaced apart from the thermocouple wires 16, 18 and others of the thermocouple; and a second protection tube 22 surrounding the first protection tube 20, while at least partially spaced apart from the first protection tube 20. For this reason, it becomes feasible to protect the thermocouple from the external environment, while preventing the thermocouple from reacting with the first protection tube 20. Furthermore, it becomes feasible to protect the thermocouple and the first protection tube 20 from the external environment, while preventing the first protection tube 20 from reacting with the second protection tube 22.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a first developer carrying member for carrying a developer comprising toner and a carrier for developing an electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive member, and a second developer carrying member for carrying the developer received from the first developer carrying. The second developer carrying member is disposed downstream of the first developer carrying member with respect to a rotational direction of the photosensitive member. In addition, a voltage source applies a developing bias voltage to the first developer carrying member and second developer carrying member, and a driving device rotates the first developer carrying member at a peripheral speed higher than that of the photosensitive member and rotates the second developer carrying member at a peripheral speed which is higher than that of the photosensitive member and which is lower than that of the first developer carrying member.

Abstract: A toner containing toner base particles and an external additive, wherein regions with different tribocharging polarities with respect to a magnetic carrier are present in a domain-matrix structure on the surface of the toner base particles. The island region B has a predetermined height, the external additive has a reverse polarity to the region B in terms of tribocharging polarity to the magnetic carrier, the external additive contains a first external additive having a number-average primary particle size of 80-150 nm and a second external additive having a number-average primary particle size of 10-60 nm, and an average coverage Cb (%) with the first external additive in the region B is 27-100% and a coverage Ca (%) with the first external additive in the sea region A is 12% or less.

Abstract: A metal material processing method includes arranging two metal materials to face each other in a processing portion and inserting a distal end of a rod-shaped rotary tool into the processing portion while rotating the rotary tool, the two metal materials are processed. The distal end of the rotary tool has a probe protruding in a central portion and a shoulder in a peripheral portion, and the probe and the shoulder are constituted by different materials in at least surface portions that are in contact with the metal materials.

Abstract: A duty ratio Du (%), denoted by (T2/(T1+T2))×100, is in the range of 60?Du?80; a magnetic carrier has a resistivity ? which decreases in accordance with an increasing electric field strength, and a relative dielectric constant ? which increases in accordance with an increasing electric field strength; a product of a time constant ?0??(s) of electric charge decay in an electric field strength E2D decided by a second peak voltage V2 and a dark potential VD, and an electric field strength E2D satisfies a relation of 20??0?? E2D (s·V/cm); and a time constant ?0??(s) and a relative dielectric constant ? in an electric field strength E1L, which is decided by a first peak voltage V1 and a bright potential VL, satisfy the following relations: ?0??(s)?6.0×10?4, and 30??.

Abstract: In a metal material processing method, two metal materials are arranged to face each other in a processing portion, and a distal end of a rod-shaped rotary tool is inserted into the processing portion while rotating the rotary tool, thereby the two metal materials are processed. The distal end of the rotary tool has a probe protruding in a central portion and a shoulder in a peripheral portion. The probe and the shoulder are constituted by different materials in at least surface portions that are in contact with the metal materials.

Abstract: In the formation of images by a two-component development system, provided is a magnetic carrier that can be used to output an image which has sufficient density, in which few white spots are present in a low-density portion located near the boundary between a high-density region and a low-density region, and in which the low-density portion has good graininess. The magnetic carrier contains magnetic carrier particles each of which has resin and a magnetic particle. The magnetic particle contains ferrite phases and phases comprising a perovskite-structured compound. The ferrite phases and phases comprising a perovskite-structured compound are combined.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer carrying member to which a developing bias is applied. A frequency f of a developing bias waveform, a developing area S1 which is a time-integrated value of a difference between a voltage value of the developing bias and a solid electrostatic image potential VL in a developing period of the developing bias, a collecting area S2 which is a time-integrated value of a difference between the voltage value of the developing bias and VL in a collecting period of the developing bias, and a developing contrast value Vcon are used for defining a range of a value of the developing bias frequency f, a range of a value of a voltage change rate ? at VL during transition of the developing bias voltage value from a developing-side voltage to a collecting-side voltage, and a range of a value represented by the formula: {(S1?1.28×S2)×f/Vcon}×exp(?2.0×10?5×f/Hz).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum to which an electrostatic image is formed and a developing sleeve carrying a developer including toner carrier. An alternating voltage is applied to the sleeve to form an alternating electric field between the sleeve and the drum to develop the electrostatic image with the developer. A relation |K1|<|K2| is satisfied, where K1: a slope at an electric field intensity Ed=|(Vp2?VL)/D|, K2: a slope at an electric field intensity Eb=|(Vp1?VL)/D|, VL: a potential [V] of the electrostatic image at which a maximum density is obtained, Vp1: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the drum, Vp2: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the sleeve, and D: a closest distance [m] between the drum and the sleeve.

Abstract: A duty ratio Du (%), denoted by (T2/(T1+T2))×100, is in the range of 60?Du?80; a magnetic carrier has a resistivity ? which decreases in accordance with an increasing electric field strength, and a relative dielectric constant ? which increases in accordance with an increasing electric field strength; a product of a time constant ?0??(s) of electric charge decay in an electric field strength E2D decided by a second peak voltage V2 and a dark potential VD, and an electric field strength E2D satisfies a relation of 20??0?? E2D (s·V/cm); and a time constant ?0??(s) and a relative dielectric constant ? in an electric field strength E1L, which is decided by a first peak voltage V1 and a bright potential VL, satisfy the following relations: ?0??(s)?6.0×10?4, and 30??.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum to which an electrostatic image is formed and a developing sleeve carrying a developer including toner carrier. An alternating voltage is applied to the sleeve to form an alternating electric field between the sleeve and the drum to develop the electrostatic image with the developer. A relation |K1|<|K2| is satisfied, where K1: a slope at an electric field intensity Ed=|(Vp2?VL)/D|, K2: a slope at an electric field intensity Eb=|(Vp1?VL)/D|, VL: a potential [V] of the electrostatic image at which a maximum density is obtained, Vp1: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the drum, Vp2: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the sleeve, and D: a closest distance [m] between the drum and the sleeve.