Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Tomita

Toshihiro Tomita has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080105613
    Abstract: There is provided a ceramic filter formed on a porous base material and having satisfactory transmission amount and selectivity. The ceramic filter has a first surface dense layer 3 having an average pore diameter of 0.1 to 3 ?m on an alumina porous base material 2 having an average pore diameter of 1 to 30 ?m, a second surface dense layer 4 having an average pore diameter of 0.01 to 0.5 ?m on the first surface dense layer 3, and a third surface dense layer 5 made of a titania sol and having an average pore diameter of 0.3 to 20 nm on the second surface dense layer 4. Moreover, on the third surface dense layer 5, a carbon membrane layer 6 as a molecular sieve carbon membrane is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akimasa Ichikawa, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Publication number: 20070184967
    Abstract: A laminated zeolite composite is provided, including a MFI membrane constituted by a MFI type zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 40 to 100, and a porous substrate constituted by a MFI type zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 20 to 400, wherein the MFI membrane is formed on the porous substrate. The composite has high separation characteristics and high permeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mori, Toshihiro Tomita, Hitoshi Sakai
  • Patent number: 7252876
    Abstract: A laminated zeolite composite is provided, including a MFI membrane constituted by a MFI type zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 40 to 100, and a porous substrate constituted by a MFI type zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 20 to 400, wherein the MFI membrane is formed on the porous substrate. The composite has high separation characteristics and high permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mori, Toshihiro Tomita, Hitoshi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20070078980
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a control system wherein a system configuration can be changed in a short time. To do this, the invention adds improvement to a control system established through a network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tomita, Tetsuo Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20070014717
    Abstract: There are provided methods for producing a zeolite layered composite, methods for producing a zeolite shaped body and methods for producing a zeolite layered intermediate body. In one aspect, there is provided a method for producing a zeolite layered composite, comprising layering a template-containing zeolite membrane having a composition the same as or similar to that of a zeolite shaped body of a completely crystallized zeolite composed of tetrapropylammonium ion (TPA) and silica sol in a mixing ratio (TPA/SiO2) of 0.015 to 0.08 by mole and containing a template therein on the zeolite shaped body, and simultaneously removing the template from the zeolite membrane and the zeolite shaped body by calcining the resulting layered product to obtain a zeolite layered composite comprising the zeolite shaped body and the zeolite membrane layered thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tomita, Shinji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20060288677
    Abstract: A carbon film laminate 1 having a porous substrate 6 formed of a plurality of particles and a carbon film 2 provided on a surface of the porous substrate 6, wherein the porous substrate 6 includes a surface layer 3 which is in contact with the carbon film 2 and which is formed of particles 3a having a mean particle size of 0.01 to 0.11 ?m, and a porous body 5 formed of particles having a mean particle size differing from that of the particles 3a forming the surface layer 3. The invention provides a carbon film laminate which does not generate cracks and pinholes of the carbon film and which is suitable for producing thin film thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kaigawa, Toshihiro Tomita, Manabu Yoshida, Masamichi Obata
  • Publication number: 20060266696
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inorganic separation membrane including a silicalite nanocrystalline layer formed on a porous ceramic substrate, and a porous inorganic protective layer is formed on the nanocrystalline layer. The crystal grain diameter of the silicalite nanocrystal is preferably 150 nm or less, and the thickness of the silicalite nanocrystalline layer is preferably 1.0 to 4.0 ?m. The separation membrane may be manufactured by: immersing a porous ceramic substrate in a dispersion solution of silicalite nanocrystals; laminating the silicalite nanocrystals on the surface of the porous ceramic substrate by evacuating the insider of the porous ceramic substrate; forming a porous inorganic protective layer on the silicalite nanocrystalline layer by a hydrothermal synthesis by heating after immersing the porous substrate in a zeolite synthesis solution containing a silica source; and removing organic components in the silicalite nanocrystal by liquid phase oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicants: NGK Insulators, Ltd., National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Takao Masuda, Teruoki Tago, Shuichi Yoshida, Toshihiro Tomita, Kenji Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20060144239
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a gas separator comprising a porous substrate composed of a first ceramic and a gas-separating layer containing zeolite, disposed on the surface of the porous substrate, wherein the gas-separating layer contains, in addition to zeolite, a thermal expansion coefficient-adjusting material composed of a second ceramic having a linear thermal expansion coefficient satisfying a predetermined relation so that the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the porous substrate and the gas-separating layer can be reduced. The gas separator of the present invention can be used preferably particularly in selective separation of carbon dioxide (CO2) or the like from a mixed gas such as natural gas or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Suzuki, Kenji Yajima, Kunio Nakayama, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 7014680
    Abstract: A DDR type zeolite membrane formed on a substrate includes silica as a main component. The DDR type zeolite membrane separates at least one type of a gas component from a mixed gas containing at least two types of gases selected from a group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), normal butane (n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), propylene (C3H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen monoxide (NO). Each single gas permeance at room temperature and 100° C. are different, respectively, in order to separate at least one selected gas component from the mixed gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Nakayama, Kenji Suzuki, Manabu Yoshida, Kenji Yajima, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Publication number: 20050229779
    Abstract: A DDR type zeolite membrane formed on a substrate includes silica as a main component. The DDR type zeolite membrane separates at least one type of a gas component from a mixed gas containing at least two types of gases selected from a group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), normal butane (n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), propylene (C3H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen monoxide (NO). Each single gas permeance at room temperature and 100° C. are different, respectively, in order to separate at least one selected gas component from the mixed gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Nakayama, Kenji Suzuki, Manabu Yoshida, Kenji Yajima, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 6953493
    Abstract: This invention provides a DDR type zeolite membrane, characterized in that it is formed as a membrane on a substrate and its main component is silica, and that each single gas permeance at room temperature and 100° C. are different, respectively among at least two types of gases selected from a group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), normal butane (n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), propylene (C3H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen monoxide (NO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Nakayama, Kenji Suzuki, Manabu Yoshida, Kenji Yajima, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 6936560
    Abstract: A zeolite laminated composite of the present invention is characterized in that it has a separation membrane being constituted by a zeolite, and a porous substrate being constituted by a zeolite and having a catalyst function, and that the separation membrane is formed on the porous substrate. The composite shows a small pressure loss and hardly generates defects such as cracks in the separation membrane even under a high temperature condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mori, Toshihiro Tomita, Hitoshi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20050148457
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a production method for a zeolite shaped body in which a tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) solution and tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPABr) are added to a silica sol, an obtained prepared solution is heated under a condition that crystallization and/or precipitation does not occur in the prepared solution in a sealed vessel, the heated prepared solution is dried, an obtained dry gel is shaped, and the shaped dry gel is subjected to crystallization treatment in steam, and it is possible to efficiently produce a zeolite shaped body on which a zeolite membrane can be formed and maintained without generating any crack, and which satisfies both reduction of pressure loss and maintenance or improvement of mechanical strength, when used as a gas separation membrane such as a molecular sieve membrane or a pervaporation membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miyuki Yabuki, Kenji Suzuki, Shinji Nakamura, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Publication number: 20040229027
    Abstract: The laminated zeolite composite of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a MFI membrane being constituted by a MFI type zeolite and having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 40 to 100, and a porous substrate being constituted by a MFI type zeolite and having a SiO2/Al2O3 (molar ratio) of 20 to 400, and that the MFI membrane is formed on the porous substrate. The composite has high separation characteristic and high permeability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mori, Toshihiro Tomita, Hitoshi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20040173094
    Abstract: This invention provides a DDR type zeolite membrane, characterized in that it is formed as a membrane on a substrate and its main component is silica, and that each single gas permeance at room temperature and 100° C. are different, respectively among at least two types of gases selected from a group consisting of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), normal butane (n-C4H10), isobutane (i-C4H10), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8), propylene (C3H6), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen monoxide (NO).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Nakayama, Kenji Suzuki, Manabu Yoshida, Kenji Yajima, Toshihiro Tomita
  • Publication number: 20040167011
    Abstract: A zeolite laminated composite of the present invention is characterized in that it has a separation membrane being constituted by a zeolite, and a porous substrate being constituted by a zeolite and having a catalyst function, and that the separation membrane is formed on the porous substrate. The composite shows a small pressure loss and hardly generates defects such as cracks in the separation membrane even under a high temperature condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mori, Toshihiro Tomita, Hitoshi Sakai
  • Patent number: 6667265
    Abstract: A method for producing a zeolite composite membrane in which a zeolite membrane is formed on a porous substrate includes the steps of: coating a zeolite membrane on a porous substrate made of zeolite having the same or a similar composition as the zeolite membrane and containing the same template as the zeolite membrane; and calcining the porous substrate having the zeolite membrane thereon to remove the template from the zeolite membrane and the porous substrate at once. A zeolite composite membrane that does not have cracks can be obtained by almost equalizing thermal expansion coefficients of the porous substrate and the zeolite membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tomita, Kunio Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20030039609
    Abstract: A porous zeolite shaped body of a zeolite is characterized in that the porous zeolite shaped body is made of a completely crystallized zeolite or a zeolite still under crystallization and composed of tetrapropylammonium ion (TPA) and silica sol in a mixing ratio (TPA/SiO2) of 0.015 to 0.08 by mole: a zeolite shaped body has an average particle diameter of 1.0 &mgr;m or larger, a bending strength of 1.5 MPa or higher, and a difference in pressure between a feed side and a permeation side of 1.0 atmospheric pressure or lower at 10 ml/cm2.min of helium gas permeation flux when a thickness of the porous zeolite shaped body is adjusted to be 1.8 mm: and a zeolite shaped body has 70% or more of the area of the parts (the sound parts) where respective particles are clearly observed by grain boundary fracture among particles composing the shaped body in the entire area of the fractured surface in microstructure observation of the fractured surface of the shaped body itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Toshihiro Tomita, Shinji Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20020016252
    Abstract: An adsorbent for exhaust gas purification is composed of a molecular sieve having high acidic hydrothermal resistance obtained by substituting part or the whole of the Al constituting the framework of crystalline aluminosilicate molecular sieve, with the ion of at least one element selected from elements M for framework element substitution, i.e. Mg, P, Ti, Cr, Ge, Zr, In, Sn, Hf, W, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag and B. The adsorbent for exhaust gas purification can be suitably used in the applications requiring high heat resistance and high hydrothermal resistance, such as the exhaust gas purification system for internal combustion engine or combustion furnace. The adsorbent can be used particularly preferably for the purification of automobile exhaust gas containing hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 1998
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: AKIRA TAKAHASHI, TOSHIHIRO TOMITA, TAKUYA HIRAMATSU
  • Patent number: 6294150
    Abstract: A highly heat-resistant and hydrothermal-resistant &bgr;-zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 80 or more, which is constituted by primary particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm or more or by primary particles having such a particle size distribution that the 10% particle diameter is 20 nm or more; and an adsorbent for automobile exhaust gas purification, using said &bgr;-zeolite. The &bgr;-zeolite and the adsorbent can be produced reliably so as to have guaranteed properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Takahashi, Toshihiro Tomita, Takuya Hiramatsu, Kenji Suzuki, Masahiko Matsukata