Abstract: The invention provides a ferritic heat-resistant steel whose creep rupture ductility in a long-term region is improved without detrimental to creep strengths. The ferritic heat-resistant steel has a chemical composition comprising, in % by mass, C: 0.03 to 0.15, Si: 0 to 0.8, Mn: 0.1 to 0.8, Cr: 8.0 to 11.5, Mo: 0.2 to 1.5, (W: 0.4 to 3.0), V: 0.1 to 0.4, Nb: 0.02 to 0.12 N: 0.02 to 0.10 with the balance of iron and inevitable impurities. This steel has a tempered martensite microstructure, and has an improved creep rupture ductility even when there is a load within the elastic limits at temperatures at which the ferritic heat-resistant steel is used, because internal strain or internal stress induced by martensitic transformation is relaxed or released by an intermediate tempering heat treatment in a two-phase state temperature in which a portion of an austenitic phase undergoes martensitic transformation.

Abstract: The invention provides a ferritic heat-resistant steel whose creep rupture ductility in a long-term region is improved without detrimental to creep strengths. The ferritic heat-resistant steel has a chemical composition comprising, in % by mass, C: 0.03 to 0.15, Si: 0 to 0.8, Mn: 0.1 to 0.8, Cr: 8.0 to 11.5, Mo: 0.2 to 1.5, (W: 0.4 to 3.0), V: 0.1 to 0.4, Nb: 0.02 to 0.12 N: 0.02 to 0.10 with the balance of iron and inevitable impurities. This steel has a tempered martensite microstructure, and has an improved creep rupture ductility even when there is a load within the elastic limits at temperatures at which the ferritic heat-resistant steel is used, because internal strain or internal stress induced by martensitic transformation is relaxed or released by an intermediate tempering heat treatment in a two-phase state temperature in which a portion of an austenitic phase undergoes martensitic transformation.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells, wherein a solid polymer electrolyte membrane is held between a pair of electrodes each composed of a catalyst layer coated over and/or impregnated in a porous supporting body. This electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells is characterized in that the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is obtained by irradiating a resin membrane with radiation and graft-polymerizing a radically polymerizable monomer. The electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells is further characterized in that the catalyst layer of the anode electrode comprises a catalyst, wherein platinum group metal or platinum-containing alloy particles having a particle size of 5 nm or less are supported by carbon particles, and a solid polymer electrolyte, and the noble metal amount in the catalyst layer of the anode electrode is not more than 5 mg/cm2.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a lithium ion secondary battery that has a high capacity and excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics. A lithium ion secondary battery includes: a positive electrode; and a negative electrode, wherein the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material of which initial charge capacity is 1800 mAh/g or more and initial efficiency (initial discharge capacity/initial charge capacity) is 0.70 to 0.85, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material of which initial charge capacity is 160 mAh/g or more and initial efficiency (initial discharge capacity/initial charge capacity) is 0.75 to 0.90, and an initial discharge capacity ratio of the negative electrode and the positive electrode (initial discharge capacity of the negative electrode/initial discharge capacity of the positive electrode) is 0.90 to 1.30.

Abstract: A silicon oxide material is obtained by cooling and precipitating a gaseous mixture of SiO gas and silicon-containing gas and has an oxygen content of 20-35 wt %. Using the silicon oxide material as a negative electrode active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is constructed that exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining the high battery capacity and low volume expansion of silicon oxide.

Abstract: A curable resin composition comprising (a) a compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one ion conductive group, (b) a compound having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups, (c) an organosilicon compound having at least two SiH groups, (d) a platinum group catalyst, and (e) a solvent is dried and cured by heating into a cured film having excellent ionic conduction and serving as electrolyte membrane. The electrolyte membrane and an electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly satisfy fuel cell-related properties including ionic conduction and film strength as well as productivity.

Abstract: A sintered silicon oxide for film vapor deposition having a density of 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm3, three-point flexural strength of at least 50 g/mm2, and a BET specific surface area of 0.1 to 20 m2/g is provided. When this sintered silicon oxide is used for evaporation source of a film, pin holes and other defects of the film caused by the problematic splash phenomenon can be reliably prevented and stable production of a reliable package material having excellent gas barrier property is been enabled. This invention also provides a method for producing such sintered silicon oxide, and this method can be used in a large scale production without requiring any special technology, and therefore, this method is capable of supplying the market with the sintered silicon oxide at reduced cost.

Abstract: A silicon oxide material is obtained by cooling and precipitating a gaseous mixture of SiO gas and silicon-containing gas and has an oxygen content of 20-35 wt %. Using the silicon oxide material as a negative electrode active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is constructed that exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining the high battery capacity and low volume expansion of silicon oxide.

Abstract: A sintered silicon oxide for film vapor deposition having a density of 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm3, three-point flexural strength of at least 50 g/mm2, and a BET specific surface area of 0.1 to 20 m2/g is provided. When this sintered silicon oxide is used for evaporation source of a film, pin holes and other defects of the film caused by the problematic splash phenomenon can be reliably prevented and stable production of a reliable package material having excellent gas barrier property is been enabled. This invention also provides a method for producing such sintered silicon oxide, and this method can be used in a large scale production without requiring any special technology, and therefore, this method is capable of supplying the market with the sintered silicon oxide at reduced cost.

Abstract: A sintered silicon oxide for film vapor deposition having a density of 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm3, three-point flexural strength of at least 50 g/mm2, and a BET specific surface area of 0.1 to 20 m2/g is provided. When this sintered silicon oxide is used for evaporation source of a film, pin holes and other defects of the film caused by the problematic splash phenomenon can be reliably prevented and stable production of a reliable package material having excellent gas barrier property is been enabled. This invention also provides a method for producing such sintered silicon oxide, and this method can be used in a large scale production without requiring any special technology, and therefore, this method is capable of supplying the market with the sintered silicon oxide at reduced cost.

Abstract: A curable resin composition for fuel cell electrolyte films characterized by comprising (1) 100 parts by mass of a monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group per molecule and having, per molecule, either at least one, tonically conductive group or at least one precursor group capable of giving an tonically conductive group through a chemical reaction, (2) 10-400 parts by mass of an oligomer which has, per molecule, at least two reactive groups copolymerizable with the ethylenically unsaturated group of the ingredient (1) and has a number-average molecular weight of 400 or higher, (3) 10-400 parts by mass of a fluororesin, and (4) 0-2,000 parts by mass of a solvent.

Abstract: A negative electrode comprising (A) particles having Si dispersed in SiO, and (B) a polyamide-imide resin which contains amide and imide groups in an amide/imide ratio of 25/75 to 99/1 and has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000-200,000 is suited for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The electrode exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining a high battery capacity and a low volume expansion.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells, wherein a solid polymer electrolyte membrane is held between a pair of electrodes each composed of a catalyst layer coated over and/or impregnated in a porous supporting body. This electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells is characterized in that the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is obtained by irradiating a resin membrane with radiation and graft-polymerizing a radically polymerizable monomer. The electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly for direct methanol fuel cells is further characterized in that the catalyst layer of the anode electrode comprises a catalyst, wherein platinum group metal or platinum-containing alloy particles having a particle size of 5 nm or less are supported by carbon particles, and a solid polymer electrolyte, and the noble metal amount in the catalyst layer of the anode electrode is not more than 5 mg/cm2.

Abstract: A conductive powder is provided in which particles having silicon crystallites dispersed in a silicon compound are coated on their surface with carbon. The conductive powder develops a diffraction peak assigned to Si(111) around 2?=28.4° on x-ray diffractometry (Cu—K?) using copper as the counter cathode, the peak having a half width of at least 1.0°, and has a specific resistance of up to 50 m?. The powder is used as a negative electrode material to construct a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which has a high charge/discharge capacity and improved cycle performance.

Abstract: An electrolyte membrane for fuel cells is prepared by irradiating with radiation a composition comprising a radiation-curable liquid compound having proton conductivity for curing the liquid compound to form a cured film. The methods of the invention are successful in producing an electrolyte membrane and an electrolyte membrane/electrode assembly for fuel cells while satisfying both the requirements of productivity and cell-related properties including proton conduction and membrane strength.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having both of a higher proton conductivity and a smaller methanol permeability, which can be produced by conducting a graft polymerization of a fluororesin thin membrane irradiated with a radiation with a monofunctional monomer and again irradiating the resulting film with a radiation, followed by conducting a graft polymerization thereof with a polyfunctional monomer; and a high-performance fuel cell comprising the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode and an air electrode, said solid polymer electrolyte membrane being disposed between the fuel electrode and the air electrode.

Abstract: In the present invention, a solid polyelectrolyte film is obtained by irradiating a dense fluorinated resin film having a thickness of 10 to 50 ?m in an inert gas atmosphere with an electron beam having been accelerated at an accelerating voltage of 60 to 300 kV in vacuum and transmitted through an electron beam-transmitting window so that an absorbed dose is from 1 to 50 kGy, followed by graft-polymerizing a polymerizable monomer. Moreover, the solid polyelectrolyte film is disposed between a fuel electrode and an air electrode to form a fuel cell.

Abstract: A sintered silicon oxide for film vapor deposition having a density of 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm3, three-point flexural strength of at least 50 g/mm2, and a BET specific surface area of 0.1 to 20 m2/g is provided. When this sintered silicon oxide is used for evaporation source of a film, pin holes and other defects of the film caused by the problematic splash phenomenon can be reliably prevented and stable production of a reliable package material having excellent gas barrier property is been enabled. This invention also provides a method for producing such sintered silicon oxide, and this method can be used in a large scale production without requiring any special technology, and therefore, this method is capable of supplying the market with the sintered silicon oxide at reduced cost.

Abstract: A negative electrode material comprises a conductive powder of particles of a lithium ion-occluding and releasing material coated on their surface with a graphite coating. The graphite coating, on Raman spectroscopy analysis, develops broad peaks having an intensity I1330 and I1580 at 1330 cm?1 and 1580 cm?1 Raman shift, an intensity ratio I1330/I1580 being 1.5<I1330/I1580<3.0. Using the negative electrode material, a lithium ion secondary battery having a high capacity and improved cycle performance can be manufactured.

Abstract: A high temperature bolt material, characterized in that it is a ferrite steel comprising 8 wt % or more of Cr and having a tempered martensite structure and can be used in a high temperature region of higher than 500° C.; and a method for producing the high temperature bolt material which comprises subjecting the above-mentioned steel material to a heat treatment comprising a quenching or normalizing at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher and then to a tempering at a temperature of 730° C. or higher. The above ferrite steel high temperature bolt material is excellent in characteristics of the resistance to stress relaxation.