Abstract: It is a subject to suitably decrease the rigidity of blocks, to generate suitable collapsing of the blocks, to sufficiently exhibit edge effects of sipes, and to improve braking performances and the like in the medium term of wear and thereafter; and for solving this subject, in a pneumatic tire formed with blocks on its tread and engraved with sipes 11 on the blocks, the sipes 11 are classified into a surface portion 12, an intermediate portion 13, and a bottom portion 14 in a depth direction from a tread surface 17 up to sipes bottom 18, wherein the surface portion 12 and the bottom portion 14 open in a wave-shaped form in which crest portions 21 and trough portions 22 of the wave-shaped form extend in directions vertical to the tread, while the intermediate portion 13 opens in a wave-shaped manner in which the crest portions 21 and trough portions 22 of the wave-shaped form extend in a zigzag-like manner.

Abstract: The invention provides a pneumatic tire which can increase a driving performance on a road surface of a so-called sherbet snow, and in which a biased wear such as a toe-and-heel wear or the like is hard to be generated. In a pneumatic tire provided with a tread pattern having a transverse groove 2b formed between a plurality of blocks 1b, the transverse groove 2b is provided with a top side groove portion 11 extending while a groove width GW expands to a tread end side, and a bottom side groove portion 12 extending with a roughly fixed groove width GW.

Abstract: There is provided a method of purifying single wall carbon nanotubes so as to be able to remove impurities such as a metal catalyst to obtain the single wall carbon nanotubes with high purity. The method includes the first oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 containing an impurity with a metal catalyst 2, the first refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 obtained by the first oxidizing step in an acid solution, the second oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 obtained by the first refluxing step, and the second refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes obtained soot 1 by the second oxidizing step in an acid solution. The single wall nanotubes 1 are synthesized by an arc discharge with a carbon electrode containing a metal catalyst 2. The carbon electrode contains a metal catalyst which consists of Ni, Y, and Ti. The first oxidizing step is performed by heating at a temperature between 350 and 600° C.

Abstract: An object is to provide a process for producing a carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced composite material, wherein CNT is homogeneously dispersed in a resin to obtain the composite material having an excellent mechanical strength. Hydrophilic CNTs 12 are dispersed in a first solvent 11 to prepare a first dispersion liquid 13. The dispersion liquid 13 and a synthetic resin raw material 15 are added to a second solvent 14 and the resulting mixture is stirred to prepare a third dispersion liquid 17 where a second dispersion liquid 16 in which the synthetic resin raw material 15 is dissolved in the dispersion liquid 13 is dispersed in the solvent 14. The solvents 11 and 14 are removed from the dispersion liquid 17 to obtain a mixture of the hydrophilic CNTs 12 and the synthetic resin raw material 15. The mixture is molded to obtain the composite material in which the synthetic resin is reinforced with the hydrophilic CNTs 12.

Abstract: It is a subject to suitably decrease the rigidity of blocks, to generate suitable collapsing of the blocks, to sufficiently exhibit edge effects of sipes, and to improve braking performances and the like in the medium term of wear and thereafter; and for solving this subject, in a pneumatic tire formed with blocks on its tread and engraved with sipes 11 on the blocks, the sipes 11 are classified into a surface portion 12, an intermediate portion 13, and a bottom portion 14 in a depth direction from a tread surface 17 up to sipes bottom 18, wherein the surface portion 12 and the bottom portion 14 open in a wave-shaped form in which crest portions 21 and trough portions 22 of the wave-shaped form extend in directions vertical to the tread, while the intermediate portion 13 opens in a wave-shaped manner in which the crest portions 21 and trough portions 22 of the wave-shaped form extend in a zigzag-like manner.

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing hydrophilic carbon nanotubes, which is capable of imparting hydrophilicity without damaging the surface of the carbon nanotubes. By irradiating carbon nanotubes 4 with ultraviolet ray 3, hydrophilic functional group(s) are introduced into the surface of carbon nanotubes 4. Hydrophilicity is imparted to the carbon nanotubes to such an extent that a contact angle of water is in the range of less than 130°. Ultraviolet ray 3 is a far ultraviolet ray having a wavelength ranging from 1 to 190 nm. The irradiation with ultraviolet ray 3 is conducted in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen or in the presence of ozone and hydrogen. The end part(s) of carbon nanotubes 4 is opened by the irradiation with ultraviolet ray 3.

Abstract: There is provided a method of purifying single wall carbon nanotubes so as to be able to remove impurities such as a metal catalyst to obtain the single wall carbon nanotubes with high purity. The method includes the first oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 containing an impurity with a metal catalyst 2, the first refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 obtained by the first oxidizing step in an acid solution, the second oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes soot 1 obtained by the first refluxing step, and the second refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes obtained soot 1 by the second oxidizing step in an acid solution. The single wall nanotubes 1 are synthesized by an arc discharge with a carbon electrode containing a metal catalyst 2. The carbon electrode contains a metal catalyst which consists of Ni, Y, and Ti.

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a carbon nanotube so as to be able to increase the yield of a web and to increase the amount of a carbon nanotube contained in the web. A high-energy heat source is caused to act on carbon in the presence of catalysts. The catalysts include a main catalyst made of at least one metal which is selected from the group consisting of an iron group element, a platinum group element, and a rare earth element, and an auxiliary catalyst made of a material which causes an exothermic reaction in a process of generating the web including the carbon nanotube. The auxiliary catalyst is made of a material for generating a carbide more stable in terms of thermal energy than a carbide generated by the main catalyst. The free formation energy of the carbide generated from the material is smaller than the free formation energy of the carbide generated by the main catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a carbon dioxide gas absorbent containing lithium silicate reacting with a carbon dioxide gas to form lithium carbonate and represented by the general formula, LixSiyOz, where x, y, z are integers meeting the requirement of x+4y−2z=0. The lithium content x in the general formula should desirably be at least 4.

Abstract: Disclosed is a carbon dioxide gas absorbent containing lithium silicate reacting with a carbon dioxide gas to form lithium carbonate and represented by the general formula, LixSiyOz, where x, y, z are integers meeting the requirement of x+4y−2z=0. The lithium content x in the general formula should desirably be at least 4.

Abstract: The carbon dioxide gas absorbent of the present invention exhibits a high carbon dioxide gas absorption performance from an initial stage of the use. The carbon dioxide gas absorbent comprises of primary particles each containing lithium zirconia serving as a matrix, and eutectic compound molecules each containing lithium carbonate and at least one element selected from the group consisting of alkali metals excluding lithium, and alkali earth metals, which are dispersed in the matrix.

Abstract: The carbon dioxide gas absorbent of the present invention exhibits a high carbon dioxide gas absorption performance from an initial stage of the use. The carbon dioxide gas absorbent comprises of primary particles each containing lithium zirconia serving as a matrix, and eutectic compound molecules each containing lithium carbonate and at least one element selected from the group consisting of alkali metals excluding lithium, and alkali earth metals, which are dispersed in the matrix.

Abstract: The chemical reaction apparatus of the present invention can increase the producing rate of the main product gas by effectively removing carbon dioxide from the reaction site, the carbon dioxide generated together with the main product as the raw material gas is made to react at a high temperature of 400.degree. C. The reaction apparatus comprises a reactor for generating a main product gas and a byproduct gas which is carbon dioxide, by making a raw material gas to react, and lithium zirconate granular material placed in the reactor, to react with the byproduct carbon dioxide gas, thereby preparing a carbonate salt.

Abstract: An electron lens comprising a first exciting coil, a second exciting coil, a casing for encompassing the first and second exciting coils, and an excitation control apparatus for controlling the excitation state of at least the first exciting coil independently of the second exciting coil. The excitation control apparatus independently controls currents applied to the first and second exciting coils, respectively. At this time, exothermy of each coil can be kept constant and thermal deformation of the casing can be prevented by keeping the sum of the absolute values of the currents applied to the coils.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electron microscope which is suited for observing an electron microscope image as a TV image. It is desirable to prevent extraneous matters from dropping onto electron-beam illuminants (3, 8) for a TV camera. In order to solve this problem, the electron-beam illuminant for a TV camera is disposed between a projection lens system (1) and a fluorescent substance (6) for observing the image so that it can be inserted into and removed from the optical axis of an electron beam.

Abstract: Provided is an electron microscope having an electron gun emitting an electron beam onto a specimen to be observed, so as to produce transmitted main electron rays, inelastic scattering electron rays and diffractive scattering rays, an objective lens converging the electron rays so as to form an image, an objective aperture for normally cutting off the diffractive scattering electron rays while allowing the transmitted main electron rays and the inelastic scattering electron rays to pass therethrough, a magnifying means for magnifying the image, an observing screen from which the magnified image is visible, a mechanism for deflecting the electron beam emitted from the electron gun before the specimen, and a means for controlling the mechanism to deflect the electron beam to a large deflecting angle so as to cut off the main transmitted electron rays and the inelastic scattering electron rays at the objective aperture while allowing the diffractive scattering electron rays to enter into the magnifying lens thr

Abstract: An electron microscope with a television observation apparatus is equipped such that an observation image of the electron microscope on a television fluorescent screen and an image displayed on a cathode-ray tube through taking-in of the electron microscope observation image by a television camera are conformed to each other in up/down and right/left directions and composition. This can be realized by making the polarity of a deflection electrode of the television camera or a deflection electrode of the cathode-ray tube in a horizontal scanning direction reverse to a usual polarity, or by interposing an odd number of reflectors between the television fluorescent screen and the television camera.

Abstract: An electron microscope provided with a wobbler device forms a magnified image of a specimen on a fluorescent panel therein. This magnified image is displayed on a monitor by means of a television camera. The microscope is provided with a synchronizer for allowing the wobbler device to change deflection angles of a beam of electrons in synchronism with a synchronizing signal for the monitor.

Abstract: An electron microscope is disclosed in which an electron beam impinges upon a specimen at a predetermined angle of incidence, the incident azimuth of the electron beam incident upon the specimen is continuously changed, and the electron beam having passed through the specimen is made large in angular spread by a magnifying lens system and then projected onto a viewing screen to form a visual enlarged image of the specimen on the viewing screen; and in which the astigmatism of the magnifying lens system is shown on the viewing screen as the blur of the image.