Abstract: A method for production of a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coated metal material comprises immersing a metal material or electrolyzing a conductive material in an aqueous treatment solution at pH 2-7 containing metal ion and fluorine ion in a 4-fold or more molar ratio with respect to the metal ion, and/or containing a complex ion comprising at least a metal and fluorine in a 4-fold or more molar ratio with respect to the metal, to form on the surface of the metal material a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coating containing the metal ion and/or the metal, as well as a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coated metal material having a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coating produced by the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are: an exhaust gas purification catalyst which is an inexpensive three-way catalyst, which contains a reduced amount of an expensive noble metal, particularly does not use Pt, and contains no expensive rare earth element, and which has the same level of catalytic activity as that of a conventional one; and a catalytic honey-comb structure for exhaust gas purification. Specifically disclosed are: an exhaust gas purification catalyst comprising (?) an oxide M(Co1-yFey)O3-? [wherein M represents a combination of an element substantially selected from Ba and Sr; y represents a number of 0 to 1; and ? represents a value that is so defined as to satisfy the charge neutrality condition] carrying one or two noble metals selected from Pd and Rh and (B) active alumina carrying one or two noble metal selected from Pd and Rh; and a catalytic honey-comb structure for exhaust gas purification, which is produced by wash-coating the exhaust gas purification catalyst onto a ceramic- or metal-made honey-comb.

Abstract: A stainless steel substrate with one or more conductive metal layers, a method for manufacturing the same, and a hard disk drive suspension material using the same that are excellent in etching accuracy and does not involve the use of any substances casing environmental burdens, while ensuring stable adhesion between the conductive metal layers on the stainless steel substrate and the polyimide-based resin layer. The conductive metal layers are formed to have a total thickness ranging from 0.1 to 10 ?m, a centerline average surface roughness Ra from 0.05 to 1 ?m, and a ten-point average surface roughness Rz from 1 to 5 ?m, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exhaust gas purification catalyst and catalyst member superior in exhaust gas purification performance and heat resistance, low in cost, and reducing use of precious metals, that is, an exhaust gas purification catalyst, and a catalyst member using the same, comprising a composite oxide having a substantially perovskite type crystalline structure and expressed by the following formula <1> on which one or more elements selected from at least Pt, Pd, and Rh are carried: A?B1-xB?xO3-???<1> (where, A indicates one element or a combination of two elements selected substantially from Ba and Sr, B indicates one element or a combination of two elements selected substantially from Fe and Co, B? indicates one element or a combination of two or more elements selected substantially from Nb, Ta, and Ti, ? is 0.95 to 1.05, x is 0.05 to 0.3, and ? is a value determined so as to satisfy charge neutral conditions).

Abstract: This invention relates to a graphite material for negative electrode of lithium secondary battery. This graphite material is obtained by carbonizing the pulverized green coke to yield coke, adding one kind or more of boron or a compound thereof to the coke, graphitizing the resulting mixture and controlling the particle size of the product graphite. This graphite material for negative electrode is characterized by showing a tap density of 0.95 g/cm3 or more after tapping 20 times or 1.15 g/cm3 or more after tapping 300 times and a BET specific surface area of 1.5 m2/g or less. A lithium secondary battery made by the use of this graphite material for negative electrode has a large discharge capacity and suffers little loss during charging and discharging.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a method for production of various oxide and/or hydroxide coatings with various functions and constructions on metal materials from aqueous solutions, and metal materials having such coatings. There are provided specifically a method for production of a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coated metal material characterized by immersing a metal material or electrolyzing a conductive material in an aqueous treatment solution at pH 2-7 containing metal ion and fluorine ion in a 4-fold molar ratio with respect to the metal ion, and/or containing a complex ion comprising at least a metal and fluorine in a 4-fold molar ratio with respect to the metal, to form on the surface of the metal material a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coating containing the metal ion, as well as a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coated metal material characterized by having a metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide coating produced by the method.

Abstract: This invention relates to a graphite material for negative electrode of lithium secondary battery. This graphite material is obtained by carbonizing the pulverized green coke to yield coke, adding one kind or more of boron or a compound thereof to the coke, graphitizing the resulting mixture and controlling the particle size of the product graphite. This graphite material for negative electrode is characterized by showing a tap density of 0.95 g/cm3 or more after tapping 20 times or 1.15 g/cm3 or more after tapping 300 times and a BET specific surface area of 1.5 m2/g or less. A lithium secondary battery made by the use of this graphite material for negative electrode has a large discharge capacity and suffers little loss during charging and discharging.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery comprising a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte is disclosed. The negative electrode active material is a powder of a silicon material containing boron and has a boron content in the range of 0.1-50 wt. %.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery comprising a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte is disclosed. The negative electrode active material is a powder of a silicon material containing boron and has a boron content in the range of 0.1-50 wt. %.

Abstract: Carbonaceous particles and carbonaceous fibers whose surfaces are covered with a boron nitride thin film, wherein the atomic concentration of boron C(B), the atomic concentration of carbon C(C) and the atomic concentration of nitrogen C(N) satisfy the following inequalities: 0.05<C(B)/(C(B)+C(C)+C(N))<0.3 0.05<C(N)/(C(B)+C(C)+C(N))<0.3 in the surface region as measured by photoelectron spectroscopy. Also, lithium secondary batteries which employ these carbonaceous particles and carbonaceous fibers as negative electrode active materials.

Abstract: A light for an infrared ray) emitting member or a reflective (or an infrared ray reflective) medium is mounted at a predetermined position on an object upon which an image is projected. The light emitting member or the reflective medium is acquired in the coaxial direction of an image projecting unit by an (infrared ray) image pick-up means and video signals obtained by the (infrared ray) image pick-up means are digitized in an image processing unit, such that a highly luminous point of the light emitting or reflected portion occurs in a binary image. A central value of a primary moment on the binary image including the high luminous point, is calculated in real time, and the calculated data is fed back to an electrically-driven driving portion of the image projecting unit, so that the image may be continually projected at the predetermined position. The electrically-drive turntable automatically controls the image projecting direction including the direction of light.

Abstract: 12.alpha.-Substituted pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-diones, which are novel compounds, are provided. These compounds are useful as intermediates for the synthesis of antiinflammatory corticoids represented by prednisone, prednisolone, etc.

Abstract: A graphite intercalation compound enjoying high stability is produced by a method characterized by using a previously synthesized acceptor type graphite intercalation compound as a raw material and intercalating therein a substance different from the substance intercalated in the graphite intercalation compound and capable of forming an acceptor type graphite intercalation compound.The representative substance to the newly intercalated in the production mentioned above is a metal halide selected from the group consisting of ferric chloride, cupric chloride, aluminum chloride, cobalt chloride, nickel chloride, calcium chloride, barium chloride, silver chloride, zinc chloride, zirconium chloride, molybdenum chloride, tantalum chloride, and hafnium chloride.

Abstract: The synthetic resin rack guide to be housed in a gear box of a rack and pinion type steering device for a vehicle. The rack guide includes a generally semi-cylindrical head, an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. The generally semi-cylindrical head includes a semi-cylindrical concave surface which slidably contacts a back surface of a rack bar. The outer cylinder is separated from the inner cylinder by a circumferentially extending space and is divided into a plurality of sections in the circumferential direction by a plurality of slits which extend in parallel with an axis of the rack guide. Due to the provision of the slits, the outer cylinder can shrink radially inward when it is inserted into a rack housing with no clearance between them and when an interference between them is increased in proportion to an increase in ambient temperature. Thus, a locking of the rack guide with the rack housing is prevented and a smooth sliding is obtained even with the increase in ambient temperature.

Abstract: In the production of a graphite intercalation compound in which the intercalant is a metal chloride, the reaction is carried out in the presence of a second metal chloride of a relatively low boiling point to effect a notable reduction in the reaction time. In the production of a metal chloride intercalation compound which normally requires an atmosphere of chlorine, the addition of the second metal chloride permits the reaction to proceed in the absence of chlorine gas.

Abstract: A microbial process for producing 12.alpha.-hydroxypregna-1,4-dien-3-one-20.alpha.-carboxylic acid or a salt thereof which comprises cultivating a microbe of the species Pseudomonas arvilla or the genus Alcaligenes, e.g. Alcaligenes faecalis, which is capable of producing 12.alpha.-hydroxypregna-1,4-dien-3-one-20.alpha.-carboxylic acid or a salt thereof by utilizing deoxycholic acid or a salt thereof as a substrate, in a culture medium containing the substrate and collecting the resulting compound.