Abstract: A fabrication method of a thermoelectric conversion element includes forming a first metal layer containing Cu on a first surface of a thermoelectric conversion layer, and forming a first electrode and a first intermediate layer from the first metal layer. The thermoelectric conversion layer is composed of a thermoelectric conversion material containing Mg and at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Sb and Bi, the first intermediate layer is provided between the thermoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode, the first intermediate layer is in contact with the thermoelectric conversion layer, the first electrode is in contact with the first intermediate layer, and a composition of the first intermediate layer is different from both a composition of the first electrode and a composition of the thermoelectric conversion layer.

Abstract: A foam containing 30 to 95% by weight of a polyolefin-based resin and 5 to 70% by weight of a hydrophilizing agent composed of a cellulose-based powder, the surface of the foam being in a melt fractured state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laminated film including at least two layers of an outer layer having a printed portion on a surface and an inner layer subjected to an antifogging treatment in which principal resin comprising a solid content of the printed portion is made of chlorinated polypropylene-based resin or urethane-based resin. This antifog laminated film hardly degrades in an antifogging property even when the antifog laminated film subjected to printing on the outer layer of a surface subjected to the antifogging treatment and the printed surface are strongly brought into contact with each other due to an operation of winding the film into a roll or the like.

Abstract: A foam containing 30 to 95% by weight of a polyolefin-based resin and 5 to 70% by weight of a hydrophilizing agent composed of a cellulose-based powder, the surface of the foam being in a melt fractured state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laminated film including at least two layers of an outer layer having a printed portion on a surface and an inner layer subjected to an antifogging treatment in which principal resin comprising a solid content of the printed portion is made of chlorinated polypropylene-based resin or urethane-based resin. This antifog laminated film hardly degrades in an antifogging property even when the antifog laminated film subjected to printing on the outer layer of a surface subjected to the antifogging treatment and the printed surface are strongly brought into contact with each other due to an operation of winding the film into a roll or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sodium ion absorption inhibitor comprising a metal salt, other than a sodium salt, of a cellulose derivatives represented by the following formula (I) as an active ingredient, whereby absorption of salt excessively present into a living body is effectively inhibited and salt excessively present is excreted outside the body positively and safely. Furthermore, the present invention provides an agent for preventing and treating diseases caused by excessive salt ingestion or diseases in which restriction on salt ingestion is required, comprising the same as an active ingredient, and foods comprising the same.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an electrically conductive resinous composition composed mainly of an electrically conductive carbon powder and a binding agent, wherein said binding agent is a mixture of a thermoplastic resin and a carbodiimide compound, a fuel cell separator and a process for production thereof, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The present invention permits efficient mass production of fuel cell separators having high elasticity, good releasability, good dimensional accuracy, and good gas impermeability. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in which all or part of separators are those pertaining to the present invention, is immune to the cracking of separators at the time of assembling, decreases only a little in output after continuous operation, and exhibits good gas sealing performance and high impact resistance.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) specific inorganic filler which is added thereto at the time of producing and/or molding said resin, characterized in that the specific gravity of the carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 1.35; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by the use of the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) compatible resin with the resin as the component (A), and as the case may be, a (C) inorganic filler, characterized in that the degree of volumetric swelling of said carrier is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and that the specific gravity of said carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by using the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for nitrifying denitrifying organic waste water to nitrify and denitrify the nitrogenous components in the waste water, which comprises making use of a microbe carrier composed of an organic thermoplastic high molecular compound (thermoplastic polyurethane) in both a nitrifying step and a denitrifying step, preferably in an alternate and repeated manner, wherein the compound has, in a state of complete swelling in water, a water absorption rate in the range of 50 to 3500%, a compressive yield stress of at least 1.0 MPa each being defined by a specific formula, and a particle diameter in the range of 1.0 to 30 mm. The process is capable of efficiently performing nitrifying and denitrifying steps, steadily achieving high treatment performances, contriving compactification of the treatment facility, and curtailing the treatment time and treatment cost, while the microbe carrier can withstand long-term service without any trouble.

Abstract: The present invention provide: a bioreactor carrier having a suitable water swelling property, a suitable degree of volumetric swelling and a suitable specific gravity as well as exhibiting high chemical resistance to be suitable for use in the microbial treatment of organic waste water having a high chemical content; processes for efficiently producing the bioreactor carrier; and use of the bioreactor carrier. More specifically, there are provided: a chemical-resistant bioreactor carrier comprising (A) a specific water-swellable thermoplastic resin and (B) a specific resin compatible with the water-swellable thermoplastic resin (A), and as the case may be, (C) an inorganic filler, characterized in that the degree of volumetric swelling of the carrier is controlled to within a range of 120 to 3,000% and that the specific gravity of the carrier on swelling in water is controlled to within a range of 0.98 to 2.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) specific inorganic filler which is added thereto at the time of producing and/or molding said resin, characterized in that the specific gravity of the carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 1.35; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by the use of the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) compatible resin with the resin as the component (A), and as the case may be, a (C) inorganic filler, characterized in that the degree of volumetric swelling of said carrier is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and that the specific gravity of said carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by using the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sodium ion absorption inhibitor comprising a metal salt, other than a sodium salt, of a cellulose derivatives represented by the following formula (I) as an active ingredient, whereby absorption of salt excessively present into a living body is effectively inhibited and salt excessively present is excreted outside the body positively and safely. Furthermore, the present invention provides an agent for preventing and treating diseases caused by excessive salt ingestion or diseases in which restriction on salt ingestion is required, comprising the same as an active ingredient, and foods comprising the same.

Abstract: A washing method for a separation membrane module which comprises adding a gel particle equivalent to 3 to 40 % of the internal capacity of a membrane module into a liquid being treated and suspending it therein, removing and washing built-up materials on the membrane through contacting the gel particle to the membrane and the internal surface of the module, thereby resulting in preventing the membrane from being obstructed and increasing the permeation pressure thereof. The gel particle comprises an organic polymeric compound, which is gelled by absorbing water, with a specific gravity in water from 0.9 to 1.25, a volume swelling ratio in water from 150 % to 4000% and a compressive yield stress in water from 2.0 MPa to 10.0 MPa thereof. As the gel particle, a thermoplastic polyethylene glycol gel, a thermoplastic polyurethane gel and the like are illustrated. The gel particle is manufactured by a melt extrusion molding method.

Abstract: The present invention provides: an electroconductive resin composition comprising: (A) a liquid crystal polyester resin capable of forming an anisotropic melt phase, in an amount of 100 parts by weight, (B) a carbodiimide compound in an amount of 0.01 to 30 parts by weight, (C) an electroconductive carbon powder in an amount of 50 to 3,000 parts by weight, and (D) a filler in an amount of 0 to 10,000 parts by weight; a fuel cell separator made of the above electroconductive resin composition; a process for producing the above fuel cell separator; and a solid polymer type fuel cell using the above fuel cell separator. The electroconductive resin composition alleviates the problems of the prior art, can be mass-produced, and is superior in high temperature resistance and hydrolysis resistance.

Abstract: The invention provides a single-layer or multi-layer packaging film or sheet having at least one layer formed of a polyamide resin composition, wherein the layer formed of the polyamide resin composition is a layer (A) formed of a polyamide resin composition comprising a copolymer nylon (c) composed of an aliphatic nylon (co)polymer component (1) and an aromatic nylon (co)polymer component (2) in a proportion of at least 5 wt. %.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) specific inorganic filler which is added thereto at the time of producing and/or molding said resin, characterized in that the specific gravity of the carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 1.35; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by the use of the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: There are disclosed a bioreactor carrier comprising a (A) water swellable thermoplastic resin, preferably water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane resin and a (B) compatible resin with the resin as the component (A), and as the case may be, a (C) inorganic filler, characterized in that the degree of volumetric swelling of said carrier is controlled within the range of 120 to 3000%, and that the specific gravity of said carrier on swelling in water is controlled within the range of 1.02 to 2.12; a process for producing the bioreactor carrier; and a process for denitrifying treatment of organic waste water which comprises nitrifying and denitrifying nitrogen components in the organic waste water with microbes by using the above bioreactor carrier. The bioreactor carrier has high physical strength, can be readily produced and uniformly fluidized in a reactor, and enables microbial and enzymatic reactions to be effectively performed.

Abstract: A bioreactor carrier is provided using an organic polymer substance having a water absorptivity of 50 to 1,700%, and containing an inorganic salt, organic nitrogen source and/or organic carbon source utilizable as a nutrient by animal cells, plant cells and/or microorganisms which fix to the carrier for uses such as substance production, harmful substance treatment, waste oil treatment, wastewater treatment and deodorization. A preferred polymer substance is a water swellable thermoplastic polyurethane gel having the water absorptivity and a swelling rate of volume of 150 to 4,000%. The polyurethane gel is obtained by reacting together a long-chain diol compound, a short-chain diol compound and a diisocyanate compound. The long-chain diol compound has a number-average molecular weight of 400 to 10,000, and is selected from an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer having an ethylene oxide content not less than 70% and a polyethylene glycol.