Abstract: Heat-expandable microspheres having an almost spherical shape and high expansion performance and exhibiting good workability when mixed with a resin, a process for producing the heat-expandable microspheres, and applications thereof. The heat-expandable microspheres include a thermoplastic resin shell and a blowing agent encapsulated therein and vaporizable by heating. The thermoplastic resin is produced by polymerizing a polymerizable component containing a methacrylate monomer and a carboxyl-containing monomer, and optionally containing a nitrile monomer in an amount ranging from 0 to 30 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the methacrylate monomer and the carboxyl-containing monomer. The blowing agent contains a hydrocarbon having at least 8 carbon atoms per molecule.

Abstract: Heat-expandable microspheres with high encapsulation efficiency of a blowing agent and good heat-expansion performance, a process for reproducibly producing the heat-expandable microspheres and application thereof are provided. The heat-expandable microspheres comprise essentially a thermoplastic resin shell and a blowing agent encapsulated therein, and contain not more than 500 ppm of silicon, not more than 350 ppm of aluminum and not more than 600 ppm of the total of the silicon and aluminum. The heat-expandable microspheres retain at least 70% of the blowing agent encapsulated therein at the temperature which is the average of their expansion-initiation temperature and maximum expansion temperature.

Abstract: Heat-expandable microspheres having an almost spherical shape and high expansion performance and exhibiting good workability when mixed with a resin, a process for producing the heat-expandable microspheres, and applications thereof. The heat-expandable microspheres include a thermoplastic resin shell and a blowing agent encapsulated therein and vaporizable by heating. The thermoplastic resin is produced by polymerizing a polymerizable component containing a methacrylate monomer and a carboxyl-containing monomer, and optionally containing a nitrile monomer in an amount ranging from 0 to 30 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the methacrylate monomer and the carboxyl-containing monomer. The blowing agent contains a hydrocarbon having at least 8 carbon atoms per molecule.

Abstract: Provided is a process for efficiently producing heat-expandable microspheres having high solvent resistance. The process produces the heat-expandable microspheres composed of a shell of a thermoplastic resin and a blowing agent encapsulated therein and vaporizable by heating, and includes the steps of preparing an aqueous suspension by dispersing an oily mixture containing a polymerizable component, the blowing agent, and a polymerization initiator containing, as an essential component, a peroxide A having a theoretical active oxygen content of at least 7.8%, and polymerizing the polymerizable component in the oily mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly stable fragrance-containing capsule. This fragrance-containing capsule is characterized in being obtained from: a core substance comprising a specified fragrance, such as 3-octanol, and an oil; and a wall material formed from one or more polymers selected from poly(alkyl(meth)acrylates) and polystyrene.

Abstract: Heat-expandable microspheres with high encapsulation efficiency of a blowing agent and good heat-expansion performance, a process for reproducibly producing the heat-expandable microspheres and application thereof are provided. The heat-expandable microspheres comprise essentially a thermoplastic resin shell and a blowing agent encapsulated therein, and contain not more than 500 ppm of silicon, not more than 350 ppm of aluminum and not more than 600 ppm of the total of the silicon and aluminum. The heat-expandable microspheres retain at least 70% of the blowing agent encapsulated therein at the temperature which is the average of their expansion-initiation temperature and maximum expansion temperature.

Abstract: A spring-return, pneumatic actuator includes a casing having therein a cylinder chamber, a housing chamber and a spring chamber and equipped therein with a piston reciprocating by air supplied and discharged from an air supply and exhaust vent on a primary side of the pistons. A piston rod is joined to the piston, and a conversion mechanism is provided for converting a reciprocating motion of the piston into a rotary motion. A spring undergoes a snap action due to the reciprocating motion of the piston, and a communication space chamber is formed via a communication part to have a predetermined volume from a secondary side to the spring chamber. The cylinder chamber has the piston and the piston rod built-in, the housing chamber has the conversion mechanism built-in and the spring chamber has the spring built-in.

Abstract: A dichroic film formed on a prism base member contains 10% by volume or more of a high-thermal-conductivity substance having a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more at a temperature of 300 K. Preferably, the dichroic film is composed of high- and low-refractive-index layers laid alternately on one another, and the low-refractive-index layers contain 20% by volume or more of the high-thermal-conductivity substance. For lower angle-of-incidence dependence and higher light use efficiency, preferably, the following conditions: NL ?1.58 and NH/NL?1.33, where NL represents the refractive index of the low-refractive-index layers, and NH represents the refractive index of the high-refractive-index layers.

Abstract: A spring-return, pneumatic actuator includes a casing having therein a cylinder chamber, a housing chamber and a spring chamber and equipped therein with a piston reciprocating by means of air supplied and discharged from an air supply and exhaust vent on a primary side of the piston, a piston rod joined to the piston, a conversion mechanism for converting a reciprocating motion of the piston into a rotary motion, a spring undergoing a snap action by means of the reciprocating motion of the piston and a communication space chamber formed via a communication part to have a predetermined volume from a secondary side to the spring chamber. The cylinder chamber has the piston and the piston rod built-in, the housing chamber has the conversion mechanism built-in and the spring chamber has the spring built-in.

Abstract: A dichroic film formed on a prism base member contains 10% by volume or more of a high-thermal-conductivity substance having a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more at a temperature of 300 K. Preferably, the dichroic film is composed of high- and low-refractive-index layers laid alternately on one another, and the low-refractive-index layers contain 20% by volume or more of the high-thermal-conductivity substance. For lower angle-of-incidence dependence and higher light use efficiency, preferably, the following conditions: NL ?1.58 and NH/NL?1.33, where NL represents the refractive index of the low-refractive-index layers, and NH represents the refractive index of the high-refractive-index layers.

Abstract: A dichroic film formed on a prism base member contains 10% by volume or more of a high-thermal-conductivity substance having a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more at a temperature of 300 K. Preferably, the dichroic film is composed of high- and low-refractive-index layers laid alternately on one another, and the low-refractive-index layers contain 20% by volume or more of the high-thermal-conductivity substance. For lower angle-of-incidence dependence and higher light use efficiency, preferably, the following conditions: NL?1.58 and NH/NL?1.33, where NL represents the refractive index of the low-refractive-index layers, and NH represents the refractive index of the high-refractive-index layers.

Abstract: A pneumatic actuator includes a cylinder, an output shaft disposed rotatably in the cylinder, a pinion disposed in the output shaft, a piston rod furnished with rack teeth to be meshed with the pinion, and pistons disposed one each at opposite ends of the piston rod, wherein the pneumatic actuator further includes a pressure-inspecting chamber enclosed with the cylinder and the piston and a pressure-detecting hole establishing communication between the pressure inspecting chamber and the exterior.

Abstract: A pneumatic actuator includes a cylinder, an output shaft disposed rotatably in the cylinder, a pinion disposed in the output shaft, a piston rod furnished with rack teeth to be meshed with the pinion, and pistons disposed one each at opposite ends of the piston rod, wherein the pneumatic actuator further includes a pressure-inspecting chamber enclosed with the cylinder and the piston and a pressure-detecting hole establishing communication between the pressure inspecting chamber and the exterior.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrophotographic sensitive member having a photosensitive layer superimposed on an aluminum substrate having an aluminum oxide layer improving the color reproducibility of specific colors' wherein the aluminum oxide layer is colored to have specific maximum absorption wavelength.