Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer; an image carrier on which a latent image is formed; a charge member that charges the image carrier; an exposure part that forms a latent image on the image carrier charged; a developer carrier that carries the developer and develops the latent image on the image carrier as a developer image; and a transfer part that transfers the developer image from the image carrier to a recording medium. The developer is a one-component based developer that is produced by a pulverization method and does not contain a charge adjuvant, and 0.25 (parts by weight) or more of a sol-gel silica to 100 (parts by weight) of a base particle as an external additive is added.

Abstract: A surface treatment method for a metal material is provided which includes applying diluted sulfuric acid to a surface of the metal material that is composed primarily of iron, performing a heat treatment on the metal material in the presence of at least one of CO, CO2 and organic gas under nitriding conditions under which a nitrided layer is formed in a superficial layer of the metal material after the application of the diluted sulfuric acid to form a carbon film which includes at least one of carbon nanocoils, carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofilaments on a surface of the nitrided layer of the metal material.

Abstract: A surface treatment method on a base material coated a surface with a carbon film includes: supplying at least any one of titanium, zirconium, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, tantalum, and tungsten to the carbon film; and heating the carbon film to 400° C. or more under an inert atmosphere, thereby forming a coating film on the base material.

Abstract: A casting mold includes a carbon film with which at least a surface of the casting mold which forms a cavity is covered, and mold oil with which a surface of the carbon film is coated. In the casting mold, aluminum powder is added to the mold oil.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting method according to the present invention is an up-drawing continuous casting method for forming a casting having a predetermined shape by drawing up molten metal held in a holding furnace, and includes: a step of introducing, into the molten metal, a hollow member configured to draw up the molten metal; and a step of flowing inert gas into the hollow member so as to pour the inert gas into the molten metal. The casting is formed by drawing up the molten metal with the hollow member after stopping the flowing of the inert gas into the molten metal.

Abstract: A surface-treated mold that includes a mold, a metal layer that is provided on a surface of the mold and contains at least one metal selected from nickel, chromium, tungsten and brass, and a carbon film that is provided on a surface of the metal layer, wherein the metal layer contains carbon, and the carbon concentration in the metal layer is higher between the boundary with the carbon film and the center of the metal layer than that between the boundary with the mold and the center of the metal layer.

Abstract: An object is to propose a mold release agent improving the state of a mold surface by repeating casting cycle so as to extend the life of the metal mold actively, and a casting method using the mold release agent. A water-soluble mold release agent applied on a mold surface of a metal mold contains organic acid or organic acid salt which is reducing and ligand, wherein concentration of a total thereof is not less than 0.01 wt % in using concentration and is not more than a fixed concentration which is stability limit of emulsion of the mold release agent in undiluted concentration. Construction weight ratio of the organic acid or organic acid salt which is reducing and the ligand is in the range from 99/1 to 30/70.

Abstract: An oil-based graphite lubricant for a plunger includes graphite that is used as a solid lubricant, and an organic bentonite swollen by a mineral oil and a surfactant that are used as a graphite dispersant. The lubricant is prepared by a method which includes a first step of causing an organic bentonite to swell in the mineral oil, a second step of adding a surfactant, and a third step of adding and dispersing graphite.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pipe with a rib, in which a rib portion formed inside a pipe portion includes bent portions in accordance with bending of the pipe portion or a twisted portion in accordance with twisting of the pipe portion, includes drawing out molten metal held in a furnace by using a starter, from a surface of the molten metal, and drawing up the molten metal through a shape defining member defining a sectional shape of the pipe with the rib to be cast, and cooling and solidifying the molten metal passed through the shape defining member and drawn up. The bent portions are formed by moving at least one of the starter and the shape defining member in a horizontal direction. The twisted portion is formed by rotating at least one of the starter and the shape defining member about an axis extending along a vertical direction.

Abstract: A method for rust-proofing a mold, which is capable of reducing the time and the cost required for rust-proofing the mold. The method includes an iron hydroxide-forming step for forming iron hydroxide on a predetermined part of the surface of the mold, and a surface-treating step for forming a film covering the molding surface of the mold, and for changing the iron hydroxide formed on the mold into black rust, by heating the mold, under an oxygen-deficiency atmosphere, on which the iron hydroxide is formed in the iron hydroxide-forming step.

Abstract: A technique for an infrared radiation thermometer used for thermography that detects measurement abnormality of an infrared radiation thermometer and estimates the causes of the measurement abnormality such as contamination of an objective lens and a malfunction in a mechanism section of the infrared radiation thermometer.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus includes a holding furnace that holds molten metal, and a shape defining member that is set near a molten metal surface of a molten metal held in the holding furnace, and defines a section shape of a casting to be cast, as the molten metal passes through the shape defining member. The shape defining member is able to be switched between a joined state and a partitioned state. With such a structure, it becomes possible to form a casting having a branched structure.

Abstract: A surface treatment method on a base material coated a surface with a carbon film includes: supplying at least any one of titanium, zirconium, niobium, vanadium, hafnium, tantalum, and tungsten to the carbon film; and heating the carbon film to 400° C. or more under an inert atmosphere, thereby forming a coating film on the base material.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus includes a holding furnace which holds molten metal, a guide-out member which guides the molten metal out from a surface of the molten metal held in the holding furnace, a shape determining member which is arranged to adjoin the surface of the molten metal and allows the molten metal guided out by the guide-out member to pass through the shape determining member to define a shape of a cross section of a casting, a cooling portion which cools the molten metal after the molten metal passes through the shape determining member, and an impact imparting portion which imparts an impact to the guide-out member or the casting.

Abstract: An up-thawing continuous casting apparatus includes a holding furnace that holds molten metal; a shape determining member that is arranged near a molten metal surface of a casting held in the holding furnace, and that determines a sectional shape of the molten metal by the molten metal passing through the shape determining member; a cooling portion that cools and solidifies the molten metal that has passed through the shape determining member; and a molten metal cooling portion that lowers a temperature of the molten metal held in the holding furnace.

Abstract: A casting mold includes a carbon film with which at least a surface of the casting mold which forms a cavity is covered, and mold oil with which a surface of the carbon film is coated. In the casting mold, aluminum powder is added to the mold oil.

Abstract: Disclosed are a porous body with high strength, and a method for producing the porous body. Specifically disclosed is a porous body, which includes a carbon foam which is a porous material consisting primarily of carbon, and a carbon film which is formed on the surface of the carbon foam. The carbon film has a plurality of microscopic carbon fibers which are fibrous nanocarbons such as carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocoils or carbon nanofilaments, and a plurality of fullerenes which are substantially spherical nanocarbons each consisting of a plurality of carbon atoms.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus includes a holding furnace that holds molten metal, a shape determining member that is arranged near a molten metal surface of the molten metal held in the holding furnace, and that determines a sectional shape of a casting by the molten metal passing through the shape determining member, and a cooling portion that cools the molten metal that has passed through the shape determining member. The shape determining member includes, on a main surface on the molten metal surface side, at least one of a protruding portion that protrudes from the main surface, or a recessed portion that is recessed from the main surface.

Abstract: During a process of cooling a hypereutectic Al—Si alloy melt, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the melt to crystallize primary crystal ?-Al using, in combination, an ultrasonic transducer (8) that generates the ultrasonic vibration, an ultrasonic horn (7) that is connected to the ultrasonic transducer (8) and transmits the ultrasonic vibration in a specified direction, a treatment vessel (2) that holds the melt and is in contact with the ultrasonic horn (7), and a treatment vessel fixing device (3) that fixes the treatment vessel (2) by pressing the treatment vessel toward the ultrasonic horn (7).

Abstract: There are provided a manufacturing method of a casting capable of easily manufacturing a casting having a complex form and of increasing the degree of freedom of form of the casting to be manufactured, a manufacturing device thereof and a casting. At the time of forming a casting by drawing out molten metal from a bath surface of a molten metal bath and solidifying the molten metal which has been drawn out, an outer contour unit configured from a plurality of outer contour defining members for defining the outer contour of a casting is arranged in a region between the bath surface of the molten meth bath and a solid region where the molten metal is solidified and the molten metal which has been drawn out from the bath surface is drawn out through a region determined by the outer contour unit, and the form of the casting is changed by moving at least one of the plurality of outer contour defining members according to the drawing out of the molten metal.