National Institute for Materials Science

Kabushiki Kaisha Riken

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Kozo Izuka Director-General of Agency of Industrial Science & Technology

Akihiko Ohi

Hideo Ohuchi

Akira Obuchi

Toshihide Nabatame

Kiyohide Yoshida

Toyohiro Chikyo

Satoshi Sumiya

Jin Kawakita

Koichi Mizuno

Atsushi Ogata

Hyogoro Aoyama

Tomoko Ohki

Gyo Muramatsu

Tadashi Shinohara

Naoki Ikeda

Yoshikazu Takahashi

Nobuyuki Matsumura

Takashi Ibusuki

Seiji Makino

Hidenori Yoshiyama

The present invention is to provide a small-sized dryness/wetness responsive sensor that detects a galvanic current with a high sensitivity as a principle of operation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dryness/wetness responsive sensor comprises a thin wire made of a first metal and a thin wire made of a second metal, the second metal is different from the first metal, the thin wire of the first metal and the thin wire of the second metal are disposed in juxtaposition with each other on an insulating substrate, and a surface state of a part between the thin wire of the first metal and the thin wire of the second metal is hydrophilic or hydrophobic.

Dryness/wetness responsive sensor

A dryness/wetness responsive sensor having decreased size, and improved sensitivity and responsiveness. The present invention comprises a thin wire of a first metal and a thin wire of a second metal, which is different from the first metal, wherein the thin wires run in juxtaposition with each other on an insulating substrate, and wherein the spacing between the first thin wire and the second thin wire is in the range of 5 nm or more and less than 20 &#x3bc;m.

Dryness/wetness responsive sensor having first and second wires spaced 5 nm to less than 20 &#x3bc;m apart

A nitrogen oxides-containing gas is contacted with a solid catalyst in the presence of methyl tert-butyl ether as a reducing agent for the conversion of the nitrogen oxides into molecular nitrogen. A supported catalyst including an alumina carrier having Pt, Rh or Ru supported thereon is desirably used as the solid catalyst.

Method of removing NO.sub.x from NO.sub.x -containing gas

An exhaust gas cleaner comprising a catalyst carried on a heat-resistant ter, the catalyst comprising (a) one or more alkali metals, (b) one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Zn, Sn and transition metals excluding platinum-group metals, and (c) one or more rare earth metals, and a method of cleaning an exhaust gas with it. Alkali metals may be added to a fuel.

Method of cleaning an exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxides and fine

An exhaust gas cleaner comprising (a) at least one filter made of a heat-resistant and electrically insulating material for trapping floating fine particles in an exhaust gas; and (b) at least a pair of electrodes stacked with the filter alternately, voltage being applied between the adjacent electrodes to burn electrically conductive and burnable fine particles trapped in the filter by heat generated by a current flowing between the adjacent electrodes, and the direction of the flow of the exhaust gas in the filter being essentially parallel to that of the laminate surface of the electrodes. The filter may carry a catalyst which functions to reduce harmful gas components in the exhaust gas.

Exhaust gas cleaner

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Akihiko Ohi