A bonded wafer is produced by a method comprising a step of implanting ions of a light element such as hydrogen, helium or the like into a wafer for active layer at a predetermined depth position to form an ion implanted layer, a step of bonding the wafer for active layer to a wafer for support substrate through an insulating film, a step of exfoliating the wafer at the ion implanted layer, a first heat treatment step of conducting a sacrificial oxidation for reducing damage on a surface of an active layer exposed through the exfoliation and a second heat treatment step of raising a bonding strength, in which the second heat treatment step is continuously conducted after the first heat treatment step without removing an oxide film formed on the surface of the active layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for producing a bonded wafer, which comprises steps of implanting ions of a light element such as hydrogen, helium or the like into a wafer for active layer at a predetermined depth position, bonding the wafer to a wafer for support substrate, and thereafter subjecting to a heat treatment to exfoliate the ion implanted portion as well as a bonded wafer produced by such a method.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the method for producing a bonded wafer, there is, for example, a so-called smart cut method comprising a step of implanting ions of a light element such as hydrogen, helium or the like into a wafer for active layer at a predetermined depth position to form an ion implanted layer, a step of bonding the wafer for active layer to a wafer for support substrate through an insulating film, a step of exfoliating the wafer at the ion implanted layer, and a step of thinning a portion of an active layer exposed by the exfoliation through polishing to form an active layer having a predetermined film thickness. According to this smart cut method, a portion of the wafer exfoliated after the bonding can be recycled as a wafer, which is different from the conventional bonding technique. By such a recycling can be used one wafer (wafer for active layer) in the bonded wafer plural times, which leads the way to reduce the material cost. Also, the wafer produced by the smart cut method is excellent in the uniformity of film thickness, so that the smart cut method is noticed as a production method with future potential.
However, as for the bonded wafer produced by the smart cut method, damage of about 100 nm remains in the exfoliated surface of the active layer due to the exfoliation of the ion implanted portion. Therefore, it is required to conduct a treatment for removing the damage, and there is a sacrificial oxidation as a typical technique therefor. When the sacrificial oxidation is conducted at a high temperature, however, there is caused a problem that dislocation existing in the damaged layer extends into the inside of the active layer during the heat treatment and comes to the surface as a surface defect at the subsequent step. Also, the wafer after the sacrificial oxidation is dipped in hydrofluoric acid (HF) to remove an oxide film and subjected to a reinforcement heat treatment and a planarization heat-treatment for enhancing the bonding strength, but the peeling of the active layer is caused by the subsequent planarization heat treatment (high-temperature heat treatment at 1000-1200° C. in an argon or hydrogen atmosphere) due to the scooping of the insulating film through the immersion in hydrofluoric acid and the lacking of the bonding strength, and hence there is caused a problem that defects are generated and the thickness uniformity of the active layer is broken.
Since the generation of defects and the scattering in the thickness of the active layer bring about significant bad influence on device characteristic and device performance of the wafer, it is desired to develop a method for producing the bonded wafer in which the generation of the defects can be effectively suppressed in the bonded wafer and the thickness uniformity of the active layer can be ensured in order to improve the quality of the bonded wafer.


In a tomography apparatus and a method for operating a tomography apparatus for generation of multiple energy images, in which high-energy projections and low-energy projections are acquired by alternating adjustment of a voltage and a further control variable (namely the current or the exposure time), given a set first voltage value and a set first control value of the further control variable, and given a set second voltage value and a set second control value of the further control variable, x-rays generated by an x-ray radiator exhibit essentially the same x-ray dose or photon flow.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an x-ray tomography apparatus for generation of multiple energy images and a method for generation of multiple energy images with such a tomography apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
"Multiple energy images," are x-ray images that are generated with different x-ray energies. For example, by a weighted subtraction on the basis of a low-energy image and a high-energy image it is possible to calculate images in which essentially only substances with a specific absorption characteristic are still visible. This fact is in particular used in diagnostic medicine for visualization of soft tissue separate from bony tissue. Multiple energy images can be generated in different manners.
In FujiFilm Co., Technical review no. 12, "Upright image reader that supports energy subtraction processing software", an x-ray apparatus is described that enables the simultaneous generation of a low-energy image and a high-energy image with a fixed, set energy of the x-ray radiation by means of an energy-selective detector. The energy-selective detector has two detector arrays disposed in series, between which is arranged an absorption filter in the form of a copper filter for reduction of the energy of the x-ray radiation. Such detectors are very expensive to produce due to the use of two separate detector arrays. Moreover, with such a detector the achievable energy difference of the x-ray radiation used for generation of the high-energy image and of the low-energy image is very slight, such that bony tissue and soft tissue cannot always be completely separated in the calculated images.
Furthermore, a tomography apparatus is known from United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0101087 with which the low-energy image and the high-energy image can be generated via two separate exposures at different energies of the x-ray radiation. The different energies of the x-ray radiation are set by different voltages. The low-energy image is detected at a set voltage value of 80 kV and the high-energy image is detected at a set voltage value of 160 kV.
Given the same current values, dependent on the set voltage values the x-ray radiation exhibits a different x-ray dose or flux. Due to the equivalence of x-ray dose and flux, the following statements representative for both terms but only the term x-ray dose is used. Table 1 exemplarily shows the relation between the voltage and the relative x-ray dose. The x-ray dose is normalized relative to a set voltage value of 140 kV:
TABLE 1voltage vs. relative x-ray doseVoltageRelative x-ray dose140 kV100% 120 kV40% 80 kV20%
The x-ray dose at a voltage value of 140 kV (which is, for example, used for generation of the high-energy image) is accordingly approximately 5 times higher than the x-ray dose at a voltage value of 80 kV (which is used for generation of the low-energy energy). The patient is exposed to a different radiation exposure given the generation of high-energy images and low-energy images.

X-ray tomography apparatus and operating method for generating multiple energy images


The present invention aims to provide a steering wheel in which a decorative member is easily mounted and fixed to a steering main body without a need to employ fixing parts such as screws, and which is capable of effectively absorbing an impact by appropriately deforming the decorative member at the time of input of a load. The steering wheel of the present invention has: a plurality of engaging fixed units by which the decorative member is mounted and fixed to the steering main body's side via a fixing unit, and demounting of the fixing unit is restrained at the time of deformation of the decorative member; and an engaging unit which is arranged on a site configured to produce a bending deformation of the decorative member, and by which demounting is disallowed to be restrained at the time of deformation of the decorative member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering wheel in which a decorative member made of a synthetic resin is mounted and fixed to a steering main body, and in particular, to a steering wheel which is superior in mounting property of a decorative member, and which is capable of appropriately deforming when the steering wheel is subjected to a load.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a steering wheel of an automobile has a steering main body which is constructed in such a manner that a boss portion and a circular ring-shaped rim portion to be coupled to a sheering shaft are coupled by way of a plurality of spoke portions. In addition, an air bag device is attached to the boss portion of the steering main body, and a pad portion having a horn mechanism is mounted so as to cover the airbag device.
Further, at the periphery of the pad portion, a decorative member (which may also be referred to as a garnish or an ornament) is mounted so as to cover the spoke portions of the steering main body, and a design property of the steering wheel is enhanced by this decorative member. Moreover, a stepped difference between the rim portion and the pad portion of the steering main body is reduced, whereby operability or operational stability of the steering wheel may also be improved.
An example of the steering wheel to which such a decorative member has been mounted is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-144076, for example.
The steering wheel described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-144076 is constructed in such a manner that a decorative member (an ornament) is mounted to a steering main body. The steering main body is provided with: a circular ring-shaped rim portion; a boss portion (a hub portion) which is arranged at a center part of the rim portion; a plurality of spoke portions configured to couple the rim portion and the boss portion to each other.
Also, the decorative member has: one pair of left and right first and second decorative members; and a third decorative member which is assembled and fixed between the first and second decorative members. In addition, the first to third decorative members are respectively formed by way of insertion molding of a synthetic resin, and the left and right side edge parts of the third decorative member are slidably inserted into, and are engaged with, an opposite side edge part of the first decorative member and an opposite side edge part of the second decorative member, whereby an assembled decorative member in which the first decorative member to the third decorative member have been integrally assembled with each other is constructed.
In particular, in so far as the assembled decorative member in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-144076 is concerned, an opposite end face which forms a gap between the first decorative member and third decorative member and an opposite end face which forms a gap between the second decorative member and the third decorative member are constructed so as to be inclined faces, both of which are obliquely disposed so as to cross each other with respect to the line of sight of a driver who faces a front side with respect to the steering wheel.
Such an assembled decorative member in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-144076, in its entire shape, forms a substantial Y-shape in a planar view, and is mounted and fixed to the steering main body so as to follow an outer circumferential part of the pad portion in the steering wheel.
In this case, on a back face of the assembled decorative member, a plurality of lattice-shaped reinforcement ribs and a mounting and fixing portion which are coupled to the reinforcement ribs are integrally formed with the assembled decorative member; the assembled decorative member is positioned by way of an engaging lock pin or the like with respect to the spoke portions of the steering main body; and by way of screw tightening, the mounting and fixing portion that is provided on the back face of the assembled decorative member is secured and fixed to a mounting base which is formed at the spoke portions.
In so far as the assembled decorative member in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-144076 is concerned, securing and fixing exerted by screw tightening is utilized, as described previously, as a unit configured to fix the decorative member (the assembled decorative member) to the steering wheel. In this way, in the conventional steering wheel, in order to fix the steering main body and the decorative member to each other, in general, the decorative member is fixed to the steering main body by employing fixing parts such as screws, machine screws, or bolts.
However, in a case where the decorative member is thus fixed to the steering main body by employing the fixing parts such as screws or machine screws, the number of parts increases, and therefore, there has been a case in which management of parts becomes complicated, or alternatively, there has been a case in which the assembling process of the steering wheel becomes complicated.
In addition, in a case where the decorative member is fixed by employing the fixing parts such as screws or machine screws, there is a need to provide a mounting and fixing portion for mounting the fixing parts on the decorative member, and however, there has been a case in which a setup position of the mounting and fixing portion is limited in consideration of the assembling work or the like of the steering wheel. Further, in a case where the decorative member is designed so as to be formed in an elongated shape, for example, there has been a case in which it becomes difficult to provide the mounting and fixing portion on the decorative member, or alternatively, there has been a case in which it becomes difficult to carry out the assembling work.
In a case where the fixing parts such as screws or machine screws are thus employed, the degree of freedom in design of the steering wheel is often lowered, and therefore, it is desired to employ a unit configured to fix the decorative member to the steering main body without a need to employ the fixing parts.
On the other hand, the steering wheel is constructed so as to absorb and mitigate an impact which is applied to a driver or the like, by deforming the steering wheel when the steering wheel is subjected to an input of a load exerted by a driver or the like from a driver's seat, for example, at the time of collision of an automobile or the like.
Thus, it is desirable that the steering wheel be constructed so that the amount of deformation of the steering wheel (in particular, the amount of deformation of the steering main body) is as large as possible in order to enhance the relevant impact absorption performance, and however, in a case where the decorative member is fixed to the steering main body by employing the fixing parts such as screws or machine screws, as described previously, deformation of the steering main body is restrained by the decorative member, depending on the setup position of the mounting and fixing portion in the decorative member or the mounting portion of the fixing parts.
Thus, in the conventional art, even if the decorative member is fixed to the steering main body by employing the fixing parts, a design of the decorative member is made in such a manner that deformation of the steering main body is restrained, thus resulting in a further lowering of the degree of freedom in design of the steering wheel, and for example, there has been a case in which it becomes difficult to design the decorative member so as to be formed in a narrow elongated shape, or alternatively, there has been a case in which it becomes difficult to make a difference in external view of the steering wheel or to enhance its related design property.
On the other hand, if an attempt is made to form an elongated design portion as a decorative member by way of painting, for example, there is a need to provide masking or the like for the sake of painting, or alternatively, it takes long for such painting to dry, thus resulting in higher costs, and in the case of such painting, it is difficult to produce a sharp sense of feeling in external view.


A conveyor using a drive chain to drive pallets along a closed loop path on a track lying in a horizontal plane through inside and outside turns so that the conveyor may transport parts along non aligned stations. An advance and a return run extend parallel to each other and are closely spaced to minimize the floor space required. The drive chain is engaged by two spaced apart sprockets engaging a respective side of the drive chain, the sprockets mounted to the pallet on a pivoted bar spring biased to urge the sprocket teeth into engagement with the chain. The sprocket bar is pivotally mounted to one end of the swing bar which has an opposite end connected to the pallet to allow the chain and pallet to move together along the track and negotiate inside and outside turns. The chain is guided in a chain guide channel through inside turns, and on sprockets around the outside turns. A pair of friction brake rollers are included, each attached to one of the sprockets and are normally in firm contact with each other to brake the sprockets and carry the pallet along with the chain, which friction brake rollers slip when the pallet is arrested by a stop mechanism to be allowed to accumulate, the sprockets then able to rotate and the chain allowed to continue to circulate past the stopped pallet.

This invention concerns conveyors, and more particularly conveyors in which a series of pallets are driven around a closed loop track by a recirculating link chain, parts to be conveyed thereby being carried by the pallets. Such conveyors are commonly used in moving parts through a series of workstations where processes are performed on the parts.
Conveyors are sometimes designed as "accumulator" or asynchronous conveyors, allowing pallets to form a queue at one or more stations by disengaging the drive connection of the pallets to the drive chain so that the drive chain can overrun the queued pallets. Conveyors are also designed to the "synchronous", in which the pallets always remain in driving engagement with the drive chain and always move in synchronism with the chain.
Many such conveyors arrange the chain to recirculate through a path lying in a vertical plane in which the drive chain has an upper segment along which the parts are advanced, and a return segment lying below the upper segment with end sprockets at either end rotating about a horizontal axis. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,757,893 and 5,735,384 for examples of such conveyors.
In another form, the drive chain recirculates along a closed loop path lying in a horizontal plane, which has the advantage of allowing the parts to remain on the pallets through the entire path of the chain recirculation, increasing the number of stations possible, improving the versatility of the conveyor, and enhancing the processing and handling efficiency of the parts.
The parts are usually mounted on an upper horizontal surface on the pallet, but longer parts are sometimes better handled by being vertically suspended thereon.
For that reason, chain conveyors have been devised in which the chain recirculates along a path lying in a horizontal plane and a part can be hung on the side of pallets driven by the chain.
This arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,019,214; 6,568,525 and 3,785,475.
In those arrangements, the chain (or a friction band) circulates along a path having only outside turns, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,525. Since the return segment can only undergo outside turns, this necessitates an open space between the advance and return conveyor runs if the conveyor routing deviates from a simple straight line, i.e., if one or more of the stations are not aligned. This creates wasted space between advance and return runs of the conveyor which wasted space is a significant disadvantage when installed in the confines of a typical manufacturing facility. It may be desirable for the conveyor to be routed to such a station at such a particular location.
It would be advantageous to be able to route the drive chain and pallets through a path which could include inside turns as the conveyor could be routed to any desired station location while maintaining the advance and return conveyor runs closely spaced to be able to locate various stations anywhere with minimal use of floor space.
In an accumulating conveyor, the need to controllably disengage the pallet from the conveyor drive chain has typically involved complex latching mechanisms which are subject to failure and are costly to fabricate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor which includes a pallet drive chain which circulates along a closed loop path lying in a horizontal plane which is able to move pallets around both inside and outside turns for achieving maximum flexibility in locating stations and minimal use of floor space.
It is another object to provide a simplified and reliable arrangement for selectively engaging and disengaging pallets with the conveyor chain while being able to be routed through inside and outside turns.
It is another object to provide a pallet conveyor which can mount parts in either a horizontal on top of the pallets or a vertical orientation on the side of the pallet.

Pallet conveyor with chain drive recirculating in a horizontal plane


A coated steel sheet has a coating film on at least one side of a plated steel sheet. The coating film contains a binder resin, non-oxide ceramic particles containing V (excluding VC particles), and doped zinc oxide particles. The respective contents of the non-oxide ceramic particles containing V and the doped zinc oxide particles relative to the coating film satisfy the expressions: [(1) CZn≥10.0, (2) CV≤0.5·CZn, (3) CV≤70−CZn, (4) CV≥0.125·CZn, and (5) CV≥2.0], where CV represents the content (mass %) of the non-oxide ceramic particles containing V, and CZn represents the content (mass %) of the doped zinc oxide particles. The coated steel sheet is excellent in both corrosion resistance before electrodeposition coating, and weldability.

Most members for automobile body are formed using, for example, sheets such as steel sheets as a starting material. The members for automobile body are produced by, for example, undergoing numerous processes such as (1) a blanking process in which a metal sheet is cut to a prescribed size, (2) an oil cleaning process in which the blanked metal sheet is cleaned with oil, (3) a process in which the metal sheet cleaned with oil is press-formed to obtain a formed material, (4) a joining process in which the formed materials are assembled into a member with a desired shape by spot welding, adhesion or the like, (5) a process in which the press oil of the surface of the joined member is removed and the surface is cleaned; (6) a chemical treatment process, and (7) an electrodeposition coating process. Further, in a case where a member for automobile body use is to be used as an outer sheet, generally the member for automobile body use also undergoes, for example, coating processes such as (8) an intermediate coating process and (9) an over-coating process. Thus, in the automotive industry, there is a high demand for cost reduction by omitting and simplifying production processes, in particular the chemical treatment process and the coating process.
The corrosion resistance of a member for automobile body use is usually ensured by a chemical treatment film formed by a chemical treatment process, and an electrodeposition coating film formed by a subsequent electrodeposition coating process. However, portions over which neither the chemical treatment film nor the electrodeposition coating film reaches may be left at joint portions (sheet overlapping parts) of the formed materials, in particular at a sheet overlapping part and a hemming portion and the like of the inner surface of a closed section member. In such a case, the possibility of a joint portion of the formed material being exposed to a corrosive environment in an uncovered state increases. Hence, the corrosion resistance of the joint portion of the formed material is compensated for by using an anti-rust subsidiary material such as body sealer, under-coating, adhesives, or wax applied on the inner closed portion. These anti-rust subsidiary materials are not only a factor that increases the cost of automobile production, but are also a factor in reducing productivity and increasing the vehicle body weight. Therefore, there has been a high demand for members for automobile body in which corrosion resistance can be ensured even when the amounts of these anti-rust subsidiary materials are reduced.
To address these demands, much research and development has been conducted regarding coated steel sheets that enable the omission of the chemical treatment process, the omission or simplification of the electrodeposition coating process, and the omission or reduction of the anti-rust subsidiary materials to be achieved at the same time during automobile production. Coated steel sheets of such kind are, for example, press-formed, and are then assembled into a desired shape by spot welding or the like, and thereafter are subjected to electrodeposition coating, or coated with an intermediate coat in a case where an electrodeposition coating process is omitted. For this reason, it is necessary to improve the press-formability and to provide the coating film with electrical conductivity so that resistance welding or further electrodeposition coating can be performed on the coated steel sheet, and also impart corrosion resistance.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a galvannealed steel sheet having a resin-based electroconductive coating film that contains zinc powder has high corrosion resistance and is weldable. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that, in the galvannealed steel sheet, preferably the amount of zinc powder contained in the coating film is 30 to 90 mass %, and that the coating film thickness is preferably 2 to 30 μm.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that an organic-composite plated steel that has an anti-rust treatment layer, which is mainly composed of a chromium compound over which an organic resin coating film that contains 3 to 59 vol % of electroconductive powder and an anti-corrosive pigment is covered to a thickness of 0.5 to 20 μm, is excellent in corrosion resistance and is capable of undergoing resistance welding. It is also described in Examples in Patent Document 2 that, by using iron phosphide, Fe—Si alloy, Fe—Co alloy or the like as the electroconductive powder, the organic-composite plated steel is excellent in corrosion resistance and spot weldability.
Patent Document 3 discloses an Ni-containing electrogalvanized steel sheet for automobile service part use in which, after forming a chromate primer by a chromate preconditioning treatment for improving corrosion resistance and coating film adhesion, an organic resin layer that contains 25 to 45 mass % of an electrically conductive pigment mainly composed of iron phosphide and an anti-corrosive pigment is coated thereon to a thickness of 2 to 8 μm. Patent Document 3 discloses that the Ni-containing electrogalvanized steel sheet is excellent in corrosion resistance, resistance weldability and the like. In Examples in Patent Document 3, both a water-based coating resin and a solvent-based coating resin are mentioned as examples, and it is described that the coating composition for forming the resin coating layer may be either a water-based or a solvent-based composition.
Patent Document 4 discloses a water-based coating agent as a metal surface coating agent that enables the formation of a corrosion resistance film having electrical conductivity and can be welded, and that contains 10 to 30 mass % of a specific organic binder and 30 to 60 mass % of an electrically conductive powder. In Patent Document 4, zinc, aluminum, graphite, carbon black, molybdenum sulfide, and iron phosphide are mentioned as examples of the electrically conductive powder, which is suitable for the preparation of the water-based coating agent.
Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6 disclose an organic coated steel sheet for automobile use that achieves both excellent corrosion resistance and weldability obtained by coating the surface of a galvanized steel sheet or an aluminum plated steel sheet with a first layer film that reinforces the adhesion to the plating layer and, via the first layer film, a resin-based second layer film that contains an electrically conductive pigment and a rust-preventive addition agent. In Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6, a water-based coating composition is exemplified as the coating composition for forming the first layer film, and both a water-based coating composition and a solvent-based coating composition are exemplified as the coating composition for forming the second layer film. In Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6 it is described that the amount of electrically conductive pigment contained in the second layer film having a thickness of 1 to 30 μm is in the range of 5 to 70 vol %. In Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6, a metal, an alloy, electrically conductive carbon, iron phosphide, carbides, and semiconductor oxides are mentioned as examples of a suitable electrically conductive pigment.
Further, Patent Document 7 discloses that a coated metallic material having an electrically conductive coating film containing, as electrically conductive particles, alloy particles constituted by metal and metalloid elements or compound particles, and a specific urethane-based resin has high corrosion resistance and is weldable. In Patent Document 7 it is described that the electrically conductive particles are preferably alloys or compounds that contain 50 mass % or more of Si, and more preferably are ferrosilicon containing 70 mass % or more of Si.
Here, as technology that, among electrically conductive particles other than metal particles, uses electrically conductive ceramic particles, Patent Document 8, for example, discloses that an electroconductive material-coated corrosion resistant metal material obtained by covering a core metal with a cladding layer composed of a corrosion resistant metal, and then covering the surface thereof with a surface treatment layer composed of pieces of an electroconductive material and any resin that binds these pieces is excellent in corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. In Patent Document 8, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, or alloys of these elements are mentioned as examples of the corrosion resistant metal. Further, in Patent Document 8, at least one type of material selected from the group consisting of a carbon material, an electrically conductive ceramic, and a metal powder is mentioned as an example of the electroconductive material.
Patent Document 9 discloses an electrically conductive and weldable anti-corrosion composition for coating metal surfaces. The anti-corrosion composition contains, based on the overall composition: (a) 5 to 40 mass % of an organic binder containing (aa) at least one epoxy resin, (ab) at least one hardening agent selected from cyanoguanidine, benzoguanamine and plasticized urea resin, and (ac) at least one amine adduct selected from polyoxyalkylene triamine and epoxy resin/amine adducts; (b) 0 to 15 mass % of an anti-corrosion pigment; (c) 40 to 70 mass % of an electrically conductive pigment selected from powdered zinc, aluminum, graphite, molybdenum sulfide, carbon black and iron phosphide; (d) 0 to 45 mass % of a solvent; and as required, up to 50 mass % of other active or auxiliary substances.
Patent Document 10 discloses that a galvanized steel sheet obtained from a silane coupling agent (a1) having a glycidyl group, a tetraalkoxysilane (a2), and a chelating agent (a3) contains a silane compound (A) having a hydrolyzable group; a zirconium carbonate compound (B); a vanadate compound (C); a nitrate compound (D); and water; and is subjected to a surface treatment using a surface treatment solution having a pH of 8 to 10.
Patent Document 11 discloses an inner magnetic shield starting material having, on at least one side of a steel strip having a surface roughness in the range of 0.2 to 3 μm Ra, an organic resin coating that is composed substantially of C and H, or C, H and O, or C, H, O and N and has a thickness of 0.1 to 6 μm. The inner magnetic shield starting material is characterized in that the organic resin coating contains either or both of (a) at least one type of coupling agent in a total amount of 2 to 50 mass %, and (b) at least one type of metal oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO2, Fe3O4, Fe2O3, Ni—O, Zr—O, Cr2O3 and Al2O3 in a total amount of 2 to 80 mass %.
Patent Document 12 discloses a chromate-free chemical treated hot-dip zinc-aluminum alloy plated steel sheet having, on the surface of the steel sheet, a Zn alloy plating layer containing 1 to 10 mass % of Mg, 2 to 19 mass % of Al, and 0.01 to 2 mass % of Si, in which Mg and Al satisfy the relation: Mg (mass %)+Al (mass %) 20 mass %, with the balance being Zn and unavoidable impurities. The chromate-free chemical treated hot-dip zinc-aluminum alloy plated steel sheet is characterized by further having a coating film containing 10 to 30 mass % of a zirconium compound as zirconium and 5 to 20 mass % of a vanadyl compound as vanadium on an outer layer of the Zn alloy plating layer with a coating mass of at least 200 to 1200 mg/m2 on one side. As a result, the chromate-free chemical treated hot-dip zinc-aluminum alloy plated steel sheet is excellent in weldability and corrosion resistance.
Patent Document 13 discloses a coated steel sheet containing, as a first layer film on the surface of a galvanized steel sheet or an aluminum-plated steel sheet, (α) silica, (β) phosphoric acid and/or a phosphate compound, (γ) one or more types of metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Mn and Al (including a case where the metals are contained as compounds and/or complex compounds), and (σ) a tetravalent vanadium compound.
Patent Document 14 discloses a plated steel sheet for a can that is characterized by having, in order from the steel sheet side, at least a metallic tin layer, a tin oxide layer having a quantity of electricity satisfying 0.3 to 2.5 mC/cm2 required for reduction, and a chemically treated layer having the phosphate or polymetaphosphate of one or more types of element selected from Sn, Fe, Al, Mg, Ca, Ti, Ni, Co and Zn in a quantity of 0.1 to 5 mg/m2 as a P content.
Patent Document 15 discloses a pre-coated steel sheet that is coated with a resin metal composition for coating that includes: a main resin, a hardening agent, and one or more types of single metal powder selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Ti, Cu, Al, Zn, Sn and Fe2P powder or an alloy powder thereof.
Patent Document 16 discloses a pre-coated metal sheet for automobile use that includes a sheet, and a coating film (α) provided on at least one surface of the sheet. In the coated sheet for automobile use, the coating film (α) contains: an organic resin (A), non-oxide ceramic particles (B) that are selected from at least one type of particles among the group consisting of boride, carbide, nitride, and silicide particles and that have an electric resistivity at 25° C. of 0.1×10−6 to 185×10−6 Ωcm, and an anti-corrosive pigment (C).
Patent Document 17 discloses a pre-coated sheet for automobile use that includes a sheet, and a coating film (α) provided on at least one surface of the sheet. In the coated sheet for automobile use, the coating film contains: an organic resin (A); an electrically conductive pigment (B) selected from at least one type among borides, carbides, nitrides and silicides; an anti-corrosive pigment (C); and metal oxide fine particles (D).
Patent Document 18 discloses a corrosion resistant pre-coated sheet in which a coating film (α) that contains an organic resin (A) and non-oxide ceramic particles (B) with an electrical resistivity at 25° C. of 0.1×10−6 to 185×10−6 Ωcm that are at least one type of particle selected from borides, carbides, nitrides and silicides is formed on at least one surface of the sheet.
Patent Document 19 discloses a galvanized steel sheet for a back cover of a display device that uses a thin display panel. In the galvanized steel sheet, an inorganic-organic composite-based treated film having a film volume of 0.3 to 0.7 g/m2 is formed on the surface on a side that serves as the inner surface of the back cover.


This disclosure involves an adsorption-desorption material, e.g., crosslinked polyvinyl-amine material having an Mw from about 500 to about 1×106, total pore volume from about 0.2 cc/g to about 2.0 cc/g, and a CO2 adsorption capacity of at least about 0.2 millimoles per gram of crosslinked material, and/or linear polyvinyl-amine material having an Mw from about 160 to about 1×106, total pore volume from about 0.2 cc/g to about 2.0 cc/g, and a CO2 adsorption capacity of at least about 0.2 millimoles per gram of linear material. This disclosure also involves processes for preparing the crosslinked polyvinyl-amine materials and linear polyvinyl-amine materials, as well as selective removal of CO2 and/or other acid gases from a gaseous stream using the polyvinyl-amine materials.

1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates in part to adsorption-desorption materials, in particular, to crosslinked polyvinyl-amine materials, and linear polyvinyl-amine materials, and to processes for the preparation of these materials. This disclosure also relates in part to the use of these materials in the selective removal of CO2 and/or other acid gases from a gaseous stream containing one or more of these gases.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
The selective removal of carbon dioxide from mixed gas streams is of great commercial value. Commercially, carbon dioxide may be used for reinjection into gas or liquid hydrocarbon deposits to maintain reservoir pressure and for enhanced product recovery. Due to the advanced age of many producing reservoirs worldwide and the ever-increasing challenge of meeting demand, the expanding use of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods is becoming more widespread.
Typically the source of carbon dioxide for EOR is the producing hydrocarbon stream itself, which may contain anywhere from less than 5% to more than 80% of CO2.
Additionally, it is desired to capture CO2 from flue gas of various combustion sources, where the stream contains less than about 15% of CO2 and its temperature is relatively high. Yet another need for CO2 capture technology is for the pre-combustion capture of CO2 from shifted syngas produced in fuel gasification processes.
Conventional methods for CO2 capture include cryogenic distillation/condensation, absorption using liquid solvents, such as amine scrubbing, or sorption using solid sorbents, such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and/or temperature swing adsorption (TSA). However, with present technologies, all of these processes require a large temperature decrease of the gas stream to enable CO2 condensation or sorption. Conventional methods (PSA, TSA, amine scrubbing) require CO2 uptake at relatively low temperatures (e.g., less than 50° C.). Sorbent/solvent regeneration (CO2 desorption) is accomplished by a step change decrease in CO2 partial pressure (PSA), and/or by a temperature increase to above about 100° C. (TSA, amine scrubbing). In all of these cases, CO2 capture costs depend significantly on the required heat exchange capacities and energy requirements for gas cooling/heating, the costs for steam generation for CO2 desorption, and the high equipment and energy costs associated with CO2 recompression.
Conventional amine scrubbing is based on the chemistry of CO2 with amines to generate carbonate/bicarbonate and carbamate salts. Commercially, amine scrubbing typically involves contacting the CO2 and/or H2S containing gas stream with an aqueous solution of one or more simple amines (e.g., monoethanolamine). The process requires high rates of gas-liquid exchange and the transfer of large liquid inventories between the absorption and regeneration steps and high energy requirements for the regeneration of amine solutions. This process is challenged by the corrosive nature of the amine solutions. These challenges limit the economic viability for large-scale applications (e.g., large combustion sources and power plants) utilizing conventional technologies.
The growing need to incorporate carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) into fossil fuel-based power generation, has triggered accelerating research into alternatives to conventional amine scrubbing technology. Cyclic adsorption technologies (e.g., PSA and TSA) using solid adsorbents are also well-known in the gas purification industry. These processes avoid many of the limitations of amine scrubbing described above, but suffer from a lack of adsorbents having sufficiently selective CO2 adsorption under the humid conditions always present in combustion flue gas, as well as the commercial viability of large scale operation.
Due to the ever increasing use of CO2 re-injection for enhanced oil recovery, technology that reduces the cost of CO2 capture directly reduces hydrocarbon production costs. In addition, if anticipated future restrictions on CO2 emissions are mandated, a low cost method for CO2 capture will be a critical need as a part of CCS.
Carbon dioxide is a ubiquitous and inescapable by-product of the combustion of hydrocarbons. In addition to the use of CO2 for EOR, there is growing concern over its accumulation in the atmosphere and its role in global climate change. Therefore in addition to the commercial benefits of CO2 recovery, environmental factors may soon require its capture and sequestration. For these reasons the separation of CO2 from mixed gas streams is a rapidly growing area of research.
Therefore, a need exists for developing commercially viable alternative methods and adsorbent materials for the selective removal of CO2 from gas mixtures, particularly adsorption technologies and adsorbent materials having economic viability for large-scale (e.g., large combustion sources and power plants) applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polyvinyl-amine acid gas adsorption-desorption polymers, processes for preparing same, and uses thereof

EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY


A delivery system (10) is disclosed for delivering a fluid-sensitive beneficial agent (7) such as a somatotropin, or an analogue or derivative thereof, to an animal such as a bovine. The delivery system comprises a wall that surrounds an internal compartment, said wall comprising a first wall section that limits the passage of fluid into the system and a second wall section that permits the passage of fluid into the system. An exit passageway is provided for delivering the beneficial agent an interior compartment (18) to the animal. The exit passageway is sealed with a wax seal (30) which is expelled through the passageway (13) as the internal pressure within the device (10) reaches a predetermined "bursting" pressure. The passageway (13) is preferably sized to compensate for slight variations in the efflux of the beneficial agent and to maintaining a sufficient volumetric outflow rate of beneficial agent in order to minimize influx of biological fluids from the external environment back into the device once the seal (30) is expelled.

Delivery devices for administering a beneficial agent to a biological, fluid environment of use are known to the prior art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,137,727; 5,174,999; and 5,238,687.
These devices comprise a housing including fluid-impermeable first wall section and a fluid permeable second wall section. A beneficial agent is enclosed within the first wall section. An expandable driving member is enclosed within the second wall section. A slidable piston separates the beneficial agent from the expandable driving member. An exit passageway is formed in the fluid impermeable wall section. As fluid is imbibed through the semipermeable wall section, the driving member expands within the housing, pushing the slidable piston which forces the beneficial agent through the exit passageway.
The delivery devices described in the above patents operate successfully for their intended use and they can deliver many beneficial agents for their intended effects. Now, it has been observed that their use can be limited because difficulties associated with these delivery devices which include beneficial agents that are sensitive to biological fluids and to fluids containing biological gases; uneven delivery of those beneficial agents from the device and difficulties associated with shortening the start-up time for delivering the beneficial agents from the device.
Implanted devices are continually exposed to biological fluids naturally present in the body. Many beneficial agents, including proteins, peptides, and hormones, may be degraded (e.g., hydrolyzed) or diluted by fluids that enter the implanted device during operation thereof. The fluids may contact the agents by entering through the exit passageway, through the wall joints, or around the slidable piston. In addition, the delivery of beneficial agents from these devices may be uneven. Bubbles may impede passage of the agents through the exit passageways. Pressure may be created by differential expansion between the agent formulation and the materials used to construct the device altering the actual agent delivery rate. Furthermore, the disclosed devices may be unable to provide the desired delivery rates and start-up times.
Thus, there is a need for a delivery system for administering a drug or other beneficial agent that is sensitive to aqueous biological fluids at a controlled rate and for protecting the beneficial agent, and which delivery device possesses the ability to continually deliver the protected beneficial agent in effective amounts, over the desired time, particularly in the fields of human and veterinary medicine (eg, in the breeding and management of farm animals).

Implantable system for delivery of fluid-sensitive agents to animals