The sintered composite of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ and ionic liquid, BMImTFSI, was synthesized by sintering the mixture of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ powder and BMImTFSI at 573 K by hot pressing, and its microscopic structure and thermoelectric properties were investigated. The dispersed micropores, where BMImTFSI occupied, were observed by SEM observation on the cross-section of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃-BMImTFSI sintered composite. With an increase of the amount of BMImTFSI, the Seebeck coefficient of the composite generally decreased, while the electrical resistivity increased and the electrical resistivity of the composite with 0.5 ml of BMImTFSI is about two times larger than that of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ with no BMImTFSI. The thermal conductivity of the composite with 0.01 ml of BMImTFSI was reduced by about 20 % compared to that of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ with no BMImTFSI. These results indicate that the dispersed BMImTFSI in the composite acts as a scattering center for electric carrier and phonon. As a result, the dimensionless figure of merit ZT of the composite with 0.01 ml of BMImTFSI showed a maximum value of 0.70 at 373 K, which was about 20 % larger than that of Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ with no BMImTFSI.

The purpose of this study was to identify the morphological characteristics and chemical properties of pipe-shaped iron oxide particles depending on the manufacturing method and provide information on possible manufacturing methods and locality survey of the excavated iron oxides. We collected samples around the Toratsuka Tomb and performed firing, followed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analyses, and X-ray diffraction analyses. Based on the results, it was demonstrated that the annealing temperature has no effect on the shape of the iron oxide samples while the particle size as well as the color and intensity ratio of iron oxide differed with the annealing temperature. We also obtained information on minor constituents of the iron oxide samples through elemental analyses and gained knowledge on determining the locality by identifying the contained elements.

Commercially pure titanium with harmonic structure, which consists of a coarse-grained structure surrounded by a network structure of fine-grains, was produced by sintering mechanically milled powders to achieve high strength and high ductility. The effect of subsequent nitriding on the commercially pure titanium with harmonic structure was investigated. Nitriding was performed at relatively low temperatures of 773, 873 and 973 K (500, 600 and 700 °C). The surface microstructures of the nitrided specimens with harmonic structure were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and a non-contact scanning white light interferometry. The nitrided titanium specimen with harmonic structure had higher hardness than a nitrided-only titanium specimen because the fine-grained structure in the harmonic structure accelerated the formation of titanium nitrides during nitriding. Furthermore, fine grains created by mechanical milling were not coarsened during the nitriding process. These results indicate that low temperature nitriding is effective to increase the surface hardness of commercially pure titanium with harmonic structure while grain-coarsening is also suppressed.

Low-cost, high-strength titanium alloy plates were prepared using a prealloyed titanium powder (Ti-6Al-4V) as a starting material. Ti-6Al-4V was prepared via a hydrogenation/dehydrogenation process from Ti-6Al-4V alloy machine turnings. Prealloyed Ti-6Al-4V and iron (3 %–3.5 %) powders were mixed and subsequently consolidated by a vacuum hot pressing (VHP) process. Densification of the prealloyed powder to the theoretical density level was confirmed by VHP process. The combination of VHP, hot rolling, and mill annealing processes led to the production of titanium alloy plates with a 1200 MPa tensile strength and a 5 % elongation. Remarkably, the Ti-6Al-4V alloy exhibited enhanced tensile strength and lower elongation values upon iron addition.

Alumina granule admixed with liquid paraffin was formed to cup shape by single-action tooling and floating die tooling combined with flow compaction. Green density increases on effect of flow compaction by liquid paraffin content and double-action effect by floating die tooling, and difference of density in green compact decreases in green compact. As a result of sintering, the height of sintered compact was shrunk from green compact to 17.9 % and the diameter of sintered compact was shrunk from green compact to 17.5 %. The maximum sintered density was 99.0 % on relative density on addition of liquid paraffin 12.5 mass%, compacting pressure of 177 MPa and spring constant of 267 N/mm 4pieses by floating die tooling. Cup tip on diameter of sintered compact was thin and cup bottom was thick. The minimum difference on diameter of sintered compact was 0.32 mm. Sintered density became higher and difference on diameter of sintered compact could be reduced by floating die tooling combined with flow compaction.

Biomaterials used for the implant apparatus including dental implants should have the interface to the living tissues. Control of bioreaction of the living tissues adjacent to the implants by the biomaterials used for the implants is the most important and essential factors for the success of the treatment. Introducing various surface modification and fabrication of the biomaterials could have provided a variety of bioactivities for implants, especially for the dental implants. Osseointegration; i.e. titanium and titanium alloy can combine firmly to bone, is widely applied to bone implants and dental implants. Many attempts have been progressing for improving the osseointegration abilities. For further development of the implant treatment, it is needed to introduce innovative features on the interface between biomaterial and living tissues. Highly-functional interface, named by Inter-University Research Project 2007-2011 “Highly-functional Interface Science: Innovation of Biomaterials with Highly-functional Interface to Host and Parasite”, MEXT, Japan is one of the feasible concepts, which involves biocontrollability, mechanical biocompatibility, self-organizing ability, and so on. Further innovative idea is the interface equipping the highly-function and autonomic intelligence, namely the intelligent interface, which should be self-organizing and self-governing interface containing the self-organizing and self-governing of interface function, activation of host-biomaterial interaction and stabilization of parasite-biomaterial interaction, and also life-long function.

Calcium titanate (CaTiO₃) and CaO-rich calcium titanate compound films were prepared by laser chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and the change in morphology by immersion in simulated body fluid was investigated. At the Ca/Ti supplying ratio (R_Ca/Ti) of 0.9 and the laser powder (P_L) of 60 W, CaTiO₃ film having pyramidal facets in a cone-like morphology was deposited, whereas at R_Ca/Ti = 1.6 and P_L = 60 W, Ca-rich calcium titanate compound film with a cauliflower-like morphology was formed at the deposition rate of 225 μm h⁻¹. By immersion in Hanks’ solution for 259.2 ks, the Ca-rich calcium titanate compound film exhibited the significant formation of calcium phosphate granules covering the film surface, while a small amount of calcium phosphate precipitates was partially formed on the CaTiO₃ film surface.

NiTi has been used in biomedical implants because of its shape memory effect and superelasticity. In this study, a dealloying process was applied to NiTi substrates to form porous surfaces with low Ni content. The NiTi substrates were immersed in Ce or Mg melts for dealloying Ni. The reaction layers were characterized by using SEM/EDX and XRD. Upon dealloying, a porous layer consisting of NiTi₂ and α-Ti phases was obtained at the surface of the NiTi. The Ni content in the porous layer formed at the surface of the NiTi substrate decreased step-wise until it reached a value of 2.0 at%. The thickness of the porous layer obtained by using the Ce melt was higher than that obtained by using the Mg melt, which might be due to the high affinity of Ni with Ce. 1 mass% lactic acid solution was used as an eluent for eluting Ni ions from the reaction layers. Although the amount of Ni ions eluted from the reaction layer formed by using the Ce melt was higher than that eluted from the as-polished NiTi substrate, the amount of eluting Ni ions per unit area decreased. In the case of the reaction layer obtained by using the Mg melt, the amount of eluting Ni ions was comparable with that from the as-polished NiTi substrate.