1. A method of producing porous silica-based particles with a low particle density, comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing two-layer separated liquid consisting of a layer of an organic silicon compound expressed by the following general formula (I) and a layer of water, then adding an organic solvent, an alkali, and a surfactant into the water layer while agitating at least the water layer so that the organic silicon compound layer and the water layer are not completely mixed with each other, further hydrolyzing andor partial hydrolyzing the organic silicon compound in the mixed aqueous solution to prepare silica-based particle precursors;
R1nSi(OR2)4-n\u2003\u2003(I)
(wherein R1 is a monad selected from an alkyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 1 to 10, an aryl group having the number of carbon atoms from 6 to 10, and an unsaturated aliphatic group having the number of carbon atoms from 2 to 10, which are allowed to contain substituent groups therein, and R2 is a monad selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 1 to 5, and an acyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 2 to 5, and then n is an integer from 1 to 3.)
(b) adding sodium aluminate into the mixed aqueous solution containing the silica-based particle precursors and then preparing silica-based particles having pores, cavities or voids inside the particles; and
(c) washing and drying the silica-based particles.
2. A method of producing porous silica-based particles with a low particle density, comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing two-layer separated liquid consisting of a layer of an organic silicon compound expressed by the following general formula (I) and a layer of water, then adding an organic solvent, an alkali, and a surfactant into the water layer while agitating at least the water layer so that the organic silicon compound layer and the water layer are not completely mixed with each other, further hydrolyzing andor partial hydrolyzing the organic silicon compound in the mixed aqueous solution to prepare silica-based particle precursors;
\u2014R1nSi(OR2)4-n\u2003\u2003(I)
(wherein R1 is a monad selected from an alkyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 1 to 10, an aryl group having the number of carbon atoms from 6 to 10, and an unsaturated aliphatic group having the number of carbon atoms from 2 to 10, which are allowed to contain substituent groups therein, and R2 is a monad selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 1 to 5, and an acyl group having the number of carbon atoms from 2 to 5, and then n is an integer from 1 to 3.)
(b) adding sodium aluminate into the mixed aqueous solution containing the silica-based particle precursors and then preparing silica-based particles having pores, cavities or voids inside the particles;
(c) washing and drying the silica-based particles, if necessary;
(d) preparing silica-based particles having at least pores, cavities or voids inside the particles by adding the silica-based particles in an alkaline aqueous solution to dissolve a part of a covering layer formed on an external peripheral surface of the silica-based particles; and
(e) washing and drying the silica-based particles.
3. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), a temperature of the mixed aqueous solution is maintained in a range from 0.1 to 10\xb0 C. and also the organic solvent, the alkali and the surfactant are added so that the pH of the mixed aqueous solution becomes in a range from 8.2 to 9.8, and then the solution is agitated at a speed from 30 to 100 rpm until the organic silicon compound layer disappears substantially.
4. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), the mixed aqueous solution is left for 0.1 to 7 hours at a temperature condition from 1 to 30\xb0 C. while agitating the mixed aqueous solution after the organic silicon compound layer disappears substantially.
5. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), the organic solvent is compatible with water and also is composed of one or more selected from the group consisting of alcohols, glycols, glycol ethers, and ketones capable of diluting or dispersing the organic silicon compound.
6. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), the alkali is composed of one or more selected from the group consisting of an ammonia aqueous solution, ammonia gas, an aqueous solution of alkali metal salt, an aqueous solution of quaternary ammonium salt and amines, and all of which act as hydrolytic catalyst for the organic silicon compounds.
7. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), the surfactant is composed of one or more selected from the group consisting of anion-based surfactants.
8. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (b), when representing the sodium aluminate by Al2O3 and the organic silicon compound by SiO2, the sodium aluminate is added within a weight ratio of Al2O3SiO2 from 397 to 2080.
9. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (b), the mixed aqueous solution is left for 0.5 to 50 hours at a temperature condition from 5 to 30\xb0 C. while agitating the mixed aqueous solution after the sodium aluminate has been added.
10. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 2, wherein, in the step (d), the alkaline aqueous solution contains an alkali metal hydroxide.
11. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 1, wherein, the silica-based particles dried in the step (c) or (e) are heated at a temperature condition from 200 to 1100\xb0 C.
12. A method of producing porous silica-based particles, wherein an inorganic compound solution prepared by dissolving or suspending an inorganic compound in an organic solvent, water, or a mixture thereof is added in a suspension prepared by suspending or dispersing the silica-based particles obtained by the method according to claim 1 in an organic solvent, water, or a mixture thereof to obtain the silica-based particles with the surface coated by the inorganic compound or a hydrolysate thereof.
13. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 12, wherein the inorganic compound is a silicic acid solution or an organic silicon compound, by which the surfaces of the silica-based particles are coated by silicon components.
14. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 13, wherein the organic silicon compound is composed of one or more selected from the group consisting of an ethyl silicate, a methyl silicate, and organic silicon compounds expressed by the general formula (I) above.
15. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 13, wherein the silica-based particles coated with the silicon components are washed and dried, and if necessary, then heated at a temperature of 200 to 1100\xb0 C.
16. The method of producing porous silica-based particles, wherein a powdery organic compound is adhered to surfaces of the silica-based particles obtained from the method according to claim 1 and further, at least a portion of the adhered organic compounds is melted, by which the surfaces of the silica-based particles are coated with the organic compounds.
17. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 16, wherein the organic compound is a thermoplastic resin having a glass transition point of 200\xb0 C. or less, or a thermoplastic resin having a curing temperature of 200\xb0 C. or less.
18. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 16, wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of a methyl methacrylate resin, an acrylic styrene copolymer resin, or a mixture thereof.
19. The method of producing porous silica-based particles according to claim 12, wherein a thickness of the coating layer coated on the silica-based particle is in a range from 0.005 to 2 \u03bcm.
20. Porous silica-based particles, wherein the silica-based particles are obtained from the method according to claim 1 and an average diameter of the particles is in a range from 1 to 15 \u03bcm and also a compacting bulk density thereof is in a range from 0.25 to 0.62 gcm3.
21. The porous silica-based particles according to claim 20, wherein an oil absorption rate of the silica-based particles is in a range from 0.63 to 1.53 mlg.
22. The porous silica-based particles according to claim 20, wherein a compressive strength of the silica-based particles is in a range from 4 to 100 kgfmm2.
23. Silica-based particles, wherein an inorganic compound andor an organic compound is absorbed or adsorbed to inside of the porous silica-based particles according to claim 20.
24. Silica-based particles, wherein an inorganic compound andor an organic compound is absorbed or adsorbed to inside of the porous silica-based particles according to claim 20, and further surfaces of the particles are coated with the same or different kind of the inorganic compound or a hydrolysate thereof, or with the same or different kind of the organic compound or a polymer thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A target transport apparatus comprising:
a transport unit that includes a plurality of pinching portions disposed at intervals along a width direction that intersects with a transport direction of a target, the transport unit imparting a transport force on the target by the pinching portion pinching the target at a plurality of pinched areas; a transport amount detection unit, disposed in a location that is axially aligned with a pinched area of the target in the width direction and downstream from the transport unit in the transport direction; and
a support member that supports the target transported by the transport unit;
wherein the transport amount detection unit is configured to detect an amount by which the target is transported by the transport unit without making contact with the target;
wherein the transport amount detection unit detects the amount by which the target is transported from a surface of the target that is supported by the support member.
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. The target transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport amount detection unit is disposed in a location that corresponds to the center of the pinched area in the width direction of the target and to the center of the pinched area along the transport direction.
5. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid onto a target; and the target transport apparatus according to claim 1.
6. (canceled)
7. (canceled)
8. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid onto a target; and the target transport apparatus according to claim 4.
9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid ejecting head is provided downstream from the transport unit in the transport direction of the target, and ejects a liquid onto the target that is pinched by the transport unit.
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid ejecting head is provided downstream from the transport unit in the transport direction of the target, and ejects a liquid onto the target that is pinched by the transport unit.
13. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a heating unit that heats and fixes the liquid ejected onto the target from the liquid ejecting head.
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a heating unit that heats and fixes the liquid ejected onto the target from the liquid ejecting head.
17. The target transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit includes a driver roller and a slave roller, the slave roller forming the plurality of pinching portions.
18. The target transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport amount detection unit includes an imaging sensor configured to gather an image of a detection area of the target, the detection area being axially aligned with the pinched area of the target in the transport direction.
19. The target apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the imaging sensor is positioned at a substantially constant distance away from the detection area of the target as the target moves in the transport direction.
20. The target transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hole formed in the support member and having light-transmissive glass disposed therein that does not make contact with the target.
21. The target transport apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the transport amount detection unit includes an imaging sensor configured to gather an image of a detection area of the target, the detection area being axially aligned with the pinched area of the target in the transport direction.
22. The target transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport amount detection unit is embedded in the support member.