A clothing treatment apparatus capable of enabling an orientation of a bag body and an orientation of an ozone supply apparatus to keep a desired relationship is provided. A clothing deodorizing apparatus comprises a bag body for accommodating clothing; an ozone supply apparatus for supplying air into the bag body; an introduction pipe for guiding the air with the ozone exhausted from the ozone supply apparatus into the bag body; a cylindrical part formed on the bag body and fixed with one end part of the introduction pipe; and an inserting port part formed on the ozone supply apparatus and configured to detachably install the other end part of the introduction pipe in a specified orientation.

In an embodiment, metal-organic nanowires or nanofibers comprising polymer chains with around 100 or more repeat units are synthesized. The metal-organic nanowires or nanofibers are exposed to a reactive gas at a temperature in excess of around 100? C. and at a pressure in the range from around 0.001 to around 100 atmospheres.

In an embodiment, metal-organic nanowires or nanofibers comprising polymer chains with around 100 or more repeat units are synthesized. The metal-organic nanowires or nanofibers are exposed to a reactive gas at a temperature in excess of around 100? C. and at a pressure in the range from around 0.001 to around 100 atmospheres.

A gas phase surface treatment for treating carbon fiber including (a) exposing a carbon fiber to a gaseous oxidizing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with an oxidized fiber surface; followed by (b) exposing the oxidized fiber surface to a gaseous nitrogen-containing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with a nitrogen-enriched surface, wherein the nitrogen-enriched surface exhibits an increase in surface nitrogen to surface carbon (N/C) ratio as compared to the surface of the carbon fiber prior to exposure at (a). Steps (a) and (b) are carried out continuously without any additional intervening surface treatment.

A method for producing a carbon fiber opened sheet 8 is provided. The method includes performing a surface activation treatment on an unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b) to which a sizing agent has been applied, and opening the unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b) into a sheet. The opening process preferably uses at least one set of opening devices. The set of opening devices includes a holding shaft (4a-4d, 5a-5d) for bending and conveying the unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b), and an opening bar (6a-6c) that vibrates in the width direction of the unopened tow. A difference in height H between the end of the holding shaft (4a-4d, 5a-5d) and the end of the opening bar (6a-6c) is preferably 5 to 30 mm. With this configuration, even if a sizing agent is applied to the unopened tow of carbon fibers, the filaments are easily separated from each other and the tow is easily opened. Thus, the carbon fiber opened sheet is less likely to have a defect.

A method for producing a carbon fiber opened sheet 8 is provided. The method includes performing a surface activation treatment on an unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b) to which a sizing agent has been applied, and opening the unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b) into a sheet. The opening process preferably uses at least one set of opening devices. The set of opening devices includes a holding shaft (4a-4d, 5a-5d) for bending and conveying the unopened tow of carbon fibers (3a, 3b), and an opening bar (6a-6c) that vibrates in the width direction of the unopened tow. A difference in height H between the end of the holding shaft (4a-4d, 5a-5d) and the end of the opening bar (6a-6c) is preferably 5 to 30 mm. With this configuration, even if a sizing agent is applied to the unopened tow of carbon fibers, the filaments are easily separated from each other and the tow is easily opened. Thus, the carbon fiber opened sheet is less likely to have a defect.

The present invention provides pitch-based ultrafine carbon fibers that have an average fiber diameter of at least 100 nm and less than 700 nm, and an average fiber length of 10 m or more, wherein CO bonds>CO bonds in terms of the abundance ratio (molar ratio) of CO bonds and CO bonds derived from the O1s orbital as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The present invention provides pitch-based ultrafine carbon fibers that have an average fiber diameter of at least 100 nm and less than 700 nm, and an average fiber length of 10 m or more, wherein CO bonds>CO bonds in terms of the abundance ratio (molar ratio) of CO bonds and CO bonds derived from the O1s orbital as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

A gas phase surface treatment for treating carbon fiber including (a) exposing a carbon fiber to a gaseous oxidizing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with an oxidized fiber surface; followed by (b) exposing the oxidized fiber surface to a gaseous nitrogen-containing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with a nitrogen-enriched surface, wherein the nitrogen-enriched surface exhibits an increase in surface nitrogen to surface carbon (N/C) ratio as compared to the surface of the carbon fiber prior to exposure at (a). Steps (a) and (b) are carried out continuously without any additional intervening surface treatment.

Apparatus (200) for the treatment of one or more substrates comprising a treatment chamber configured to receive a liquid medium and one or more substrates; a supply of a treatment gas comprising ozone; and one or more conduits to convey said treatment gas to a bubble generator (41) wherein said bubble generator is operable to form bubbles of said treatment gas in said liquid medium, wherein the apparatus comprises a multiplicity of solid particles (46). A method of treating one or more substrates, the method comprising agitating said one or more substrates in a treatment formulation comprising a multiplicity of solid particles, a liquid medium and bubbles of ozone.