In this fuel cell electrode catalyst layer, a catalyst is supported on a carrier comprising inorganic oxide particles. The fuel cell electrode catalyst layer is provided with a porous structure. When a mercury penetration method is used to measure the pore size distribution of the porous structure, a peak is observed in the range spanning from 0.005 m to 0.1 m inclusive, and a peak is also observed in the range spanning from over 0.1 m to not more than 1 m. When P1 represents the peak intensity in the range spanning from 0.005 m to 0.1 m inclusive, and P2 represents the peak intensity in the range spanning from over 0.1 m to not more than 1 m, the value of P2/P1 is 0.2-10 inclusive. It is preferable that the inorganic oxide be tin oxide.

A method for producing an alcohol having 8 or more and 22 or less carbon atoms includes the following steps: step 1: forming a porous layer on a surface of a porous material having a pore size mode of 30 nm or more and 200 nm or less to obtain a bimodal carrier; step 2: supporting cobalt on the bimodal carrier obtained in step 1 to obtain a catalyst having peaks of pore distribution in a range of 1 nm or more and 25 nm or less and a range of 30 nm or more and 200 nm or less, respectively; and step 3: reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen at a gauge pressure of 2 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less in the presence of the catalyst obtained in step 2.

The honeycomb structure body has a dense part having a change ratio of porosity calculated by the following Expression (1) that is 1 to 5%. The honeycomb structure body also has an outside-diameter decreasing part in which the outside diameter decreases from the inflow end face to the outflow end face. The honeycomb structure body has a change ratio of average diameter calculated by the following Expression (2) that is 0.2 to 3%.
(1P.sub.x/P.sub.y)100,Expression (1): in Expression (1), P.sub.x denotes the porosity (%) at the center region of the outflow end face, and Py denotes the porosity (%) of a circumferential region of the outflow end face other than the center region.
(1D.sub.x/D.sub.y)100,Expression (2): in Expression (2), D.sub.x denotes the average diameter (mm) of the outflow end face, and D.sub.y denotes the average diameter (mm) of the inflow end face.

A carbon material for use as a catalyst carrier for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which is a porous carbon material and satisfies at the same time (1) the content of a crystallized material is 1.6 or less, (2) the BET specific surface area obtained by a BET analysis of a nitrogen gas adsorption isotherm is from 400 to 1500 m.sup.2/g, (3) the cumulative pore volume V.sub.2-10 with respect to a pore diameter of from 2 to 10 nm obtained by an analysis of a nitrogen gas adsorption isotherm using the Dollimore-Heal method is from 0.4 to 1.5 mL/g, and (4) the nitrogen gas adsorption amount V.sub.macro between a relative pressure of 0.95 and 0.99 in a nitrogen gas adsorption isotherm is from 300 to 1200 cc(STP)/g, and the method of producing the same.

A functional structural body that can realize a prolonged life time by suppressing the decrease in function and that can fulfill resource saving without requiring a complicated replacement operation is provided. A functional structural body includes a skeletal body of a porous structure composed of a zeolite-type compound; and at least one solid acid present in the skeletal body, the skeletal body has channels connecting with each other, and the solid acid is present at least in the channels of the skeletal body.

A catalytic converter, including a substrate formed of an open cell carbon foam having a geometric surface area of at least about 5000 m.sup.2/m.sup.3 and a permeability of at least about 8.0 darcys, wherein the carbon foam has catalytic metals incorporated thereinto.

The present invention relates to a fluorine-containing gas removing agent comprising an alumina and an alkali earth metal compound, wherein an ammonia desorption curve obtained by an ammonia TPD-MS method having a mass-to-charge ratio of 15 has a peak in a range lower than 200 C. and has a shoulder in a range of 200 C. or higher.

A honeycomb structure includes a porous partition wall disposed so as to surround cells extending from a first end face to a second end face. The cells include partially clogged cells which account for 10 to 80% of the total number of the cells, and each of which includes a protrusion that protrudes inward from the surface of the partition wall. The protrusion is partially formed in a direction in which each partially clogged cell extends. In a projected view from the first end face to the second end face, a ratio of area of the protrusion in each partially clogged cell to whole area of the through channel of each partially clogged cell is 5 to 80%, the whole area including the protrusion, and the partition wall surrounding each partially clogged cell has a thickness at a thinnest part of 0.038 mm or more.

A metallic foam body containing an alloy skin which is up to 50 m thick can be obtained by a process including (a) providing a metallic foam body comprising a first metallic material; (b) applying a second metallic material which contains a first metallic compound that is leachable as such and/or that can be transformed by alloying into a second metallic compound that is leachable and different from the first metallic compound on a surface of the foam body (a), by coating the metallic foam body with an organic binder and a powder of the second metallic material; (c) forming a skin on foam body (b) by alloying the first and the second metallic material; and (d) leaching out with a leaching agent at least a part of the first and/or the second metallic compound.

A process is described for preparing a catalyst comprising at least one zeolite with a modified EUO structure type, at least one matrix and at least one metal from group VIII of the periodic classification of the elements. Said catalyst is used in a process for the isomerization of an aromatic feed comprising at least one compound containing eight carbon atoms per molecule.