Disclosed is a method for manufacturing calcium zincate crystals including: placing calcium hydroxide.sub.2 and zinc oxide, one of the precursors thereof, or one of the water mixtures thereof in a starting suspension, the mass ratio of water to calcium hydroxide and zinc oxide, or one of the precursors or mixtures thereof, being greater than or equal to 1; milling the starting suspension to an ambient temperature less than or equal to 50 C. in a wet-phase three-dimensional micro-ball mill for a residence time less than or equal to 15 minutes and in particular from 5 to 25 seconds; recovering a calcium zincate crystal suspension coming out of the mill; and optionally, concentrating or drying the calcium zincate crystal suspension so as to obtain a calcium zincate crystal powder. Also disclosed are uses associated with the calcium zincate crystals obtained according to the method described above.

Provided is a zinc oxide-based sputtering target capable of improving the film formation rate while suppressing arcing in the formation of a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive film by sputtering. This zinc oxide-based sputtering target includes a zinc oxide-based sintered body mainly including zinc oxide crystal grains, and has a degree of (002) orientation of 50% or greater at a sputtering surface and a density of 5.30 g/cm.sup.3 or greater.

An H.sub.2S sensor comprising at least one acoustic wave transducer and a film comprising a polymer matrix comprises carboxylate functional groups and lead or zinc cations. Processes for the manufacture of the sensor are also provided.

Disclosed is a method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in waste/exhaust gas by using ammonia provides by heating one or more salts of formula M.sub.a(NH.sub.3).sub.nX.sub.z, wherein M represents one or more cations selected from alkaline earth metals and transition metals, X represents one or more anions, a represents the number of cations per salt molecule, z represents the number of anions per salt molecule, and n is a number of from 2 to 12, the one or more salts having been compressed to a bulk density above 70% of the skeleton density before use thereof.

Disclosed is a method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in waste/exhaust gas by using ammonia provides by heating one or more salts of formula M.sub.a(NH.sub.3).sub.nX.sub.z, wherein M represents one or more cations selected from alkaline earth metals and transition metals, X represents one or more anions, a represents the number of cations per salt molecule, z represents the number of anions per salt molecule, and n is a number of from 2 to 12, the one or more salts having been compressed to a bulk density above 70% of the skeleton density before use thereof.

The present invention provides a layered double hydroxide with improved conductivity, a layered double hydroxide and a composite material containing the layered double hydroxide. The layered double hydroxide is represented by the general formula: [Mg.sup.2+.sub.(1-y)M1.sup.+.sub.y].sub.1-x[Al.sup.3+.sub.(1-z)M2.sup.+.sub.z].sub.x(OH).sub.2A.sup.n.sub.x/n.mH.sub.2O, wherein 0.1x0.4, 0y0.95, and 0z0.95, provided that both y and z are not 0 at the same time; =1 or 2; =2 or 3; A.sup.n is an n-valent anion, provided that n is an integer of 1 or greater; m0; M1.sup.+ is a cation of at least one substituent element selected from monovalent elements, transition metal elements, and other elements with an ionic radius greater than that of Mg.sup.2+; and M2.sup.+ is a cation of at least one element selected from divalent elements, transition metals, and other elements with an ionic radius greater than that of Al.sup.3+.

The present invention relates to a process for forming stabilized metal salt particles.

Various metal oxide mesocrystals can be synthesized in a simple manner by a method for producing a metal oxide mesocrystal, the method comprising the step of annealing an aqueous precursor solution comprising one or more metal oxide precursors, an ammonium salt, a surfactant, and water at 300 to 600 C. Composite mesocrystals consisting of a plurality of metal oxides or an alloy oxide can also be provided.

A method of making an ultraviolet sensor includes applying a metal-containing solution to a substrate using a spin coating technique to form a metal-containing coat. The metal-containing coat is baked and pyrolyzed to form a metal-containing oxide film on the substrate. The metal-containing oxide film has a cubic crystalline structure suitable for ultraviolet photodetectors in flame detection applications.

An ion conductive solid that can be produced by heat treatment at low temperature and has a high ion conductivity; and the ion conductive solid comprises an oxide represented by a general formula: Li.sub.6+a-c-2dYb.sub.1-a-b-c-dM1.sub.aM2.sub.bM3.sub.cM4.sub.dB.sub.3O.sub.9 (In the formula, M1 is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Mn, Zn, Ni, Ca, Sr, and Ba, M2 is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Lu, In, and Fe, M3 is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ce, Hf, Sn, and Ti, M4 is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Nb and Ta, and a, b, c, and d are real numbers of which each is in a specific range).