Use of a barium titanate based coating liquid composition comprising: (a) a sol-gel source material containing (i) at least a barium component selected from a group consisting of barium alkoxides, hydrolyzates of barium alkoxides and condensates of hydrolyzates of barium alkoxides and (ii) at least a titanium component selected from a group consisting of titanium alkoxides, hydrolyzates of titanium alkoxides and condensates of hydrolyzates of titanium alkoxides; and (b) a β-keto ester compound expressed by general formula (1) shown below: ##STR00001## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently represent respective alkyl groups having not less than 1 and not more than 6 carbon atoms.

There is provided a hydrogen-substituted garnet-type oxide containing at least Li, H, La and Zr and has an amount of hydrogen a (moll unit) per one unit of a garnet-type oxide in a range of ≤1.85.

A modified garnet-type solid electrolyte, includes: a garnet-type solid electrolyte; a modification layer, such that the modification layer is formed on at least one side of the garnet-type solid electrolyte, and possesses a three-dimensional crosslinking structure comprising at least one strongly acidic lithium salt and at least one weakly acidic lithium salt. A method of forming a modified garnet-type solid electrolyte, includes: exposing a garnet-type solid electrolyte in air to form a pre-passivation layer; mixing solutions of strong acid and weakly acidic salt to form a mixed solution; chemically treating at least one side of the garnet-type solid electrolyte with the mixed solution; and forming a modification layer on the at least one side of the garnet-type solid electrolyte.

A nanocrystal-sized cerium-zirconium-aluminum mixed oxide material includes at least 20% by mass zirconium oxide; between 5% to 55% by mass cerium oxide; between 5% to 60% by mass aluminum oxide; and a total of 25% or less by mass of at least one oxide of a rare earth metal selected from the group of lanthanum, neodymium, praseodymium, or yttrium. The nanocrystal-sized cerium-zirconium-aluminum mixed oxide exhibits hierarchically ordered aggregates having a dso particle size less than 1.5 μm, and retains at least 80% of surface area and pore volume after ageing at temperature higher than 1000° C. for at least 6 hours. The nanocrystal-sized cerium-zirconium-aluminum mixed oxide material is prepared using a co-precipitation method followed by milling the dried and calcined oxide material. The nanocrystal-sized cerium-zirconium-aluminum mixed oxide material forms a particulate filter that may be used in an exhaust system arising from a gas or diesel engine

An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting layer deposited on a substrate. The superconducting layer includes an oxide superconductor RE-Ba—Cu—O and artificial pinning centers ABO.sub.3, where RE is a rare earth element, A is Ba, Sr or Ca, and B is Hf, Zr, or Sn. In a TEM image of a cross-section of the superconducting layer, a standard deviation σ of an inclination angle of the artificial pinning center rods with respect to a cross-sectional direction of the superconducting layer is 6.13° to 11.73° and an average length of the artificial pinning center rods is 19.84 to 25.44 nm.

Fabricating a layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12) layer includes forming a slurry including lanthanum zirconate (La.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7) nanocrystals, a lithium precursor, and a lanthanum precursor in stoichiometric amounts to yield a dispersion including lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium. In some cases, the dispersion includes lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium in a molar ratio of 7:3:2. In certain cases, the slurry includes excess lithium. The slurry is dispensed onto a substrate and dried. The dried slurry is calcined to yield the layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate.

The present invention is directed to battery technologies and processing techniques thereof. In various embodiments, ceramic electrolyte powder material (or component thereof) is mixed with two or more flux to form a fluxed powder material. The fluxed powder material is shaped and heated again at a temperature less than 1100° C. to form a dense lithium conducting material. There are other variations and embodiments as well.

A sintered material comprises cubic boron nitride and a first material that is a partially stabilized ZrO.sub.2 with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 dispersed therein at crystal grain boundaries and/or in crystal grains, the sintered material comprising 20% by volume or more and 80% by volume or less of the cubic boron nitride, the sintered material comprising 0.001% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less of nitrogen in the first material when the first material is measured through secondary ion mass spectrometry.

An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting layer deposited on a substrate. The superconducting layer includes an oxide superconductor RE-Ba—Cu—O and artificial pinning centers ABO.sub.3, where RE is a rare earth element, A is Ba, Sr or Ca, and B is Hf, Zr, or Sn. In a TEM image of a cross-section of the superconducting layer, a standard deviation σ of an inclination angle of the artificial pinning center rods with respect to a cross-sectional direction of the superconducting layer is 6.13° to 11.73° and an average length of the artificial pinning center rods is 19.84 to 25.44 nm.

A conversion coating composition for treating a metal surface contains one or more Group IV metal ions, such as titanium, zirconium and/or hafnium metal ions, and one or more phenalkamine compounds, such as a Mannich addition product of cardanol, formaldehyde and a polyamine. The conversion coating composition is an aqueous acidic solution or dispersion. Metal surfaces contacted with the conversion coating composition have enhanced corrosion resistance and paint adhesion characteristics.