A method and system to dry crack-free and high strength skin including an inorganic binder of an average particle size (D.sub.50) in a range between 10 nm and 700 nm on a porous ceramic body. The method includes supporting the honeycomb body on an end face such that axial channels and outer periphery are substantially vertical. A gas is flowed past the honeycomb body substantially parallel to the axial channel direction, substantially equally around the outer periphery of the skin, to uniformly dry the skin to form a partially dried skin under mild conditions. Then the partially dried skin may be dried more severely resulting in rapidly dried crack-free and high strength skin.

A method and system to dry crack-free and high strength skin including an inorganic binder of an average particle size (D.sub.50) in a range between 10 nm and 700 nm on a porous ceramic body. The method includes supporting the honeycomb body on an end face such that axial channels and outer periphery are substantially vertical. A gas is flowed past the honeycomb body substantially parallel to the axial channel direction, substantially equally around the outer periphery of the skin, to uniformly dry the skin to form a partially dried skin under mild conditions. Then the partially dried skin may be dried more severely resulting in rapidly dried crack-free and high strength skin.

The β-eucryptite fine particle production method of the invention includes spraying, into an atmosphere at 50° C. to a temperature lower than 300° C., a solution containing a water-soluble lithium salt, a water-soluble aluminum salt, and colloidal silica, in such amounts that the mole proportions among lithium atoms, aluminum atoms, and silicon atoms (Li:Al:Si) are adjusted to 1:1:1, to thereby dry the solution, and, subsequently, firing the dried product in air at 600 to 1,300° C.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film is selected from a group consisting of an Er—Y composition, an Er—Al—Y composition, an Er—Y—Zr composition, and an Er—Al composition.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film is selected from a group consisting of an Er—Y composition, an Er—Al—Y composition, an Er—Y—Zr composition, and an Er—Al composition.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film is selected from a group consisting of an Er—Y composition, an Er—Al—Y composition, an Er—Y—Zr composition, and an Er—Al composition.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film consists essentially of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO.sub.2, and 0 mol % to 9 mol % of Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film consists essentially of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO.sub.2, and 0 mol % to 9 mol % of Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

An article comprises a body and a conformal protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The conformal protective layer is a plasma resistant rare earth oxide film having a thickness of less than 1000 μm, wherein the plasma resistant rare earth oxide film consists essentially of 40 mol % to less than 100 mol % of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, over 0 mol % to 60 mol % of ZrO.sub.2, and 0 mol % to 9 mol % of Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

In one aspect, an article comprises a substrate that comprises a ceramic matrix composite; and a metal oxide layer disposed on the substrate; where the metal oxide layer has a marking etched into the metal oxide via laser ablation. The markings include alphabets, numbers, symbols, bar codes, matrix bar codes, quick response codes, or a combination thereof. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising disposing upon a ceramic matrix composite a metal oxide layer; and laser ablating the metal oxide layer to etch the metal oxide layer. The etchings produce markings that comprise alphabets, numbers, symbols, bar codes, matrix bar codes, quick response codes, or a combination thereof.