A sintered bead with the following crystal phases, in percentages by mass based on crystal phases: 25%≤zircon, or “Z.sub.1”, ≤94%; 4%≤stabilized zirconia+stabilized hafnia, or “Z.sub.2”, ≤61%; monoclinic zirconia+monoclinic hafnia, or “Z.sub.3”≤50%; corundum≤57%; crystal phases other than Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2, Z.sub.3 and corundum<10%; the following chemical composition, in percentages by mass based on oxides: 33%≤ZrO.sub.2+HfO.sub.2, or “Z.sub.4”≤83.4%; HfO.sub.2≤2%; 10.6%≤SiO.sub.2≤34.7%; Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤50%; 0%≤Y.sub.2O.sub.3, or “Z.sub.5”; 0%≤CeO.sub.2, or “Z.sub.6”; 0.3%≤CeO.sub.2+Y.sub.2O.sub.3≤19%, provided that (1) CeO.sub.2+3.76*Y.sub.2O.sub.3≥0.128*Z, and (2) CeO.sub.2+1.3*Y.sub.2O.sub.3≤0.318*Z, with Z=Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6−(0.67*Z.sub.1*(Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6)/(0.67*Z.sub.1+Z.sub.2+Z.sub.3)); MgO≤5%; CaO≤2%; oxides other than ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, CeO.sub.2 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3<5.0%.

A process for the manufacture of a refractory block including more than 80% zirconia, in percentage by weight based on the oxides. The process includes the following successive stages: melting, under reducing conditions, of a charge including more than 50% zircon, in percentage by weight, such as to reduce the zircon and obtain a molten material, application of oxidizing conditions to the molten material, casting of the molten material, and cooling until at least partial solidification of the molten material in the form of a block. Also, the process can include heat treatment of the block.

A refractory object may include a zircon body that is intentionally doped with a dopant including an alkaline earth element and aluminum. The refractory object can have an improved creep deformation rate. In an embodiment, the refractory object can have a creep deformation rate of not greater than about 1.8 E-5 h.sup.−1 at a temperature of 1350° C. and a stress of 2 MPa. In another embodiment, the zircon body may include an amorphous phase including an alkaline earth metal element.

A refractory object may include a zircon body that may include at least about 0.1 wt. % and not greater than about 5.5 wt. % of an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 containing component for a total weight of the zircon body. The zircon body may further include at least about 25 wt. % and not greater than about 35 wt. % of a SiO.sub.2 component for a total weight of the zircon body.

A method for manufacturing a sintered product from a three-dimensional object as a solution includes: a preparation step S11, a degreasing step S12, and a sintering step S13. In S11, a multilayer made of an ink containing inorganic particles and an organic material is formed to prepare a three-dimensional object. S12 includes: a first degreasing step of heating the three-dimensional object under an inert gas atmosphere at a first average degreasing temperature (T1) for a first heating time to degrease the organic material; and a second degreasing step of heating the three-dimensional object degreased in the first degreasing step, under an inert gas atmosphere at a second average degreasing temperature (T2) higher than Ti for a second heating time to degrease the organic material. In S13, the three-dimensional object degreased in the second degreasing step is sintered at an average sintering temperature higher than T2 to obtain a sintered product.

A method of treating a ceramic body in a glass making process includes delivering a molten glass to a heated ceramic body, the ceramic body including a ceramic phase and an intergranular glass phase, the molten glass being in contact with a surface of the ceramic body. The method further includes contacting the ceramic body with a first electrode and contacting the molten glass with a second electrode. The method further includes applying an electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode to create an electric potential difference across the ceramic body between the first and second electrodes, the electric potential difference being less than an electrolysis threshold of the ceramic phase and the intergranular glass phase. The intergranular glass phase demixes under driven diffusion in the applied electric field and mobile cations in the intergranular glass phase enrich proximate one of the first and second electrode.

Provided is an inorganic structure including a plurality of inorganic particles; and a binding part that covers a surface of each of the inorganic particles and binds the inorganic particles together, wherein the binding part contains: an amorphous compound containing silicon, oxygen, and one or more metallic elements; and fine particles having an average particle size of 100 nm or less. Also provided is a method for producing an inorganic structure including: a step for obtaining a mixture by mixing a plurality of inorganic particles, a plurality of amorphous silicon dioxide particles, and an aqueous solution containing a metallic element; and a step for pressurizing and heating the mixture under conditions of a pressure of 10 to 600 MPa and a temperature of 50 to 300° C.

Disclosed is a rapid, reproducible solution-based method to synthesize solid sodium ion-conductive materials. The method includes: (a) forming an aqueous mixture of (i) at least one sodium salt, and (ii) at least one metal oxide; (b) adding at least one phosphorous precursor as a neutralizing agent into the mixture; (c) concentrating the mixture to form a paste; (d) calcining or removing liquid from the paste to form a solid; and (e) sintering the solid at a high temperature to form a dense, non-porous, sodium ion-conductive material. Solid sodium ion-conductive materials have electrochemical applications, including use as solid electrolytes for batteries.

A composite article comprises a substrate, the substrate comprising a silicon containing material and an additive comprising boron nitride nanotubes.

A composite ceramic including: a lithium garnet major phase; and a grain growth inhibitor minor phase, as defined herein. Also disclosed is a method of making composite ceramic, pellets and tapes thereof, a solid electrolyte, and an electrochemical device including the solid electrolyte, as defined herein.