A method for producing a porous element is presented. A powdery metal-ceramic composite material is produced. The composite material has a metal matrix and a ceramic portion amounting to less than 25 percent by volume. The metal matrix is at least partially oxidized to obtain a metal oxide. The metal-ceramic composite material is grinded and mixed with powdery ceramic supporting particles to obtain a metal-ceramic/ceramic mixture. The metal-ceramic/ceramic mixture is shaped into the porous element. The porous element can be used as an energy storage medium in a battery.

A method of making a ceramic matrix composite that exhibits moisture and environmental resistance has been developed. The method includes depositing a diffusion barrier layer comprising boron nitride on silicon carbide fibers and depositing a moisture-tolerant layer comprising silicon-doped boron nitride on the diffusion barrier layer, where a thickness of the moisture-tolerant layer is from about 3 to about 300 times a thickness of the diffusion barrier layer. Thus, a compliant multilayer including the moisture-tolerant layer and the diffusion barrier layer is formed. A wetting layer comprising silicon carbide, boron carbide, and/or pyrolytic carbon is deposited on the compliant multilayer layer. After depositing the wetting layer, a fiber preform comprising the silicon carbide fibers is infiltrated with a slurry. After slurry infiltration, the fiber preform is infiltrated with a melt comprising silicon and then the melt is cooled, thereby forming a ceramic matrix composite.

A method of making a ceramic matrix composite that exhibits moisture and environmental resistance has been developed. The method includes depositing a diffusion barrier layer comprising boron nitride on silicon carbide fibers and depositing a moisture-tolerant layer comprising silicon-doped boron nitride on the diffusion barrier layer, where a thickness of the moisture-tolerant layer is from about 3 to about 300 times a thickness of the diffusion barrier layer. Thus, a compliant multilayer including the moisture-tolerant layer and the diffusion barrier layer is formed. A wetting layer comprising silicon carbide, boron carbide, and/or pyrolytic carbon is deposited on the compliant multilayer layer. After depositing the wetting layer, a fiber preform comprising the silicon carbide fibers is infiltrated with a slurry. After slurry infiltration, the fiber preform is infiltrated with a melt comprising silicon and then the melt is cooled, thereby forming a ceramic matrix composite.

Methods and processes to fabricate thermoelectric materials and more particularly to methods and processes to fabricate nano-sized doped silicon-based semiconductive materials to use as thermoelectrics in the production of electricity from recovered waste heat. Substantially oxidant-free and doped silicon particulates are fractured and sintered to form a porous nano-sized silicon-based thermoelectric material.

Methods and processes to fabricate thermoelectric materials and more particularly to methods and processes to fabricate nano-sized doped silicon-based semiconductive materials to use as thermoelectrics in the production of electricity from recovered waste heat. Substantially oxidant-free and doped silicon particulates are fractured and sintered to form a porous nano-sized silicon-based thermoelectric material.

Disclosed herein are compounds, methods, and tools which comprise tungsten borides and mixed transition metal borides.

A powdery composition based on silica for ceramic welding, in particular by projection, comprising from 10 to 90% of a phase of siliceous particles comprise at least 80% by weight of cristobalite and at most 15% by weight of tridymite, based on the total weight of the composition, from 90 to 10% by weight of conventional additives forming a binding phase, based on the total weight of the composition, said siliceous particles having a d.sub.50 comprised between 350 and 800 μm, preferably between 400 and 500 μm.

A powdery composition based on silica for ceramic welding, in particular by projection, comprising from 10 to 90% of a phase of siliceous particles comprise at least 80% by weight of cristobalite and at most 15% by weight of tridymite, based on the total weight of the composition, from 90 to 10% by weight of conventional additives forming a binding phase, based on the total weight of the composition, said siliceous particles having a d.sub.50 comprised between 350 and 800 μm, preferably between 400 and 500 μm.

A honeycomb structure including a plurality of porous honeycomb block bodies bound via joining material layers A. Each of the porous honeycomb block bodies includes a plurality of porous honeycomb segments bound via joining material layers B, each of the porous honeycomb segment includes: partition walls that defines a plurality of cells to form flow paths for a fluid, each of cells extending from an inflow end face that is an end face on a fluid inflow side to an outflow end face that is an end face on a fluid outflow side; and an outer peripheral wall located at the outermost periphery. At least a part of the joining material layers A has higher toughness than that of the joining material layers B.

A honeycomb structure including a plurality of porous honeycomb block bodies bound via joining material layers A. Each of the porous honeycomb block bodies includes a plurality of porous honeycomb segments bound via joining material layers B, each of the porous honeycomb segment includes: partition walls that defines a plurality of cells to form flow paths for a fluid, each of cells extending from an inflow end face that is an end face on a fluid inflow side to an outflow end face that is an end face on a fluid outflow side; and an outer peripheral wall located at the outermost periphery. At least a part of the joining material layers A has higher toughness than that of the joining material layers B.