A composition of matter and method of forming a radiation shielding member at ambient temperatures in which the composition of matter includes a cold-fired chemically bonded oxide-phosphate ceramic cement matrix; with one or more suitably prepared and distributed radiation shielding materials dispersed in the cold-fired chemically bonded oxide-phosphate ceramic cement matrix.

A process for producing a process for producing a LnM.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.x high-temperature superconductive powder, the process comprising: i) providing an aqueous solution of Ln, M and Cu and at least one mineral acid; ii) adding at least one sequestrating agent and, optionally, at least one dispersant to the solution to form a precipitate; iii) recovering the precipitate from the solution; and iv) heating the precipitate in a flow of oxygen to form the LnM.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.x powder, wherein Ln is a rare earth element, preferably Y, Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Sc, Yb, or a mixture of two or more thereof, and wherein M is selected from Ca, Sr, and Ba.

A blade for a turbomachine comprising an outer shell and an inner core which is at least partially enclosed by the outer shell and has a higher porosity than the outer shell. The outer shell is formed by a ceramic body or a body made of a ceramic matrix composite material, and the inner core is formed by a fiber-reinforced ceramic or a fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite material.

The present invention relates to a bismuth-based solid solution ceramic material, as well as a process for preparing the ceramic material and uses thereof, particularly in an actuator component employed, for example, in a droplet deposition apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (I): (I): x(Bi.sub.0.5Na.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-y(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-z.sub.1SrHfO.sub.3-z.sub.2SrZrO.sub.3, wherein x+y+Z.sub.1+Z.sub.2=1; y, (z.sub.1+z.sub.2)0; x0. In embodiments, the present invention also relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (II): x(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-ZiSrHfO3-z2SrZrO3, wherein x+y +z-i+z2=1; x, y, fa+z2)0; as well as a ceramic material of general formula (III): y(Bi.sub.0.5K.sub.0.5)TiO.sub.3-z.sub.1SrHfO.sub.3-z.sub.2SrZrO.sub.3, wherein y+z.sub.1,+z.sub.2=1; y, (z.sub.1+z.sub.2)0.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a conductive ceramic composition comprising: conductive non-oxide ceramic particles; oxide ceramic particles electrostatically bonded or co-dispersed with the non-oxide ceramic particles; and a binder resin.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a ceramic body in which dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes are alternately stacked; and first and second external electrodes formed on an outer surface of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively. In a microstructure of the dielectric layer, dielectric grains are divided by a dielectric grain size into sections each having an interval of 50 nm, respectively, a fraction of the dielectric grains in each of the sections within a range of 50 nm to 450 nm is within a range of 0.025 to 0.20, and a thickness of the dielectric layer is 0.8 m or less.

An energy storage element and method of fabrication thereof are disclosed. An energy storage element includes a set of electrodes where one or more electrodes have extended conductive paths through nano-channel electric interconnections with ceramic particles in one or more dielectric layers. The electrode's electric field is extended into the dielectric material providing increased capacitance. The set of electrodes can include a pair of electrode layers respectively attached directly to opposing sides of one dielectric layer. The set of electrodes, which can also be referred to as multi-layer electrodes, can include a plurality of electrode layers interleaved between, and directly attached to, a plurality of stacked dielectric layers.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electronic component in which a copper electrode and an inorganic substrate exhibit strong adhesion to each other. A method for producing an electronic component according to the present invention comprises: an application step wherein a paste is applied onto an inorganic substrate, which paste contains copper particles, copper oxide particles and/or nickel oxide particles, and inorganic oxide particles having a softening point; a sintering step wherein a sintered body which contains at least copper is formed by means of heating in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature that is less than the softening point of the inorganic oxide particles but not less than the sintering temperature of the copper particles; and a softening step wherein heating is carried out in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature that is not less than the softening point of the inorganic oxide particles.

A process for producing a process for producing a LnM.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.x high-temperature superconductive powder, the process comprising: i) providing an aqueous solution of Ln, M and Cu and at least one mineral acid; ii) adding at least one sequestrating agent and, optionally, at least one dispersant to the solution to form a precipitate; iii) recovering the precipitate from the solution; and iv) heating the precipitate in a flow of oxygen to form the LnM.sub.2Cu.sub.3O.sub.x powder, wherein Ln is a rare earth element, preferably Y, Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Sc, Yb, or a mixture of two or more thereof, and wherein M is selected from Ca, Sr, and Ba.

Certain examples of the present invention relate to a method for manufacturing a ceramic object derived from a 3D printed ceramic structure. The method comprises: carbonising the 3D printed ceramic structure. Such carbonising of the 3D printed ceramic structure may comprise introducing a network of carbon bonding into the 3D printed ceramic structure via: impregnating and/or coating the 3D printed ceramic structure with a carbon precursor, or printing the 3D printed ceramic structure using a ceramic printing medium comprising a carbon precursor. The resultant 3D printed ceramic structure which comprises a carbon precursor is pyrolysed so as to form a network of carbon bonding within/surrounding the 3D printed ceramic structure.