A method of forming a composite article includes impregnating an inorganic fiber preform with a slurry composition. The slurry composition includes a particulate, a solvent, and a pre-gellant material. Gelling of the pre-gellant material in the slurry composition is initiated to immobilize the particulate and yield a gelled article, and substantially all solvent is removed from the gelled article to form a green composite article. The green composite article is then infiltrated with a molten infiltrant to form the composite article.

A method for forming rod-shaped particles includes reducing a length of rods derived from a slurry made up of particles and a reactant, wherein the rods are in a stabilized state in which the reactant has been at least partially reacted with a coagulant, but the rods have not been sintered, and subsequently sintering the reduced length stabilized rods. The reducing the length of the stabilized rods includes subjecting the stabilized rods to mechanical vibration applied by a device, or feeding the stabilized rods through a device having a rotating cutting mechanism.

Various shaped abrasive particles are disclosed. Each shaped abrasive particle includes a body having at least one major surface and a side surface extending from the major surface.

A dried or at least partially dried ceramic feedstock, a method of preparing a dried or at least partially dried ceramic feedstock having a residual solvent content of up to about 15 wt. %, ceramic formulations comprising one or more ceramic precursors, temperature sensitive gelling agent, solvent, and having a viscosity suitable for low pressure injection molding, methods for preparing said ceramic formulations, a method of forming a ceramic article from said ceramic formulations, and a ceramic article obtainable therefrom.

High strength transparent corundum ceramics using corundum powder and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method of forming transparent corundum ceramics includes milling corundum powder in aqueous slurry with beads. The method further includes processing the slurry by a liquid shaping process to form a gelled body. The method further includes sintering the gelled body in air and pressing the gelled body by hot isostatic pressing to form a ceramic body.

A foundry media pellet includes a sintered ceramic material having a size from about 10 AFS GFN to about 110 AFS GFN, and a surface roughness of less than about 4 microns.

A method of forming a composite article may include impregnating an inorganic fiber porous preform with a first slurry composition. The slurry composition includes particles, a solvent, and a pre-gellant material. Gelling of the pre-gellant material in the slurry composition is initiated to substantially immobilize the particles and yield a gelled article. The method also includes impregnating the gelled article with a second solution that includes a high char-yielding component, and pyrolyzing the high char-yielding component to yield carbon and form a green composite article. The green composite article is then infiltrated with a molten metal or alloy infiltrant to form the composite article. The molten infiltrant reacts with carbon, and the final composite article may include less residual metal or alloy than a composite article formed without using the second solution.

The invention relates to a porous zirconia article in particular for use in the dental or orthodontic field, the porous zirconia article comprising ZrO.sub.2: 80 to 87 wt. %,Y.sub.2O.sub.3: 3 to 5 wt. %, AI.sub.2O.sub.3: 10 to 14 wt. %, wt. % with respect to the weight of the porous zirconia article, the porous zirconia article being characterized by a BET surface from 15 to 100 m.sup.2/g. The invention also relates to a sintered zirconia article in particular for use in the dental or orthodontic field, the sintered zirconia article comprising ZrO.sub.2: 80 to 87 wt 5, Y.sub.2O.sub.3: 3 to 5 wt. %), AI.sub.2O.sub.3: 10 to 14 wt. %, wt. %) with respect to the weight of the porous zirconia article, the sintered zirconia article being characterized by a corundum crystal phase content of 7 to 12 wt. %>and a flexural strength of at least 2,000 MPa.

Various shaped abrasive particles are disclosed. Each shaped abrasive particle includes a body having at least one major surface and a side surface extending from the major surface.

A method for forming rod-shaped particles includes reducing a length of rods derived from a slurry made up of particles and a reactant, wherein the rods are in a stabilized state in which the reactant has been at least partially reacted with a coagulant, but the rods have not been sintered, and subsequently sintering the reduced length stabilized rods. The reducing the length of the stabilized rods includes subjecting the stabilized rods to mechanical vibration applied by a device, or feeding the stabilized rods through a device having a rotating cutting mechanism.