A porous ceramic particle may have a particle size of at least about 200 microns and not greater than about 4000 microns. The porous ceramic particle may further have a particular cross-section that may include a core region and a layered region overlying the core region. The layered region may include overlapping layered sections surrounding the core region. The core region may include a core region composition and a first layered section may include a first layered section composition. The first layered section composition may be different than the core region composition.

A ceramic brush seal for a gas turbine engine, and a process for manufacturing the seal are provided. In one example, the process includes deinfiltrating an edge of a plurality of plies having a preimpregnated configuration. The edge is defined by a plurality of ceramic fibers extending away from a portion edge of a matrix infiltrated portion of each of the plies. In another example, the process includes masking an edge of a plurality of plies, the edge being defined by a plurality of ceramic fibers extending away from a portion edge of a body portion of each of the plies, and infiltrating the body portion of the plurality of plies with a ceramic matrix slurry. The plies are stacked, formed into a green body and then fired to form the component. The plies may include oxide/oxide woven ceramic fiber plies.

A piezoelectric composition comprises a plurality of crystal particles, wherein the piezoelectric composition includes bismuth, iron, barium, titanium, and oxygen; the crystal particles include a core and a shell covering the core; the average value of the contents of bismuth in the cores is expressed as C.sub.CORE % by mass, the average value of the contents of bismuth in the shells is expressed as C.sub.SHELL % by mass, and the C.sub.CORE is lower than the C.sub.SHELL; and the number of all the particles comprised in the piezoelectric composition is expressed as N, the number of the crystal particles including the core and the shell is expressed as n, and n/N is 0.10 to 1.00.

A silicon carbide-graphite composite is described, including (i) interior bulk graphite material and (ii) exterior silicon carbide matrix material, wherein the interior bulk graphite material and exterior silicon carbide matrix material inter-penetrate one another at an interfacial region therebetween, and wherein graphite is present in inclusions in the exterior silicon carbide matrix material. Such material may be formed by contacting a precursor graphite article with silicon monoxide (SiO) gas under chemical reaction conditions that are effective to convert an exterior portion of the precursor graphite article to a silicon carbide matrix material in which graphite is present in inclusions therein, and wherein the silicon carbide matrix material and interior bulk graphite material interpenetrate one another at an interfacial region therebetween. Such silicon carbide-graphite composite is usefully employed in applications such as implant hard masks in manufacturing solar cells or other optical, optoelectronic, photonic, semiconductor and microelectronic products, as well as in ion implantation system materials, components, and assemblies, such as beam line assemblies, beam steering lenses, ionization chamber liners, beam stops, and ion source chambers.

The present invention relates to metallic and/or ceramic components, in particular in the field of medical technology, having improved osseointegrative and osteoinductive properties. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the ceramic components.

A voltage-nonlinear resistor element 10 includes a voltage-nonlinear resistor (referred simply as resistor) 20 and a pair of electrodes 14 and 16 between which the resistor 20 is interposed. The resistor 20 has a multilayer structure including a first layer 21 composed primarily of zinc oxide, a second layer 22 composed primarily of zinc oxide, and a third layer 23 composed primarily of a metal oxide other than zinc oxide. The second layer 22 is adjacent to the first layer 21 and has a smaller thickness and a higher volume resistivity than the first layer 21. The third layer 23 is adjacent to the second layer 22.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a color-graded blank for dental restorations by way of a sedimentation process, to a blank obtained by the process according to the invention and to the use of a suspension for producing a color-graded dental restoration. The method comprises: a) providing a suspension comprising i) a liquid dispersant and ii) a base material and iii) one or more coloring substances; b) partial sedimentation with the formation of a sediment having a color gradient and a suspension supernatant; c) optionally completely or partially removing the suspension supernatant; d) adding a suspension comprising coloring substances, which suspension differs from the suspension in step a); e) sedimentation or partial sedimentation with the formation of a sediment having a color gradient and a suspension supernatant; f) optionally repeating steps c) and d) or step d) one or more times; g) solidifying the sediment with the formation of a color-graded blank.

A process for post-treatment of electroceramic composite material is disclosed. The process comprises introducing electroceramic composite material and flow-able organometallic compound to a pressure chamber, and degassing (1) the electroceramic composite material by creating a vacuum or underpressure in the pressure chamber, while the electroceramic composite material is immersed (2) in said organometallic compound. Then the pressure is elevated to an atmospheric pressure, wherein said flowable organometallic compound is absorbed (3) into at least part of the pores of the composite material. The electroceramic composite material containing said organometallic compound absorbed into said pores, is then treated (4) with water, water vapour and/or other chemical, thereby producing metal oxide impregnated electroceramic material containing solid metal oxide absorbed into said pores. Instead of flowable organometallic compound, a suspension of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles may be used for the post-treatment.

A method of making a hot surface igniter is described. A silicon carbide composition that includes both fines fraction and a coarse fraction is sintered in a nitrogen and argon reducing atmosphere in a manner that controls the incorporation of nitrogen with in the lattice of recrystallized silicon carbide. The controlled incorporation of nitrogen in the lattice provides enhanced control over heating and electrical properties, while simultaneously achieving a lower surface area fully recrystallized structure for oxidation resistance and long service life.

A fuel cell comprises an anode, a cathode, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The solid electrolyte layer contains a zirconia-based material as a main component. A first intensity ratio of tetragonal crystal zirconia to cubic crystal zirconia in a Raman spectrum in a central portion of the solid electrolyte layer is greater than a second intensity ratio of tetragonal crystal zirconia to cubic crystal zirconia in a Raman spectrum of an outer edge.