A multilayer electronic component having a plurality of laminated dielectric layers and inner electrode layers. The dielectric layers have a plurality of crystal grains including first regions where Re is dissolved in a solid state; and second regions where Re is not dissolved in the solid state. A median size of the crystal grains to an average thickness of the dielectric layers is 0.5≤t≤0.7. A ratio of a sum of cross sectional areas of the first regions to those of the plurality of crystal grains is 0.7≤s≤0.9. When a total amount of Ti, Zr, and Hf is 100 molar parts in the dielectric layers, a sum of the Zr and the Hf is 0≤a≤1.0; an amount b of Si is 0.1≤b≤1.0; an amount c of Re is 0.5≤c≤10.0; and a ratio m of a total of Ba and Re to a total of Ti, Zr, and Hf is 0.990≤m≤1.050.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

A sintered material includes a first phase and a second phase, wherein the first phase is composed of cubic boron nitride particles, and the following relational expressions are satisfied when more than or equal to two cubic boron nitride particles adjacent to and in direct contact with each other among the cubic boron nitride particles are defined as a contact body, Di represents a length of an entire perimeter of the contact body, n represents the number of contact locations at which the cubic boron nitride particles are in direct contact with each other, d.sub.k represents a length of each of the contact locations, and Σd.sub.k (where k=1 to n) represents a total length of the contact locations: Dii=Di+(2×Σd.sub.k (where k=1 to n)); and [(Dii−Di)/Dii]×100≤50.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: more than or equal to 20 volume % and less than 80 volume % of cubic boron nitride grains; and more than 20 volume % and less than or equal to 80 volume % of a binder phase, and when a carbon content is measured from a cubic boron nitride grain into the binder phase in a direction perpendicular to an interface between the cubic boron nitride grain and the binder phase using TEM-EDX, a first region having a carbon content larger than an average value of a carbon content of the binder phase exists, the interface exists in the first region, and a length of the first region is more than or equal to 0.1 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm.

A dielectric material includes a main component represented by (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-y(Zr, Sn, Hf).sub.y)O.sub.3 (0≤x≤1 and 0≤y≤0.5); a first subcomponent including at least one of elements among Y, Dy, Ho, Er, Gd, Ce, Nd, Nb, Sm, Tb, Eu, Tm, La, Lu, and Yb; a second subcomponent including Si and/or Al; and a third subcomponent including Ba and/or Ca.

Focus is on zinc oxide itself, which is a base material for a zinc oxide varistor (laminated varistor), wherein specified quantities of additives are added to a zinc oxide powder having a crystallite size of 20 to 50 nm, grain diameter of 15 to 60 nm found using the specific surface area BET method, untamped density of 0.38 to 0.50 g/cm.sup.3, and tap density of 0.50 to 1.00 g/cm.sup.3. This allows securing of uniformity, high compactness, and high electrical conductivity of a zinc oxide sintered body, and provision of a zinc oxide varistor having high surge resistance.

A sintered body containing polycrystalline grains of a metal oxynitride containing at least two metal elements, wherein Ba and at least one metal element of a crystal phase of the sintered body are contained in a triple point that is not a void between the polycrystalline grains. A method for producing the sintered body includes sintering a mixture of at least a metal oxynitride as a main component and a sintering aid containing cyanamide in an atmosphere containing nitrogen or a rare gas or in a reduced-pressure atmosphere of 10 Pa or less while applying a mechanical pressure with a retention time at a maximum heating temperature during the sintering set to 1 minute to 10 minutes.

A dielectric ceramic composition contains dielectric particles containing a main component represented by a composition formula (Ba.sub.1-x-ySr.sub.xCa.sub.y).sub.m(Ti.sub.1-zZr.sub.z)O.sub.3 and grain boundaries present between the dielectric particles. The values of m, x, y, and z in the composition formula are all molar ratios. In the composition formula, 0.9≤m≤1.4, 0≤x<1.0, 0<y≤1.0, 0.9≤(x+y)≤1.0, and 0.9≤z≤1.0 are satisfied. The dielectric particles contain specific structural particles having a predetermined intragranular structure, and each of the specific structural particles intragranularly includes a first region and a second region having different Ca concentrations from each other. C2/C1 is less than 0.8 in which C1 is an average value of the Ca concentration in the first region and C2 is an average value of the Ca concentration in the second region.

A silicon nitride-based sintered body containing silicon nitride-based grains, which are silicon nitride grains or sialon grains. In the silicon nitride-based sintered body, when the size of each silicon nitride-based grain is represented by its maximum grain size, the ratio of the number of silicon nitride-based grains having a maximum grain size of 1 μm or less to the number of the entire silicon nitride-based grains is 70% or higher. Furthermore, in the distribution profile of no. % of silicon nitride-based grains with respect to maximum grain size, the maximum value of no. % (i.e., maximum no. %) of silicon nitride-based grains is 15 no. % or higher. Also disclosed is a cutting insert, which is formed of the silicon nitride-based sintered body.

A multilayer capacitor includes a body including a plurality of dielectric layers, and a plurality of internal electrodes stacked with one of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween, and external electrodes disposed on external surfaces of the body and connected to the internal electrodes, respectively. The plurality of dielectric layers include a dielectric expressed by empirical formula BaM1.sub.aTi.sub.1-xSn.sub.xM2.sub.bO.sub.3 (0.008≤x≤0.05, 0.006≤a≤0.03, and 0.0006≤b ≤0.006) in which M1 includes a rare earth element, and M2 includes at least one of Mn or V.