The present invention provides a zirconia sintered body containing a fluorescent agent and having excellent translucency and excellent strength. The present invention also provides a zirconia shaped body and a zirconia calcined body from which the zirconia sintered body can be obtained. The present invention relates to a zirconia sintered body comprising a fluorescent agent, wherein the zirconia sintered body comprises 4.5 to 9.0 mol % yttria, and has a crystal grain size of 180 nm or less, and a three-point flexural strength of 500 MPa or more. The present invention relates to a zirconia shaped body comprising a fluorescent agent, wherein the zirconia shaped body comprises 4.5 to 9.0 mol % yttria, and has a three-point flexural strength of 500 MPa or more after being sintered at 1,100° C. for 2 hours under ordinary pressure, and a crystal grain size of 180 nm or less after being sintered at 1,100° C. for 2 hours under ordinary pressure. The present invention relates to a zirconia calcined body comprising a fluorescent agent, wherein the zirconia calcined body comprises 4.5 to 9.0 mol % yttria, and has a three-point flexural strength of 500 MPa or more after being sintered at 1,100° C. for 2 hours under ordinary pressure, and a crystal grain size of 180 nm or less after being sintered at 1,100° C. for 2 hours under ordinary pressure.

A reflective particulate material includes a particulate substrate having high total solar reflectance, bulk and apparent densities and toughness, and a low dust index. The reflective particulate can have a total solar reflectance of 80% to 87%, a toughness of 1% or fewer fines, an apparent density of 2.75 g/cm.sup.3 or greater, and a dust index of 1 or lower. A method of manufacturing the reflective particulate material includes preparing a slurry of the particulate substrate, spray drying the slurry to form a spray dried particulate, crushing the spray dried particulate to form a crushed particulate, and heating/calcining the crushed particulate. The heated, crushed particulate may further be coated to form a coated roofing granule.

A scintillation crystal can include Ln.sub.(1-y)RE.sub.yX.sub.3, wherein Ln represents a rare earth element, RE represents a different rare earth element, y has a value in a range of 0 to 1, and X represents a halogen. In an embodiment, RE is Ce, and the scintillation crystal is doped with Sr, Ba, or a mixture thereof at a concentration of at least approximately 0.0002 wt. %. In another embodiment, the scintillation crystal can have unexpectedly improved linearity and unexpectedly improved energy resolution properties. In a further embodiment, a radiation detection system can include the scintillation crystal, a photosensor, and an electronics device. Such a radiation detection system can be useful in a variety of radiation imaging applications.

Plurality of nanocrystalline percent by volume crystalline ceramic oxide beads, wherein the nanocrystalline ceramic oxide beads have an average crystallite size up to 250 nm, wherein each bead collectively comprises, on a theoretical oxides basis, at least one of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, or ZrO.sub.2 at least 40 weight percent, and at least 1 weight percent of at least one of a transition metal oxide or at least one Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 or CeO.sub.2, based on the total weight of the nanocrystalline ceramic oxide beads, and are visibly dark and infrared transmissive. The beads are useful, for example, in pavement markings.

Methods for producing wavelength converters are described. The methods include sintering a mixture consisting essentially of first particles and second particles to form a sintered article. In embodiments the first particles consist essentially of particles of -SiAlON or precursors thereof, and the second particles consist essentially one or more sintering aids or precursors thereof. In embodiments the sintered article has a density that is greater than or equal to about 90% of a theoretical bulk density of the mixture, and is configured to convert primary light incident thereon to secondary light, wherein the secondary light exhibits a peak with a full width half maximum of greater than 0 to about 60 nanometers (nm) within a wavelength range of about 495 nm to about 600 nm.

A method for producing an optical wavelength conversion member (9) composed of a sintered body containing, as main components, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and a component represented by formula A.sub.3B.sub.5O.sub.12:Ce; an optical wavelength conversion member; an optical wavelength conversion component including the optical wavelength conversion member; and a light-emitting device including the optical wavelength conversion member or the optical wavelength conversion component. The production method of the sintered body includes firing in a firing atmosphere having a pressure of 10.sup.4 Pa or more and an oxygen concentration of 0.8 vol. % or more and less than 25 vol. %.

Provided is a transparent rare earth aluminum garnet ceramic that has a highlight transmission rate and can be mass produced. The transparent rare earth aluminum garnet ceramic is represented by general formula R.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12 (R is an element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements having an atomic number of 65 to 71) and includes Si and Y as sintering aids, or is represented by general formula R.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12 (R is an element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements having an atomic number of 65 to 70) and includes Si and Lu as sintering aids.

An aluminum nitride sintered body for use in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is provided. The aluminum nitride sintered body exhibits, in a photoluminescence spectrum thereof in a wavelength range of 350 nm to 700 nm obtained with 250 nm excitation light, a highest emission intensity peak within a wavelength range of 580 nm to 620 nm.

A transparent sintered body having fewer air bubble-derived defects is provided. More specifically, a method is provided of producing a ceramic molded product including at least a step of pressure-molding ceramic granules having a Hausner ratio, which is a quotient obtained by dividing a tapped bulk density by a loose bulk density, of 1.0 or more but not more than 1.2. Also provided is a method of producing a transparent sintered body including at least each of the steps of the above method to obtain a ceramic molded product and a step of heating and sintering the resulting ceramic molded product. The transparent sintered body has a linear transmittance of 78% or more at a wavelength of 600 nm to 2000 nm inclusive except for an element-derived characteristic absorption wavelength.

An oxide sintered body containing indium, hafnium, tantalum, and oxygen as constituent elements, in which when indium, hafnium, and tantalum are designated as In, Hf, and Ta, respectively, the atomic ratio of Hf/(In+Hf+Ta) is equal to 0.002 to 0.030, and the atomic ratio of Ta/(In+Hf+Ta) is equal to 0.0002 to 0.013.