A particulate material with a composition expressed by M.sub.aAl.sub.bX.sub.c in which M includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf and Ta and X includes C or one or more chemical structures selected from the group consisting of C.sub.(1.0x)N.sub.x (where x is 0<x1.0), wherein: a is two or three; b is more than 0.02; and c is from 0.8 to 1.2 when a is two; or c is from 1.8 to 2.6 when a is 3. The particulate material has thicknesses whose average value is from 3.5 nm or more to 20 nm or less, and sizes, [{(longer sides)+(shorter sides)}/2], whose average value is from 50 nm or more to 300 nm or less.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a material based on an aluminosilicate selected from barium aluminosilicate BAS, barium-strontium aluminosilicate BSAS, and strontium aluminosilicate SAS, said aluminosilicate consisting of aluminosilicate with a hexagonal structure, characterised in that it includes a single sintering step in which a mixture of powders of precursors of said aluminosilicate, including an aluminium hydroxide Al(OH).sub.3 powder, are sintered by a hot-sintering technique with a pulsed electric field SPS; whereby a material based on an aluminosilicate, said aluminosilicate consisting of an aluminosilicate with a hexagonal structure is obtained. The material based on an aluminosilicate prepared by said method can be used in a method for preparing a composite material consisting of an aluminosilicate matrix reinforced by reinforcements made of metalloid or metal oxide.

A lead-free insulating ceramic coating zinc oxide arrester valve and a method for manufacturing thereof are disclosed. In an embodiment a method includes preparing an initial powder from starting materials with the following mass percentages: ZnO: 86-95%; Bi.sub.2O.sub.3: 1.0-3.0%; Co.sub.3O.sub.4: 0.5-1.5%; Mn.sub.3O.sub.4: 0.2-1.0%; Sb.sub.2O.sub.3: 3.0-9.0%; NiO: 0.2-1.0%; and SiO.sub.2: 1.0-3.0%, preparing a ceramic coating powder by mixing the initial powder, deionized water and first grinding balls, milling the mixture, and drying and pulverizing the mixture, preparing a ceramic coating slurry by mixing a PVA solution, the ceramic coating powder and second grinding balls and milling the mixture, applying the ceramic coating slurry to a green body, heating and debinding the ceramic coating slurry with the green body thereby forming a resistor element and sintering the resistor element thereby obtaining a zinc oxide surge arrester valve block having a lead-free insulating ceramic coating.

A sintered bead with the following crystal phases, in percentages by mass based on crystal phases: 25%zircon, or Z.sub.1, 94%; 4%stabilized zirconia+stabilized hafnia, or Z.sub.2, 61%; monoclinic zirconia+monoclinic hafnia, or Z.sub.350%; corundum57%; crystal phases other than Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2, Z.sub.3 and corundum<10%; the following chemical composition, in percentages by mass based on oxides: 33%ZrO.sub.2+HfO.sub.2, or Z.sub.483.4%; HfO.sub.22%; 10.6%SiO.sub.234.7%; Al.sub.2O.sub.350%; 0%Y.sub.2O.sub.3, or Z.sub.5; 0%CeO.sub.2, or Z.sub.6; 0.3%CeO.sub.2+Y.sub.2O.sub.319%, provided that (1) CeO.sub.2+3.76*Y.sub.2O.sub.30.128*Z, and (2) CeO.sub.2+1.3*Y.sub.2O.sub.30.318*Z, with Z=Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6(0.67*Z.sub.1*(Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6)/(0.67*Z.sub.1+Z.sub.2+Z.sub.3)); MgO5%; CaO2%; oxides other than ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, CeO.sub.2 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3<5.0%.

One embodiment of the present invention discloses an electrostatic chuck made of an aluminum nitride sintered body, wherein the aluminum nitride sintered body comprises aluminum nitride and a composite oxide formed along the grain boundaries of the aluminum nitride, wherein the composite oxide comprises at least two kinds of rare earth metals which have a solid-solution relationship with each other, and wherein the composite oxide comprises a collection area having a higher oxygen content than a surrounding area.

An aluminum nitride-based sintered compact includes: aluminum nitride crystal particles containing Mg; composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Al, the composite oxide having a garnet crystal structure; and composite oxynitride containing Mg and Al. Particles of the composite oxide and particles of the composite oxynitride are interspersed between the aluminum nitride crystal particles. The composite oxide may include Y. A content of Mg in the aluminum nitride crystal particles may fall in a range of 0.1 mol % or more and 1.0 mol % or less, based on a total of all metal elements contained in the aluminum nitride crystal particles taken as 100 mol %. A semiconductor holding device includes the aluminum nitride-based sintered compact; and an electrostatic adsorptive electrode.

Provided is a thin beta-alumina-based solid electrolyte sheet having a high ion conduction value. The solid electrolyte sheet containing -alumina and/or -alumina and having a thickness of 1 mm or less and a voidage of 20% or less.

The present disclosure provides a glass ceramic composite electrolyte comprising gadolinium doped ceria and glass composite with desired ionic conductivity in the temperature range of 400 to 600 C., suitable for applications in solid oxide fuel cells. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of the glass ceramic composite electrolyte.

Slip for the production of ceramic or glass ceramic shaped parts by a LIFT process, which contains (a) ceramic and/or glass ceramic particles, (b) binder, (c) at least one energy transformation component and (d) at least one dispersant, as well as a LIFT process for the production of ceramic or glass ceramic shaped parts using the slip.

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.