An yttrium oxide-based sintered body includes yttrium oxide as a predominant component. The sintered body includes aluminum in an amount of 0.1 mass % to 0.5 mass % inclusive as reduced to aluminum oxide, has a metal content of 1,000 ppm or less, the metal excluding yttrium and aluminum, and has a relative density of 98% or higher. By virtue of the yttrium oxide-based sintered body, a plasma resistance comparable to that of a high-purity (99.9%) yttrium oxide sintered body can be achieved. Also, since the relative density is sufficiently high, plasma resistance can be enhanced. As a result, the yttrium oxide-based sintered body can be suitably used as a large-scale member by virtue of excellent mechanical strength.

The invention relates to a method of making a reinforced catalytic microporous and/or mesoporous bound composition comprising the steps of: providing a pre-formed catalytic crystalline material; mixing the catalytic crystalline material with water, a metal oxide binder, and a reinforcing glass fiber to form an extrudable composition; extruding the extrudable slurry under conditions sufficient to form the reinforced catalytic bound extrudate; and calcining the reinforced catalytic bound extrudate at a temperature and for a time sufficient to form a calcined reinforced catalytic bound catalyst. Advantageously, the reinforcing glass fiber can have a diameter from 5-100 microns and a length-to-diameter ratio from 300:1-3000:1 and can be present in an amount from about 1-50 parts, based on about 1000 parts combined of catalytic crystalline material and metal oxide binder.

A method of making a plurality of composite granules can include: forming green body granules comprising an aluminosilicate; heating the green body granules to form sintered granules; cooling the sintered granules according to a cooling regime, wherein the cooling regime comprises a temperature hold between 700° C. and 900° C. for at least one hour. In a particular embodiment, the aluminosilicate for making the composite granules can have a particle size less than 150 μm. The composite granules are particularly suitable as roofing granules and can have a desired combination of high solar reflectance SR and low lightness L*, a low bulk density, good weather resistance and strength.

The present invention provides a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1):
(Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 (1.00≦a≦1.01, 0.125≦x<0.155, and 0.041≦y≦0.074)
as a main component. The metal oxide contains Mn in a content of 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis.

Novel methods for processing fumed metallic oxides into globular metallic oxide agglomerates are provided. The methodology may allow for fumed metallic oxide particles, such as fumed silica and fumed alumina particles, to be processed into a globular morphology to improve handling while retaining a desirable surface area. The processes may include providing fumed metallic oxide particles, combining the particles with a liquid carrier to form a suspension, atomizing the solution of suspended particles, and subjecting the atomized droplets to a temperature range sufficient to remove the liquid carrier from the droplets, to produce metallic oxide-containing agglomerations.

A refractory, coarse ceramic product including at least one granular refractory material, has an open porosity of between 22 and 45 vol.-%, in particular of between 23 and 29 vol.-%, and a grain structure of the refractory material, wherein the medium grain size fraction with grain sizes of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm is 10 to 55 wt.-%, in particular 35 to 50 wt.-%, and wherein the remainder of the grain structure is a finest grain fraction with grain sizes of up to 0.1 mm and/or coarse-grain fraction with grain sizes of more than 0.5 mm.

Provided are a member for plasma processing device which has an excellent plasma resistance and improved adhesion strength of a film to a base material, and a plasma processing device provided with the same. A member for plasma processing device includes: a base material containing a first element which is a metal element or a metalloid element; a film containing a rare-earth element oxide, or a rare-earth element fluoride, or a rare-earth element oxyfluoride as a major constituent, the film being located on the base material; and an amorphous portion containing the first element, a rare earth element, and at least one of oxygen and fluorine, the amorphous portion being interposed between the base material and the film.

A method of producing high strength shaped alumina by feeding alumina power into an agglomerator having a shaft with mixers able to displace the alumina power along the shaft, spraying a liquid binder onto the alumina power as it is displaced along the shaft to form a shaped alumina, and calcining the shaped alumina. The shaped alumina produced having a loose bulk density of greater than or equal to 1.20 g/ml, a surface area less than 10 m.sup.2/g, impurities of less than 5 ppm of individual metals and less than 9 ppm of impurities in total, and/or crush strength of greater than 12,000 psi.

The present invention relates to granular composite density enhancement, and related methods and compositions. The application where the properties are valuable include but are not limited to: 1) additive manufacturing (“3D printing”) involving metallic, ceramic, cermet, polymer, plastic, or other dry or solvent-suspended powders or gels, 2) concrete materials, 3) solid propellant materials, 4) cermet materials, 5) granular armors, 6) glass-metal and glass-plastic mixtures, and 7) ceramics comprising (or manufactured using) granular composites.

Provided is a dielectric composition exhibiting a high strength and a high specific dielectric constant. The dielectric composition contains composite oxide particles having a composition formula represented by (Sr.sub.xBa.sub.1-x).sub.yNb.sub.2O.sub.5+y and an Al-based segregation phase. The Al segregation phase has niobium, aluminum, and oxygen.