A method comprises discharging from a metal vaporization device a vapor of a metal or a metal precursor to a chemical vapor infiltration device where the chemical vapor infiltration device is in fluid communication with the metal vaporization device. The chemical vapor infiltration device contains a preform containing ceramic fibers. The preform is infiltrated with a metallic coating or a coating of a metallic precursor along with a ceramic precursor coating. The metallic coating and/or the metallic precursor coating and the ceramic precursor coating are applied sequentially or simultaneously.

A method comprises discharging from a metal vaporization device a vapor of a metal or a metal precursor to a chemical vapor infiltration device where the chemical vapor infiltration device is in fluid communication with the metal vaporization device. The chemical vapor infiltration device contains a preform containing ceramic fibers. The preform is infiltrated with a metallic coating or a coating of a metallic precursor along with a ceramic precursor coating. The metallic coating and/or the metallic precursor coating and the ceramic precursor coating are applied sequentially or simultaneously.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part, the composite component comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, said method comprising the steps of: providing a porous ceramic preform of the component, providing a metallic material, heating the metallic material to a temperature higher than the melting point of the metallic material, filling the pores of the ceramic preform with the molten metallic material, cooling the metallic material and the ceramic preform to obtain a solidified metallic material in the pores of the ceramic preform, and applying finishing treatments to obtain the composite component,

wherein said porous ceramic preform consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SiO.sub.2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

The invention relates also to a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, wherein said porous ceramic part consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SO.sub.2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material which is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part, the composite component comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, said method comprising the steps of: providing a porous ceramic preform of the component, providing a metallic material, heating the metallic material to a temperature higher than the melting point of the metallic material, filling the pores of the ceramic preform with the molten metallic material, cooling the metallic material and the ceramic preform to obtain a solidified metallic material in the pores of the ceramic preform, and applying finishing treatments to obtain the composite component,

wherein said porous ceramic preform consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SiO.sub.2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

The invention relates also to a composite component of a timepiece or of a jewelry part comprising a porous ceramic part and a metallic material filling the pores of said ceramic part, wherein said porous ceramic part consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SO.sub.2 and mixtures thereof, and said metallic material which is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium metals and alloys of these metals.

A precursor mixture for producing a porous body, wherein the precursor mixture comprises: (i) milled alpha alumina powder having a particle size of 0.1 to 6 microns, (ii) boehmite powder that functions as a binder of the alpha alumina powders, and (iii) burnout materials having a particle sizes of 1-10 microns. In some embodiments, an unmilled alpha alumina powder having a particle size of 10 to 100 microns is also included in said precursor mixture. Also described herein is a method for producing a porous body in which the above-described precursor mixture is formed to a given shape, and subjected to a heat treatment step in which the formed shape is sintered to produce the porous body.

A precursor mixture for producing a porous body, wherein the precursor mixture comprises: (i) milled alpha alumina powder having a particle size of 0.1 to 6 microns, (ii) boehmite powder that functions as a binder of the alpha alumina powders, and (iii) burnout materials having a particle sizes of 1-10 microns. In some embodiments, an unmilled alpha alumina powder having a particle size of 10 to 100 microns is also included in said precursor mixture. Also described herein is a method for producing a porous body in which the above-described precursor mixture is formed to a given shape, and subjected to a heat treatment step in which the formed shape is sintered to produce the porous body.

A plaster treatment compound, in particular a compound for reinforcing waterproof plaster treatments containing water glass, which contains 20 to 69 wt % of an aqueous solution of potassium silicate, 20 to 59.9 wt % of aqueous lithium silicate solution, 10 to 20 wt % of octyltriethoxysilane, and 0.1 to 1 wt % water glass stabilizer.

A plaster treatment compound, in particular a compound for reinforcing waterproof plaster treatments containing water glass, which contains 20 to 69 wt % of an aqueous solution of potassium silicate, 20 to 59.9 wt % of aqueous lithium silicate solution, 10 to 20 wt % of octyltriethoxysilane, and 0.1 to 1 wt % water glass stabilizer.

A piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric ceramic which has a perovskite compound expressed by the composition formula Li.sub.xNa.sub.yK.sub.1−x−yNbO.sub.3 (where 0.02<x≤0.1, 0.02<x+y≤1) as its primary component and which contains at least one of alkali earth metal selected from the group consisting of calcium, strontium, and barium, as well as silver, wherein the piezoelectric ceramic contains LiNbO.sub.3 at the surface but contains no or less LiNbO.sub.3 in the inner portion which is 5 μm or deeper from the surface, than at the surface; and at least one pair of electrodes formed on the surface of the piezoelectric ceramic.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a mirrored apparatus includes a substrate with a non-metal inorganic material that is non-diamond turnable. The mirrored apparatus further includes a finish layer arranged on the surface of the substrate. The finish layer has a polished surface opposite the substrate. The mirrored apparatus also includes a reflective layer arranged on the polished surface of the finish layer.