A ferrite sintered magnet 100 comprises M-type ferrite crystal grains 4 and multiple-crystal grain boundaries 6b surrounded by three or more of the M-type ferrite crystal grains 4. The ferrite sintered magnet 100 contains at least Fe, Ca, B, and Si, and contains 0.005 to 0.9 mass % of B in terms of B.sub.2O.sub.3. The multiple-crystal grain boundaries 6b contain Si and Ca, and in a case where the molar ratio of Ca to Si in the multiple-crystal grain boundaries 6b is represented by (Ca/Si).sub.G, the following formula is satisfied.
0.1<(Ca/Si).sub.G<0.9

A ceramic electronic component includes a body, including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of dielectric grains, and at least one of the plurality of dielectric grains has a core-dual shell structure having a core and a dual shell. The dual shell includes a first shell, surrounding at least a portion of the core, and a second shell, surrounding at least a portion of the first shell. The dual shell includes different types of rare earth elements R1 and R2, and R2.sub.S1/R1.sub.S1 is 0.01 or less and R2.sub.S2/R1.sub.S1 is 0.5 to 3.0, where R1.sub.S1 and R1.sub.S2 denote concentrations of R1 included in the first shell and the second shell, respectively, and R2.sub.S1 and R2.sub.S2 denote concentrations of R2 included in the first shell and the second shell, respectively.

This thermoelectric conversion module is formed by electrically connecting, by a conductive member, one end of an n-type thermoelectric conversion element having a negative Seebeck coefficient and having a half-Heusler structure to one end of a p-type thermoelectric conversion element containing an oxide having a positive Seebeck coefficient at a temperature of 25° C. or higher. The conductive member is connected to the n-type thermoelectric conversion element and the p-type thermoelectric conversion element through a connection layer containing a conductive metal comprising silver, and the connection layer is characterized by further containing an oxide to reduce the bond resistance between the n-type thermoelectric conversion element and/or the p-type thermoelectric conversion element.

A method for manufacturing a dense layer that includes: supplying a substrate and a suspension of non-agglomerated nanoparticles of a material P; depositing a layer on the substrate using the suspension; drying the layer thus obtained; and densifying the dried layer by mechanical compression and/or heat treatment. The method is characterised in that the suspension of non-agglomerated nanoparticles of material P includes nanoparticles of material P having a size distribution having a value of D50. The distribution includes nanoparticles of material P of a first size D1 between 20 nm and 50 nm, and nanoparticles of material P of a second size D2 characterised by the value D50 being at least five times less than that of D1, or the distribution has a mean size of nanoparticles of material P less than 50 nm, and a standard deviation to mean size ratio greater than 0.6.

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.

Provided is a piezoelectric ceramics including crystal grains each including: a first region that is formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide having a crystal structure in which a central element of a unit cell is located at an asymmetrical position; and a second region that is formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide having a crystal structure in which a central element of a unit cell is located at a symmetrical position, and that is present inside the first region, wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the second region to a cross-sectional area of the piezoelectric ceramics is 0.1% or less.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a multilayer structure in which ceramic dielectric layers and internal electrode layers are alternately stacked, wherein: a main component of the ceramic dielectric layer is barium titanate in which a donor element having a larger valence than Ti is solid-solved and an acceptor element having a smaller valence than Ti and larger ion radius than Ti and the donor element is solid-solved; a solid-solution amount of the donor element is 0.05 mol or more and 0.3 mol or less on a presumption that an amount of the barium titanate is 100 mol and the donor element is converted into an oxide; and a solid solution amount of the accepter element is 0.02 mol or more and 0.2 mol or less on a presumption that the amount of the barium titanate is 100 mol and the acceptor element is converted into an oxide.

A ceramic material includes zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) doped with scandium (Sc) ions. ZTA can be further doped with other metal ions, and the other metal ions include cobalt (Co) ions, chromium (Cr) ions, zinc (Zn) ions, titanium (Ti) ions, manganese (Mn) ions, nickel (Ni) ions, or a combination thereof. The ceramic material can be used as a ceramic object, such as a wire bonding capillary, a heat dissipation plate, a denture tooth, orthopedic implants, direct bonded copper, or a high-temperature co-fired ceramic.

This ferrite sintered magnet comprises ferrite phases having a magnetoplumbite type crystal structure. This magnet comprises an element R, an element M, Fe, Co, B, Mn and Cr, the element R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements including Y, the element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr and Ba, with Ca being an essential element, and when an atomic composition of metallic elements is represented by R.sub.1-xM.sub.xFe.sub.m-yCo.sub.y, x, y and m satisfy formulae:
0.2≤x≤0.8  (1)
0.1≤y≤0.65  (2)
3≤m<14  (3). Additionally, a content of B is 0.1 to 0.4% by mass in terms of B.sub.2O.sub.3, a content of Mn is 0.15 to 1.02% by mass in terms of MnO, and a content of Cr is 0.02 to 2.01% by mass in terms of Cr.sub.2O.sub.3.

An antimicrobial material including a substrate and an antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide in and/or on the substrate is described, as well as antimicrobial coating materials and coatings formed therefrom. The antimicrobial material may be constituted in an antimicrobial surface of a surface-presenting substrate, to combat transmission and spread of microbial disease, e.g., disease mediated by microbial pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide as described may be contacted with microorganisms to effect inactivation thereof.