Provided is a silicate glass, a method for preparing a silicate glass-ceramics by using the silicate glass, and a method for preparing a lithium disilicate glass-ceramics by using the silicate glass, and more particularly, to a method for preparing a glass-ceramics that has a nanosize of 0.2 to 0.5 μm and contains lithium disilicate and silicate crystalline phases. A nano lithium disilicate glass-ceramics containing a SiO.sub.2 crystalline phase includes: a glass composition including 70 to 85 wt % SiO.sub.2, 10 to 13 wt % Li.sub.2O, 3 to 7 wt % P.sub.2O.sub.5 working as a nuclei formation agent, 0 to 5 wt % Al.sub.2O.sub.3 for increasing a glass transition temperature and a softening point and enhancing chemical durability of glass, 0 to 2 wt % ZrO.sub.2, 0.5 to 3 wt % CaO for increasing a thermal expansion coefficient of the glass, 0.5 to 3 wt % Na.sub.2O, 0.5 to 3 wt % K.sub.2O, and 1 to 2 wt % colorants, and 0 to 2.0 wt % mixture of MgO, ZnO, F, and La.sub.2O.sub.3.

A piezoelectric ceramic has a primary phase constituted by ceramic grains of perovskite crystal structure containing Pb, Nb, Zn, Ti, and Zr, and a secondary phase constituted by ZnO grains present sporadically in the primary phase. The piezoelectric ceramic of high kr and high specific dielectric constant can be sintered at low temperature and exhibit minimal characteristics variations.

One aspect of the heat insulator of the present invention includes a porous sintered body having a porosity of 70 vol % or more and less than 91 vol %, and pores having a pore size of 0.8 μm or more and less than 10 μm occupy 10 vol % or more and 70 vol % or less of the total pore volume, while pores having a pore size of 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.8 μm occupy 5 vol % or more and 30 vol % or less of the total pore volume. The porous sintered body is formed from an MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 (spinel) raw material and fibers formed of an inorganic material, the heat conductivity of the heat insulator at 1000° C. or more and 1500° C. or less is 0.40 W/(m.Math.K) or less, and the weight ratio of Si relative to Mg in the porous sintered body is 0.15 or less.

A dielectric ceramic composition and a multilayer ceramic capacitor comprising the same are provided. The dielectric ceramic composition includes a BaTiO.sub.3-based base material main ingredient and an accessory ingredient, where the accessory ingredient includes dysprosium (Dy) and cerium (Ce) as first accessory ingredients. A total content of Dy and Ce is greater than 0.25 mol % and equal to or less than 1.0 mol % based on 100 mol % of the base material main ingredient.

A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric body having a main phase configured by lead zirconate titanate and a heterogenous phase configured by a different component to lead zirconate titanate, and a pair of electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body has a surface region within 10 μm of a surface, and an inner region more than 10 μm from the surface. A surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the surface region is at least 0.75% greater than a surface area coverage of the heterogenous phase in a cross section of the inner region.

Provided are: a MnZn-based ferrite which allows to have a low magnetic core loss and to suppress a time-dependent change of magnetic property under a high-temperature environment by a control of ambient oxygen concentration and an increase of the magnetic core loss, and a method for manufacturing the same. The MnZn-based ferrite is characterized in that Fe ranges from 53.25 mol % or more to 54.00 mol % or less on the basis of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, Zn ranges from 2.50 mol % or more to 8.50 mol % or less on the basis of ZnO and Mn is the remainder on the basis of MnO, Si ranges from more than 0.001 mass % to less than 0.02 mass % on the basis of SiO.sub.2, Ca ranges from more than 0.04 mass % to less than 0.4 mass % on the basis of CaCO.sub.3, Co is less than 0.5 mass % on the basis of Co.sub.3O.sub.4, Bi is less than 0.05 mass % on the basis of Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, Ta is less than 0.05 mass % on the basis of Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, Nb is less than 0.05 mass % on the basis of Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, Ti is less than 0.3 mass % on the basis of TiO.sub.2, and Sn is less than 0.3 mass % on the basis of SnO.sub.2, and note that the converted total amount of Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 and Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 is less than 0.05 mass % and the converted total amount of TiO.sub.2 and SnO.sub.2 is less than 0.3 mass %.

A dielectric film containing an alkaline earth metal oxide having a NaCl type crystal structure as a main component, wherein the dielectric film has a (111)-oriented columnar structure in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the dielectric film, and in a Cu—Kα X-ray diffraction chart of the dielectric film, a half width of the diffraction peak of (111) is in a range of from 0.3° to 2.0°.

Both single phase lead-free cubic pyrochlore bismuth zinc niobate (BZN)-based dielectric materials with a chemical composition of Bi.sub.1.5Zn.sub.(0.5+y)Nb.sub.(1.5−x)Ta.sub.(x)O.sub.(6.5+y), with 0≦x<0.23 and 0≦y<0.9 and films with these average compositions with Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 particles in an amorphous matrix and a process of manufacture thereof. The crystalline BZNT-based dielectric material has a relative permittivity of at least 120, a maximum applied electric field of at least 4.0 MV/cm at 10 kHz, a maximum energy storage at 25° C. and 10 kHz of at least 50 J/cm.sup.3 and a maximum energy storage at 200° C. and 10 kHz of at least 22 J/cm.sup.3. The process is a wet chemical process that produces thin films of Bi.sub.1.5Zn.sub.(0.5+y)Nb.sub.(1.5−x)Ta.sub.(x)O.sub.(6.5+y) without the use of 2-methoxyethanol and pyridine.

A sintered Ni ferrite body having a composition comprising, calculated as oxide, 47.0-48.3% by mol of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 14.5% or more and less than 25% by mol of ZnO, 8.2-10.0% by mol of CuO, and more than 0.6% and 2.5% or less by mol of CoO, the balance being NiO and inevitable impurities, and having an average crystal grain size of more than 2.5 μm and less than 5.5 μm.

Electronic devices are produced from dielectric compositions comprising a mixture of precursor materials that, upon firing, forms a dielectric material comprising a barium-strontium-titanium-tungsten-silicon oxide.