An oxide ion conductor has a X.sub.3Z.sub.2(TO.sub.4).sub.3 structure, where X is a divalent metal element, Z is a trivalent metal element, and T is a tetravalent metal element, and has a composition expressed by (X.sub.1-xA.sub.x).sub.3(Z.sub.1-yB.sub.y).sub.2(T.sub.1-zC.sub.z).sub.3O.sub.12+ where the element X is Ca, Fe, Gd, Ba, Sr, Mn, and/or Mg, the element Z is Al, Cr, Fe, Mn, V, Ga, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, and/or Ir, the element T is Si and/or Ge, an element A is La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and/or Sr, an element B is Zn, Mn, Co, Ru, and/or Rh, and an element C is Si, Al, Ga, and/or Sn, 0x0.2, 0y0.2, and 0z0.2 are satisfied, and is a value securing electrical neutrality.

The present invention provides an LGPS-based solid electrolyte production method characterized by having a step in which a mixture of Li.sub.3PS.sub.4 crystals having a peak at 42010 cm.sup.1 in a Raman measurement and Li.sub.4MS.sub.4 crystals (M being selected from the group consisting of Ge, Si, and Sn) is heat treated at 300-700 C. In addition, the present invention can provide an LGPS-based solid electrolyte production method characterized by having: a step in which Li.sub.3PS.sub.4 crystals having a peak at 42010 cm.sup.1 in a Raman measurement, Li.sub.2S crystals, and sulfide crystals indicated by MS.sub.2 (M being selected from the group consisting of Ge, Si, and Sn) are mixed while still having crystals present and a precursor is synthesized; and a step in which the precursor is heat treated at 300-700 C.

A zirconia sintered body that includes a transparent zirconia portion and an opaque zirconia portion has a biaxial bending strength of 300 MPa or more. In addition, the opaque zirconia portion is configured by an opaque zirconia sintered body that is any one of a dark-colored zirconia sintered body, a medium-light-colored zirconia sintered body, and a light-colored zirconia sintered body.

[Object] An object is to provide a SnZnO-based oxide sintered body which has a mechanical strength, a high density, and a low resistance characteristic and which is applied as a sputtering target, and a method for producing the same.

[Solving Means] In this oxide sintered body, Sn is contained with an atomic ratio of Sn/(Sn+Zn) being 0.1 or more and 0.9 or less, and a first additional element M is contained with an atomic ratio of M/(Sn+Zn+M+X) being 0.0001 or more and 0.04 or less relative to a total amount of all the metal elements, and a second additional element X is contained with an atomic ratio of X/(Sn+Zn+M+X) being 0.0001 or more and 0.1 or less relative to the total amount of all the metal elements, where the first additional element M is at least one selected from Si, Ti, Ge, In, Bi, Ce, Al, and Ga, and the second additional element X is at least one selected from Nb, Ta, W, and Mo, and a relative density of the sintered body is 90% or more and a specific electrical resistance of the sintered body is 1 .Math.cm or less.

Provided are a MnZnWO sputtering target having excellent crack resistance and a production method therefor. The MnZnWO sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, W, and O. From an X-ray diffraction pattern of the MnZnWO sputtering target, a ratio P.sub.MnO/P.sub.W of a maximum peak intensity P.sub.MnO of a peak due to a manganese oxide composed only of Mn and O to a maximum peak intensity P.sub.W of a peak due to W is 0.027 or less.

A method for producing a solid electrolyte for an all-solid state battery, the solid electrolyte having the following chemical formula XM.sub.2(PS.sub.4).sub.3, where X is lithium (Li), sodium (Na), silver (Ag) or magnesium (Mg.sub.0.5) and M is titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), germanium (Ge), silicon (Si), tin (Sn) or a mixture of X and aluminium (X+Al) and the method including: mixing powders so as to obtain a powder mixture; pressing a component with powder mixture; and sintering component for a period of time equal to or greater than 100 hours so as to obtain the solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte exhibits the peaks in positions of 2=13.64 (1), 13.76 (1), 14.72 (1), 15.36 (1), 15.90 (1), 16.48 (1), 17.42 (1), 17.56 (1), 18.58 (1), and 22.18 (1) in a X-ray diffraction measurement using CuK line. The disclosure is also related to a method of producing a solid electrolyte.

A thermoelectric conversion material consists of a non-doped sintered body of a magnesium-based compound, in which an electric resistance value is 1.010.sup.4 .Math.m or less. The magnesium-based compound is preferably one or more selected from a MgSi-based compound, a MgSn-based compound, a MgSiSn-based compound, and a MgSiGe-based compound.

A chromaticity of zinc oxide is measured. The durability of a zinc oxide varistor is evaluated based on the chromaticity. This provides a varistor with a high durability stably.

An oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor includes a composite oxide expressed as A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6.00yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.0+z, where A represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, T represents an element including Si or Ge or both, and M represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo, and where x is from 1.00 to 1.00, y is from 0.40 to less than 1.00, and z is from 3.00 to 2.00.

An oxide electrolyte sintered body with high lithium ion conductivity and a method for producing the same, which can obtain the oxide electrolyte sintered body with high lithium ion conductivity by sintering at lower temperature than ever before. The method for producing an oxide electrolyte sintered body may comprise the steps of: preparing crystal particles of a garnet-type ion-conducting oxide which comprises Li, H, at least one kind of element L selected from the group consisting of an alkaline-earth metal and a lanthanoid element, and at least one kind of element M selected from the group consisting of a transition element that can be 6-coordinated with oxygen and typical elements belonging to the Groups 12 to 15, and which is represented by a general formula (Li.sub.x3yz,E.sub.y,H.sub.z)L.sub.M.sub.O.sub. (where E is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Fe and Si, 3x3yz7, 0y<0.22, 0<z2.8, 2.53.5, 1.52.5, and 1113); preparing a lithium-containing flux; and sintering a mixture of the crystal particles of the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide and the flux by heating at 400 C. or more and 650 C. or less.