A piezoelectric material including a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1); Bi; and Mn, wherein the content of Bi is 0.1-0.5 mol % with respect to 1 mol of the metal oxide, the content of Mn is 0.3-1.5 mol % with respect to 1 mol of the metal oxide, and the piezoelectric material satisfies (L.sub.4−L.sub.5)/L.sub.5≧0.05 and (L.sub.8−L.sub.9)/L.sub.9≧0.05 when the lengths of twelve Bi—O bonds with Bi that is located at a 12-fold site with respect to O in a perovskite-type unit cell as a starting point are taken to be L.sub.1 to L.sub.12 in length order:

(Ba.sub.1-xM1.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-yM2.sub.y)O.sub.3  (1)

wherein 0≦x≦0.2, 0≦y≦0.1, and M1 and M2 are mutually different metal elements which have a total valence of +6 and are selected from other elements than Ba, Ti, Bi and Mn.

The disclosed technology relates to a ceramic composition and an article formed therefrom. A ceramic article for radio frequency applications is formed of a ceramic composite material comprising a matrix phase comprising aluminum oxide having a corundum crystal structure and a precipitate phase comprising ZnAl.sub.2O.sub.4 and Zn.sub.2TiO.sub.4 and having a spinel crystal structure.

A metal-ceramic composite for a fuel cell anode is disclosed. In the metal-ceramic composite, the content of the metal is greatly reduced and the intervals between the metal particles are maintained constant, achieving improved activity and conductivity. The metal-ceramic composite includes a metal catalyst raw material and a mixed-conductive ceramic. The metal catalyst raw material is present in an amount such that the content of the metal catalyst nanoparticles in the metal-ceramic composite is significantly lower than in conventional metal-ceramic composites. The presence of a small amount of the metal catalyst nanoparticles in the metal-ceramic composite minimizes the occurrence of stress resulting from a change in the volume of the metal catalyst and provides a solution to the problem of defects, achieving improved life characteristics. Also disclosed is a method for preparing the metal-ceramic composite.

Disclosed are a ferrite green sheet comprising a pattern formed in a top surface of the ferrite green sheet, a sintered ferrite sheet, a ferrite composite sheet comprising the same, and a conductive loop antenna module. The pattern comprises a plurality of grooves, each groove has a width W and a rounded shape bottom having a radius of curvature of R, wherein a ratio of W to R (W:R) is in the range of 1:0.1 to 1:0.5.

The present disclosure provides a glass ceramic composite electrolyte comprising gadolinium doped ceria and glass composite with desired ionic conductivity in the temperature range of 400 to 600° C., suitable for applications in solid oxide fuel cells. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of the glass ceramic composite electrolyte.

Provided are a barium titanate-based piezoelectric ceramics having satisfactory piezoelectric performance and a satisfactory mechanical quality factor (Q.sub.m), and a piezoelectric element using the same. Specifically provided are a piezoelectric ceramics, including: crystal particles; and a grain boundary between the crystal particles, in which the crystal particles each include barium titanate having a perovskite-type structure and manganese at 0.04% by mass or more and 0.20% by mass or less in terms of a metal with respect to the barium titanate, and the grain boundary includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of Ba.sub.4Ti.sub.12O.sub.27 and Ba.sub.6Ti.sub.17O.sub.40, and a piezoelectric element using the same.

A solid ionic conducting material for use in an electrochemical device comprises an oxyhydroxide or hydrated oxide derived from of an oxide with a perovskite, Brownmillerite, layered oxide, and/or K.sub.4CdCl.sub.6 structure, the elemental composition of the initial oxide being selected to provide suitable conduction properties for the derived anhydrous or hydrated oxyhydroxide or hydrated oxide. A method of making such a solid ionic conducting material, including treatment with water, and an electrochemical device incorporating such a solid ionic conducting material (optionally as an electrolyte) are also disclosed.

An image acquisition semiconductor film for a high-resolution mass spectrometric imaging system, and a preparation method and an application. The image acquisition semiconductor film for the high-resolution mass spectrometric imaging system is prepared by using the following method: weighing semiconductor nanometer particles, putting the semiconductor nanometer particles into a muffle furnace for burning first, further grinding by using an agate mortar, and uniformly dispersing the semiconductor nanometer particles so as to obtain semiconductor nanometer powder; and finally, pressing the semiconductor nanometer powder in a compressor so as to obtain the semiconductor film. Based on laser activated electron tunnelling as well as photoelectron capture ionization and dissociation, sample molecules are ionized without background interference; the limitation of a conventional MALDI substrate is overcome; the semiconductor film is simple and easy to obtain, is stable in mass spectrometric signal, has a uniform and smooth surface, generates no background interference, and can be used for fingerprint analyzing and animal and plant tissue slice analysis; and the semiconductor film is particularly suitable for accurate mass spectrometric imaging of small molecular substances, so that quality control and industrialization can be performed conveniently.

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.x−3y−z,E.sub.y,H.sub.z)L.sub.αM.sub.βO.sub.γ (where E is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Fe and Si, 3≦x−3y−z≦7, 0≦y<0.22, 0<z≦2.8, 2.5≦α≦3.5, 1.5≦β≦2.5, and 11≦γ≦13); 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.

A lead-free piezoelectric ceramic composition mainly includes a first crystal phase (KNN phase) and a second crystal phase (NTK phase). In the first crystal phase (KNN phase), a plurality of crystal grains formed of an alkali niobate/tantalate perovskite oxide having piezoelectric characteristics is bound to each other in a deposited state. The second crystal phase (NTK phase) is formed of a compound containing titanium (Ti) and fills spaces between the crystal grains in the first crystal phase.