Provided is a thermoelectric material satisfying (MX).sub.1+a(TX.sub.2).sub.n and having a superlattice structure, wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13, Group 14, and Group 15, T is at least one element selected from Group 5, X is a chalcogenide element, a is a real number satisfying 0<a<1, and n is a natural number of 1 to 3.

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite includes depositing particles on a ceramic fabric formed from a plurality of ceramic tows, applying a binder to at least the particles to form a stabilized ceramic fabric, forming a preform using the stabilized ceramic fabric, and densifying the preform. The ceramic tows are formed from a first material and the particles are formed from at least a second material.

Disclosed herein is a ceramic matrix composite comprising a preform comprising a plurality of plies; a ceramic matrix encompassing the plies and distributed through the plies; and thermally conducting particles distributed through the ceramic matrix. Disclosed herein is a method comprising distributing thermally conducting particles between plies in a preform; infiltrating chemical vapors of a ceramic precursor into the plies; and reacting the ceramic precursor to form a matrix.

A composite sintered material includes a plurality of diamond grains, a plurality of cubic boron nitride grains, and a remainder of a binder phase, wherein the binder phase includes cobalt, a content of the cubic boron nitride grains in the composite sintered material is more than or equal to 3 volume % and less than or equal to 40 volume %, and an average length of line segments extending across continuous cubic boron nitride grains in appropriately specified straight lines extending through the composite sintered material is less than or equal to a length three times as large as an average grain size of the cubic boron nitride grains.

A cubic boron nitride-based sintered material includes cubic boron nitride particles of 70 to 95 vol %, in which in a structure of a cross-section of the sintered material, a binder phase with a width of 1 nm to 30 nm is present between the adjacent cubic boron nitride particles, the binder phase being made of a compound containing at least Al, B, and N and having a ratio of an oxygen content to an Al content of 0.1 or less in terms of atomic ratio.

An injection system comprises a fluid control member and a reciprocating member; wherein the fluid control member is configured to form a carbon composite-to-metal seal with the reciprocating member in response to application of a compressive force; the carbon composite comprising carbon and a binder containing one or more of the following: SiO.sub.2; Si; B; B.sub.2O.sub.3; a filler metal; or an alloy of the filler metal, and the filler metal comprising one or more of the following: aluminum; copper; titanium; nickel; tungsten; chromium; iron; manganese; zirconium; hafnium; vanadium; niobium; molybdenum; tin; bismuth; antimony; lead; cadmium; or selenium.

A cBN sinter comprising cubic boron nitride grains and a binder phase, the binder phase comprising Ti.sub.2CN and TiAl.sub.3, wherein the ratio I.sub.Ti2CN/I.sub.TiAl3 of the peak intensity I.sub.Ti2CN of Ti.sub.2CN appearing at 2θ=41.9° to 42.2° to the peak intensity I.sub.TiAl3 of TiAl.sub.3 appearing at 2θ=39.0° to 39.3° is in a range of 2.0 to 30.0 in an XRD measurement.

A precursor of an alumina sintered compact including aluminum, yttrium, and at least one metal selected from iron, zinc, cobalt, manganese, copper, niobium, antimony, tungsten, silver, and gallium. The aluminum content is 98.0% by mass or more as an oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) in 100% by mass of the precursor of an alumina sintered compact; the yttrium content is 0.01 to 1.35 parts by mass as an oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3) based on 100 parts by mass of the content of the aluminum as an oxide; the total content of the metals selected from the foregoing group is 0.02 to 1.55 parts by mass as an oxide based on 100 parts by mass of the content of aluminum as an oxide; and the aluminum is contained as α-alumina. Also disclosed is an alumina sintered compact, and a method for producing an alumina sintered compact and for producing abrasive grains.

A coated article, comprising an article having at least one surface having disposed thereupon an oxidation resistant coating comprising at least two constituents to form a composition, a first constituent comprising at least one thermal expansion component comprising at least about 10% by volume to up to about 99% by volume of the composition, a second constituent comprising at least one oxygen scavenger comprising at least about 1% by volume to up to about 90% by volume of the composition.

An automated preparation method of a SiC.sub.f/SiC composite flame tube, comprising the following steps: preparing an interface layer for a SiC fiber by a chemical vapor infiltration process, and obtaining the SiC fiber with a continuous interface layer; laying a unidirectional tape on the SiC fiber with the continuous interface layer and winding the SiC fiber with the continuous interface layer to form and obtaining a preform of a net size molding according to a fiber volume and a fiber orientation obtained in a simulation calculation; and adopting a reactive melt infiltration process and the chemical vapor infiltration process successively for a densification and obtaining a high-density SiC.sub.f/SiC composite flame tube in a full intelligent way. The SiC.sub.f/SiC composite flame tube prepared by the present disclosure not only has a high temperature resistance, but also has a low thermal expansion coefficient, high thermal conductivity and high thermal shock resistance.