A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U.sub.3Si.sub.2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2

A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U.sub.3Si.sub.2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2.

Disclosed is a plastic semiconductor material and a preparation method thereof. The semiconductor material comprises an argentite-based compound represented by the following formula (I): Ag.sub.2-δX.sub.δS.sub.1-ηY.sub.η(I), in which 0≤δ<0.5, 0≤η<0.5, X is at least one of Cu, Au, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Ti, or V, and Y is at least one of N, P, As, Sb, Se, Te, O, Br, Cl, I, or F. The material can withstand certain deformations, similar to organic materials, and has excellent semiconductor properties with adjustable electrical properties, thereby enabling the preparation of high-performance flexible semiconductor devices.

Optical additive manufacturing, including laser additive manufacturing systems, apparatus and methods using polymer derived ceramic build materials. Additive manufacturing build materials are made of polymer derived ceramic including SiOC, precures, cured materials, hard cured materials, and pyrolized materials. Polymer derived ceramic build materials are mixed with and used in conjunction with other build materials.

A composition of the wear-resistant material of the present invention includes high-temperature resistant skeleton metal materials, ceramic fiber materials and ceramic particle materials with the mass ratio of (10-60):(1-30):(10-70). The high-temperature resistant skeleton metal materials are foam metal or high-temperature resistant metal fibers. The wear-resistant material is good in wear-resistance, high in tenacity, suitable for occasions with high requirements for wear-resistance and tenacity and capable of being locally attached to the surface of the light metal alloy matrix to improve the wear-resistance and tenacity of the light metal alloy matrix under high temperature conditions. The locally-reinforced light metal matrix composites of the present invention are the light metal alloy matrix locally-reinforced through the wear-resistant material. A manufacturing method of the locally-reinforced light metal matrix composites of the present invention is to metallurgically bond the wear-resistant layer with the light metal alloy matrix is through the squeeze casting technique.

Provided is a Mn—Ta—W—Cu—O-based sputtering target including, in the component composition, Mn, Ta, W, Cu, and O. The sputtering target has a relative density of at least 90%, and includes a crystal phase of Mn.sub.4Ta.sub.2O.sub.9. Also provided is a production method for the sputtering target.

A porous honeycomb heat storage structure including: a honeycomb structure which has a porous partition wall which defines a plurality of cells extending one end face to the other end face and allows a reaction medium to flow into the cells; and a heat storage portion which is configured by filling a heat storage material performing heat storage and heat dissipation by a reversible chemical reaction with the reaction medium or physical adsorption/desorption in at least a portion of each cells, wherein the heat storage portion has an area ratio in a range from 60% to 90% with respect to a cross sectional area of a honeycomb cross section orthogonal to an axial direction of the honeycomb structure.

Polycrystalline diamond may include a working surface and a peripheral surface extending around an outer periphery of the working surface. The polycrystalline diamond includes a first volume including an interstitial material and a second volume having a leached region that includes boron and titanium. A method of fabricating a polycrystalline diamond element may include positioning a first volume of diamond particles adjacent to a substrate, the first volume of diamond particles including a material that includes a group 13 element, and positioning a second volume of diamond particles adjacent to the first volume of diamond particles such that the first volume of diamond particles is disposed between the second volume of diamond particles and the substrate, the second volume of diamond particles having a lower concentration of material including the group 13 element than the first volume of diamond particles.

A piezoelectric composition including copper, germanium and a complex oxide represented by a compositional formula K.sub.mNbO.sub.3 and having a perovskite structure, in which m in the compositional formula satisfies 0.970≤m≤0.999, and with respect to 1 mol of the complex oxide, x mol % of copper in terms of a copper element and y mol % of germanium in terms of a germanium element are contained, wherein x satisfies 0.100≤x≤1.000 and y satisfies 0.000<y≤1.500.

Provided is a dielectric composition exhibiting a high specific dielectric constant and a high resistivity even when fired in a reducing atmosphere. The dielectric composition contains a composite oxide having a composition represented by (Sr.sub.xBa.sub.1-x).sub.yNb.sub.2O.sub.5+y, the crystal system of the composite oxide is tetragonal, and y in the composition formula is smaller than 1.