There is provided a piezoelectric film, being a polycrystalline film comprised of potassium sodium niobate; containing at least one metal element selected from a group consisting of Cu and Mn; and having 1.0 or less ratio of a concentration B of the metal element at grain boundaries of crystals, with respect to a concentration A of the metal element in a matrix phase of the crystals.

A graphite-copper composite material that contains a copper layer and scaly graphite particles stacked via the copper layer. A volume fraction of copper is from 3 to 30%. A number of intra-particle gaps N obtained by the following (1a) to (1c) is five pieces or less in a stacked cross-sectional surface. (1a) Five measurement visual fields of 930 ?m?1230 ?m are defined in the stacked cross-sectional surface. (1b) The number of gaps having a width of 2 to 5 ?m in the scaly graphite particles is counted in each of the five measurement visual fields, and N.sub.1 to N.sub.5 are assigned for the five measurement visual fields. (1c) An average value of the number of gaps ((N.sub.1+N.sub.2+N.sub.3+N.sub.4+N.sub.5)/5) is calculated to obtain the number of intra-particle gaps N.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a ceramic article (3) from a metal or metal matrix composite preform (1) provided by 3D-printing or by 3D-weaving. The preform (1) is placed in a heating chamber (2), and a predetermined time-temperature profile is applied in order to controllably react the preform (1) with a gas introduced into the heating chamber (2). The metal, the gas and the time-temperature profile are chosen so as to induce a metal-gas reaction resulting in at least a part of the preform (1) transforming into a ceramic. Preferred embodiments of the invention comprises a first oxidation stage involving a metal-gas reaction in order to form a supporting oxide layer (5) at the surface of the metal, followed by a second stage in which the heating chamber (2) is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal to increase the kinetics of the chemical reaction. The invention also relates to a number of advantageous uses of a ceramic article manufactured as described.

Disclosed herein are compounds, methods, and tools which comprise tungsten borides and mixed transition metal borides.

A hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic of the general structure ABO3 is specified, wherein the PZT ceramic has doping with Mn on the B sites and doping with Cu on the A sites and/or on the B sites. A process for producing a ceramic material and an electroceramic component are moreover specified.

Thermally-conductive ceramic and ceramic composite components suitable for high temperature applications, systems having such components, and methods of manufacturing such components. The thermally-conductive components are formed by a displacive compensation of porosity (DCP) process and are suitable for use at operating temperatures above 600 C. without a significant reduction in thermal and mechanical properties.

A method for producing a negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising a step of charging either silicon and copper (II) oxide or silicon and copper metal in a pulverization device, pulverizing either the silicon and copper (II) oxide or silicon and copper metal, and simultaneously mixing either silicon and copper (II) oxide or silicon and copper metal thus pulverized. A negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery is produced by the method.

Brake disks with integrated heat sink are provided. Brake disk includes a fiber-reinforced composite material and an encapsulated heat sink material impregnated into the fiber-reinforced composite material. The encapsulated heat sink material comprises a heat sink material encapsulated within a silicon-containing encapsulation layer. Methods for manufacturing the brake disk with integrated heat sink and methods for producing the encapsulated heat sink material are also provided.

Polycrystalline diamond includes 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 includes 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. Various other articles, assemblies, and methods are also disclosed.

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.