A method of preparing a woven ceramic fabric for use in a ceramic matrix composite includes transforming a woven fabric sheet having a first tow architecture into a separated woven fabric sheet having a second tow architecture, the first tow architecture including a plurality of warp tows and a plurality of weft tows, and the second tow architecture including a plurality of warp subtows and/or a plurality of weft subtows. Transforming the woven fabric sheet includes separating at least some of the plurality of warp tows and/or the plurality of weft tows into a greater number of corresponding warp subtows and/or weft subtows, respectively, such that second tow architecture includes more warp subtows and/or weft subtows than the first tow architecture comprises warp tows and weft tows, and wherein each of the warp subtows and/or weft subtows includes fewer filaments than corresponding warp tow and/or weft tow. Each of the plurality of warp subtows and/or weft subtows is spaced apart from the closest adjacent warp subtow and/or weft subtow, respectively, a distance of 25 to 230 microns.

The invention provides filamentous organism-derived carbonaceous materials doped with organic and/or inorganic compounds, and methods of making the same. In certain embodiments, these carbonaceous materials are used as electrodes in solid state batteries and/or lithium-ion batteries. In another aspect, these carbonaceous materials are used as a catalyst, catalyst support, adsorbent, filter and/or other carbon-based material or adsorbent. In yet another aspect, the invention provides battery devices incorporating the carbonaceous electrode materials.

A metal-Si based powder contains a metal-Si based particle including a plurality of crystal phase grains. The crystal phase grains include a crystal phase containing a compound of a metal and Si. The crystal phase grains have an average grain size of, for example, 20 μm or less. The metal-Si based particle has an average particle size of, for example, 5 to 100 μm.

An embodiment of a PCD insert comprises an embodiment of a PCD element joined to a cemented carbide substrate at an interface. The PCD element has internal diamond surfaces defining interstices between them. The PCD element comprises a masked or passivated region and an unmasked or unpassivated region, the unmasked or unpassivated region defining a boundary with the substrate, the boundary being the interface. At least some of the internal diamond surfaces of the masked or passivated region contact a mask or passivation medium, and some or all of the interstices of the masked or passivated region and of the unmasked or unpassivated region are at least partially filled with an infiltrant material.

A ceramic matrix composite includes a substrate which contains a fibrous body made of silicon carbide fiber, and a matrix which is formed in the substrate, and which contains silicon carbide and a silicon material made of silicon or a binary silicon alloy.

A ceramic porous body including: skeleton portions including an aggregate and at least one bonding material; and pore portions formed between the skeleton portions, the pore portions being capable of allowing a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the pore portions have a pore volume ratio of pores having a pore diameter of from 10 to 15 μm, of from 4 to 17%.

The invention relates to a method for producing a non-oxide ceramic powder comprising a nitride, a carbide, a boride or at least one MAX phase with the general composition Mn+1AXn, where M=at least one element from the group of transition elements (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf and Ta), A=at least one A group element from the group (Si, Al, Ga, Ge, As, Cd, In, Sn, Tl and Pb), X=carbon (C) and/or nitrogen (N) and/or boron (B), and n=1, 2 or 3. According to the invention, corresponding quantities of elementary starting materials or other precursors are mixed with at least one metal halide salt (NZ), compressed (pellet), and heated for synthesis with a metal halide salt (NZ). The compressed pellet is first enveloped with another metal halide salt, compressed again, arranged in a salt bath and heated therewith until the melting temperature of the salt is exceeded. Optionally, melted silicate can be added, which prevents the salt from evaporating at high temperatures. Advantageously, the method can be carried out in the presence of air.

The present invention is directed to a method for producing a silicon nitride sintered material, the method including heating a molded article, which contains a silicon nitride powder having a β phase ratio of 80% or more, a dissolved oxygen content of 0.2% by mass or less, and a specific surface area of 5 to 20 m.sup.2/g, and a sintering auxiliary containing a compound having no oxygen bond, and which has an overall oxygen content controlled to be 1 to 15% by mass and an aluminum element overall content controlled to be 800 ppm or less, to a temperature of 1,200 to 1,800° C. in an inert gas atmosphere under a pressure of 0 MPa.Math.G or more and less than 0.1 MPa.Math.G to sinter the silicon nitride.

In the present invention, there can be provided a method for producing a silicon nitride sintered material, which method is advantageous in that a silicon nitride sintered material having high thermal conductivity can be obtained even when using a silicon nitride powder having a high β phase ratio and conducting calcination under normal pressure or substantially normal pressure.

Provided is a ZrO.sub.2—CaO—C based refractory material which is capable of maintaining high adhesion resistance over a long period of time, while exhibiting significant slaking resistance, and suppressing self-fluxing, i.e., exhibiting corrosion-erosion resistance. The refractory material comprises a CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition containing a CaO component in an amount of 40% by mass to 60% by mass, wherein a mass ratio of the CaO component to a ZrO.sub.2 component is 0.67 to 1.5, and wherein the CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition includes a eutectic microstructure of CaO crystals and CaZrO.sub.3 crystals, wherein a width of each of the CaO crystals observable in a cross-sectional microstructure is 50 μm or less.

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite component includes forming a fiber preform, the fiber preform including a plurality of ceramic fiber plies, a non-reduced fiber region having an areal weight, and a reduced fiber region characterized by a reduced areal weight less than the areal weight of the non-reduced fiber region by at least 5 percent. The method further includes selectively applying ceramic particles to the reduced fiber region in such manner as to avoid applying the ceramic particles to the non-reduced fiber region, and subsequently densifying the preform.