A carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes a composition represented by (1-a)Sn.sub.1-xM.sup.1.sub.x+aM.sup.2+cC, wherein: M.sup.1 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; M.sup.2 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; x is 0≦x≦1; a is 0≦a≦1; and c is 0<c≦99. A method of forming the carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes the steps of dissolving one or more precursor materials in a solvent to form a solution; adding an organic carbon forming precursor to the solution to form a mixture; heating the mixture in an autoclave reactor for a prescribed period of time; separating solids formed from the mixture after the heating; washing the separated solids with a washing solvent; and heating the washed solids under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form the carbon-metal/alloy composite material.

Disclosed is a rapid, reproducible solution-based method to synthesize solid sodium ion-conductive materials. The method includes: (a) forming an aqueous mixture of (i) at least one sodium salt, and (ii) at least one metal oxide; (b) adding at least one phosphorous precursor as a neutralizing agent into the mixture; (c) concentrating the mixture to form a paste; (d) calcining or removing liquid from the paste to form a solid; and (e) sintering the solid at a high temperature to form a dense, non-porous, sodium ion-conductive material. Solid sodium ion-conductive materials have electrochemical applications, including use as solid electrolytes for batteries.

A process for manufacturing ceramic-metal composite material, comprises dissolving ceramic powder into water to obtain an aqueous solution of ceramic; mixing metal powder having a multimodal particle size where largest particle size is one fourth of the minimum dimension of a device, with the aqueous solution of ceramic to obtain a powder containing ceramic precipitated on the surface of metal particles; mixing the powder containing ceramic precipitated on the surface of the metal particles, with ceramic powder having a particle size below 50 μm, to obtain a powder mixture; adding saturated aqueous solution of ceramic to the powder mixture to obtain an aqueous composition containing ceramic and metal; compressing the aqueous composition to form a disc of ceramic-metal composite material containing ceramic and metal; and removing water from the ceramic-metal composite material; wherein ceramic content of the disc is 10 vol-% to 35 vol-%. Alternatively, ceramic-ceramic composite material may be manufactured.

A method of preparing a lithium lanthanum zirconate (LLZO) cubic garnet material is provided which comprises the following steps: (a) milling a slurry comprising one or more precursor compounds in an aqueous medium, wherein the one or more precursor compounds comprise lithium, lanthanum, zirconium and optionally one or more dopant elements, to provide a milled slurry; (b) spray drying the milled slurry to provide a spray-dried powder; and (c) annealing the spray-dried powder. The resultant LLZO cubic garnet material may be used as a lithium ion conductive solid electrolyte in secondary lithium-ion batteries.

The present invention relates to a metal-halide composite, articles comprising a metal-halide composite and method of making and using same. The metal-halide matrix materials used in such composite have the desired properties of high thermal conductivity, resistance to thermal induced microstructural changes, and ease of use. As a result, they permit the fabrication of higher performance cryogenic magnets, motors, generators, and cables. Additionally, they permit the fabrication of plate reinforced composites that are useful in lightweight armor and other articles. Additionally, an optoelectronic composite could be built depending on the choice of metal-halide matrix and reinforcement.

A garnet-type ion-conducting oxide configured to inhibit lithium carbonate formation on the surface of crystal particles thereof, and a method for producing an oxide electrolyte sintered body using the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide. The garnet-type ion-conducting oxide 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; L is at least one kind of element selected from an alkaline-earth metal and a lanthanoid element: M is at least one kind of element selected from a transition element which be six-coordinated with oxygen and typical elements in groups 12 to 15 of the periodic table; 3≤x−3y−z≤; 0≤y≤0.22; C≤z≤2.8; 2.5≤α≤3.5; 1.5≤≈≤2.5; and 11≤γ≤13), wherein a half-width of a diffraction peak which has a highest intensity and which is observed at a diffraction angle (2θ) in a range of from 29° to 32° as a result of X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKα radiation, is 0.164° or less.

The present invention provides means capable of satisfactorily exhibit the properties inherent in the inorganic particle and the constituent material of the coating layer, such as obtaining high dispersibility and high mechanical properties in the coated particle that contains the inorganic particle having at least the inorganic substance capable of forming an inorganic oxide on a surface, and the coating layer with which the inorganic particle is coated. The present invention relates to a coated particle that contains an inorganic particle having at least an inorganic substance capable of forming an inorganic oxide on a surface, and a coating layer with which the inorganic particle is coated, in which the amount of the inorganic oxide per unit surface area of the inorganic particle does not exceed 0.150 mg/m.sup.2.

An air-heating type heat not burn heating device, a ceramic heating element and a preparation method thereof are provided. The ceramic heating element includes a honeycomb ceramic body and a heating printed circuit. Porous channels are arranged in the honeycomb ceramic body, and the porous channels are circular holes or polygonal holes. The heating printed circuit is arranged around an outer surface of the honeycomb ceramic body to heat the air passing through the porous channels. According to the ceramic heating element, the surface made of high purity alumina honeycomb ceramic has high compactness, it is able to effectively prevent absorption of smoke dust particles, thus to effectively preventing odd smell; the high-purity alumina honeycomb ceramic has good thermal conductivity, with a thermal conductivity of 33 W/mk; the wall thickness and pore diameter in the honeycomb ceramic structure are both very small, and the thermal conductivity is extremely excellent.

In an embodiment, a system includes a three-dimensional (3D) printer, a feedstock, and a laser. The three-dimensional printer includes a platen including an inert metal, and an enclosure including an inert atmosphere. The feedstock is configured to be deposited onto the platen. The feedstock includes a halogenated solution and a nanoparticle having negative electron affinity. The laser is configured to induce the nanoparticle to emit solvated electrons into the halogenated solution to form, by reduction, a ceramic and a diatomic halogen.

A sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate and its preparation method are disclosed. The sintering-free inorganic ceramic brick-plate includes following components by mass parts: 25-40 parts of magnesium oxide; 20-35 parts of magnesium chloride; 20-30 parts of fumed silica; 10-20 parts straw powders; 0.1-0.3 parts of graphene powders with a particle size of 2000 meshes; and 0.2-0.4 parts of airgel powders with a particle size of 100 nm. Compared with the prior art, the present invention utilizes a variety of raw natural non-toxic natural mineral raw materials, namely, the graphene powders with the particle size of 2000 meshes and the airgel powders with the particle size of 100 nm for mixing, and then the mixed raw materials can be solidified at room temperature and form sheets, and then the surface of the sheets is processed through printing or spraying glaze, so as to achieve the effect of high-grade tiles and natural marble.