A porous plate-shaped filler of the present invention is a plate shape having an aspect ratio of 3 or more, a surface shape is one of a round shape, an oval and a round-corner polygonal shape, and its minimum length is from 0.1 to 50 m. Furthermore, a sectional shape is one of an arch shape, an elliptic shape, and a quadrangular shape in which at least a part of corners is rounded. Consequently, it is possible to obtain the heat insulation film in which the porous plate-shaped fillers 1 are easy to be laminated and the heat insulation effect improves.

A method of producing an enhanced ceramic matrix composite includes applying a tackifier compound to a fiber preform. The tackifier compound includes inorganic filler particles. The method further includes modifying the tackifier compound such that the inorganic filler particles remain interspersed throughout the fiber preform, and occupy pores of fiber preform.

To provide a ceramic particle separable composite material having a calcium phosphate sintered body particle with which bioaffinity reduction and solubility change are suppressed as much as possible and which has a smaller particle diameter.

A ceramic particle separable composite material comprising a ceramic particle and a substrate, wherein: the ceramic particle and the substrate are chemically bonded to each other, or the ceramic particle physically adheres to or is embedded in the substrate; the ceramic particle has a particle diameter within a range of 10 nm to 700 nm; the ceramic particle is a calcium phosphate sintered body particle; and the ceramic particle contains no calcium carbonate.

A method of making a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article by combining a preceramic polymer with one or more sized nanopowders and optional surfactants and/or solvents to form a mixture suitable for 3D printing, depositing the mixture on a mandrel, curing it to form a green body, and pyrolyzing the green body such that the nanocrystalline surface of the CMC article has sufficiently the same surface roughness and figure accuracy of the mandrel to enable the CMC article to be used without further polishing. The mixture can be a paste or slurry that is self supporting and exhibit pseudoplastic rheology. The preceramic polymer is preferably a precursor to SiC, and the nanopowders preferably comprise SiC. The article can be densified by using polymer infiltration pyrolysis, with or without nanoparticles. The curing and pyrolysis of the article can be performed with microwave radiation. An example structure is a gradient density lattice with a mirror surface for use in a cryogenically cooled infrared optical system such as an orbiting space telescope.

A method and apparatus for producing AlN whiskers includes reduced incorporation of metal particles, an AlN whisker body, AlN whiskers, a resin molded body, and a method for producing the resin molded body. The method for producing AlN whiskers includes heating an Al-containing material in a material accommodation unit to thereby generate Al gas; and introducing the Al gas into a reaction chamber through a communication portion while introducing nitrogen gas into the reaction chamber through a gas inlet port, to thereby grow AlN whiskers on the surface of an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 substrate placed in the reaction chamber.

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to boron nitride nanomaterials. In one aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber. In another aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma using nitrogen gas. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. The boron-containing species can consist of boron powder, boron nitride powder, and/or boron oxide powder. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber, with a pressure in the chamber being about 3 atmospheres or greater.

A method of producing or repairing a fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite comprises delivering a powder composition comprising SiC particles and chopped coated SiC fibers into or onto a powder receptacle configured for composite fabrication or repair. After delivering the powder composition into or onto the powder receptacle, the SiC particles are densified to form a SiC matrix reinforced with the chopped coated SiC fibers, thereby producing or repairing a fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite.

An aluminum borate whisker reinforced and toughened non-metallic matrix composite is provided, which specifically includes a non-metallic material reinforced and toughened with aluminum borate whiskers. The composite exhibits a higher bending strength and fracture toughness and a higher wear resistance. A method for preparing the composite is also provided. The method includes mixing the aluminum borate whiskers and the non-metallic material to form a mixture; and sintering the mixture by a vacuum hot press method, or molding the mixture.

A preparation method of a SiC porous ceramic material and porous ceramic material manufactured by using the method, comprising: mixing a SiC aggregate, a sintering aid (zirconium oxide), a pore-forming agent (activated carbon) and a polymer binder with a reinforcing agent (SiC whiskers) according to a certain proportion, and obtaining a porous ceramic material via forming, drying and high-temperature sintering. The porous ceramic material has a high strength, a high porosity, a good thermal shock resistance and a low sintering temperature, and can server as a filter material of high-temperature flue gas and a carrier material in vehicle exhaust purification.

A method of producing low CTE graphite electrodes from needle coke formed from a coal tar distillate material having a relatively high initial boiling point.