In a first step of a method for producing a transparent AlN sintered body, first, a formed body is prepared by forming a mixture obtained by mixing a sintering aid with an AlN raw-material powder containing a plate-like AlN powder whose plate surface is a c-plane and which has an aspect ratio of 3 or more. At this time, the mixture is formed such that the plate surface of the plate-like AlN powder is disposed along a surface of the formed body. In a second step, an oriented AlN sintered body is obtained by subjecting the formed body to hot-press sintering in a non-oxidizing atmosphere while applying a pressure to the surface of the formed body. In a third step, a transparent AlN sintered body is obtained by sintering the oriented AlN sintered body at normal pressure in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to remove a component derived from the sintering aid.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of methods, devices, and assemblies for processing feedstock materials using microwave plasma processing. Specifically, the feedstock materials disclosed herein pertains to unique powder feedstocks such as Tantalum, Yttrium Stabilized Zirconia, Aluminum, water atomized alloys, Rhenium, Tungsten, and Molybdenum. Microwave plasma processing can be used to spheroidize and remove contaminants. Advantageously, microwave plasma processed feedstock can be used in various applications such as additive manufacturing or powdered metallurgy (PM) applications that require high powder flowability.

In an embodiment, a magneto-dielectric material comprises a polymer matrix; a plurality of hexaferrite microfibers; wherein the magneto-dielectric material has a permeability of 2.5 to 7, or 2.5 to 5 in an x-direction parallel to a broad surface of the magneto-dielectric material and a magnetic loss tangent of less than or equal to 0.03; as determined at 1 GHz, or 1 to 2 GHz.

A composite material containing carbon and a plastic includes: a) provision of a pulverulent composition with one or more components of amorphous carbon, graphite and mixed forms thereof, b) provision of a liquid binder, c) planar deposition of a layer consisting of the material provided in step a) and local deposition of droplets of material provided in step b) onto this layer and any number of repetitions of step c), the local deposition of the droplets in the successive repetitions of this step being adapted according to the desired shape of the component to be produced, d) at least partial curing or drying of the binder to obtain a green body that has the desired shape of the component, e) impregnation of the green body with a liquid synthetic resin and f) curing of the synthetic resin to produce a synthetic resin matrix.

A composite article is comprised of coal dust, as defined herein, and a polymer derived ceramic material that is pyrolyzed in a substantially non-oxidizing atmosphere. For example, the composite article may be made of a mixture of the coal dust and polymer derived ceramic, from particles formed of a mixture of coal dust and polymer derived ceramic or from complex particle composites comprising a plurality of particles formed of a mixture of coal dust and polymer derived ceramic.

A multi-layered ceramic electronic component has a ceramic body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode, and an external electrode formed outside of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the internal electrode. The internal electrode includes a conductive metal and a fiber-shaped ceramic additive. For example, the fiber-shaped ceramic additive can include barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3) and, optionally, dysprosium (Dy) and/or barium (Ba). The fiber-shaped ceramic additive may have a diameter of 10 to 200 nm, and a ratio of length to diameter of 10 to 100.

The disclosed methods and apparatus improve the fabrication of solid fibers and microstructures. In many embodiments, the fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). The methods and systems generally employ the thermal diffusion/Soret effect to concentrate the low molar mass precursor at a reaction zone, where the presence of the high molar mass precursor contributes to this concentration, and may also contribute to the reaction and insulate the reaction zone, thereby achieving higher fiber growth rates and/or reduced energy/heat expenditures together with reduced homogeneous nucleation. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the permanent or semi-permanent recording and/or reading of information on or within fabricated fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the fabrication of certain functionally-shaped fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention may also utilize laser beam profiling to enhance fiber and microstructure fabrication.

A glass furnace including an additive-containing product including an additive selected from: phosphorus compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, tungsten compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, molybdenum compounds other than glasses and vitroceramics, iron in the form of metal, aluminum in the form of metal, silicon in the form of metal, and their mixtures, silicon carbide, boron carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, glasses including elemental phosphorus and/or iron and/or tungsten and/or molybdenum, vitroceramics including elemental phosphorus and/or iron and/or tungsten and/or molybdenum, and their mixtures, and having the following chemical analysis, exclusively of the additive, as a percentage by weight on the basis of the oxides: Cr.sub.2O.sub.32%, and Cr.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3+CaO+ZrO.sub.2+MgO+Fe.sub.2O.sub.3+SiO.sub.2+TiO.sub.290%, and Cr.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3+MgO60%, the content by weight of additive being in the range 0.01% to 6%.

A ceramic honeycomb filter comprising a cordierite-type ceramic honeycomb structure having large numbers of flow paths partitioned by porous cell walls, and plugs formed in end portions of predetermined flow paths of the ceramic honeycomb structure; the cell walls having a thermal expansion coefficient Tw (10.sup.7/ C.) of 10 or less in the flow path direction between 40 C. and 800 C.; the plugs comprising at least ceramic particles, and 5-25 parts by mass of an amorphous oxide matrix per 100 parts by mass of the ceramic particles; the ceramic particles comprising at least 42-90% by mass of amorphous silica particles, and 10-58% by mass of cordierite particles; and the amorphous silica particles comprising 4-30% by mass of first silica particles having a median particle diameter of 10-40 m, and 70-96% by mass of second silica particles having a median particle diameter of 70-200 m.

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.