Provided are metal oxide ceramic materials and intermediate materials thereof (e.g., nanozirconia gels, nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles). The nanozirconia gels are formable gels. Also provided are methods of making and using the metal oxide materials and intermediate materials. The nanozirconia gels can be made using, for example, osmotic processing. The nanozirconia gels can be used to make nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental article. The nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles have desirable properties (e.g., optical properties and mechanical properties).

Provided is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate for use in a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium complex oxide sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure are bonded, and has a porosity of 3 to 40%, a mean pore diameter of 15 μm or less, an open porosity of 70% or more, and a thickness of 15 to 200 μm. The plurality of primary grains has a primary grain diameter, i.e., a mean diameter of the primary grains, of 20 μm or less and a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less. The mean tilt angle is a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

Provided is a lithium titanate sintered plate for use in a negative electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium titanate sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains are bonded, and has: a thickness of 10 to 290 μm; a primary grain diameter of 0.70 μm or less, the primary grain diameter being a mean grain diameter of the primary grains; a porosity of 21 to 45%; an open pore rate of 60% or more; a mean pore aspect ratio of 1.15 or more; a ratio of 30% or more of pores having an aspect ratio of 1.30 or more to all the pores; and a mean pore diameter of 0.70 μm or less, wherein volume-based D10 and D90 pore diameters satisfy the relationship: 4.0≤D90/D10≤50.

A composite magnetic material has a plurality of grains having a magnetic ferrite phase, grain boundaries surrounding the grains, and a plurality of nanoparticles disposed at the grain boundaries. The nanoparticles of the composite material are both magnetic and electrically insulating, having a magnetic flux density of greater than about 100 mT and an electrical resistivity of at least about 10.sup.8 Ohm-cm. Also provided is a method of making the composite material. The material is useful for making inductor cores of electronic devices.

A polycrystalline cubic boron nitride comprising 98.5% by volume or more of cubic boron nitride, wherein the cubic boron nitride has a dislocation density of more than 8×10.sup.15/m.sup.2, the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride comprises a plurality of crystal grains, and the plurality of crystal grains have a median diameter d50 of an equivalent circle diameter of 0.1 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: more than 80 volume % and less than 100 volume % of cubic boron nitride grains; and more than 0 volume % and less than 20 volume % of a binder phase. The binder phase includes: at least one selected from a group consisting of a simple substance, an alloy, and an intermetallic compound selected from a group consisting of a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element in a periodic table, aluminum, silicon, cobalt, and nickel. A dislocation density of the cubic boron nitride grains is more than or equal to 1×10.sup.15/m.sup.2 and less than or equal to 1×10.sup.17/m.sup.2.

A sintered ball having: a chemical composition such that, in percentages by mass based on the mass of the ball: 89%≤W≤97%; 5%≤C≤8%; Co≤0.5%; Ni≤0.5%; Elements other than W, C, Co, and Ni, or “Other elements”: ≤3%; a tungsten carbide(s) content greater than 55% in percentage by mass based on the crystallized phases; a bulk density greater than or equal to 14 g/cm.sup.3.

A light absorbing member includes a ceramic composite having a plurality of first ceramic particles exhibiting positive resistance temperature characteristics in a first ceramics having an open porosity of 5% or lower.

A cordierite-based sintered body according to the present invention contains cordierite as a main component and silicon nitride or silicon carbide. The cordierite-based sintered body preferably has a thermal expansion coefficient less than 2.4 ppm/° C. at 40° C. to 400° C., an open porosity of 0.5% or less, and an average grain size of 1 μm or less.

A multilayer electronic component having a plurality of laminated dielectric layers and inner electrode layers. The dielectric layers have a plurality of crystal grains including first regions where Re is dissolved in a solid state; and second regions where Re is not dissolved in the solid state. A median size of the crystal grains to an average thickness of the dielectric layers is 0.5≤t≤0.7. A ratio of a sum of cross sectional areas of the first regions to those of the plurality of crystal grains is 0.7≤s≤0.9. When a total amount of Ti, Zr, and Hf is 100 molar parts in the dielectric layers, a sum of the Zr and the Hf is 0≤a≤1.0; an amount b of Si is 0.1≤b≤1.0; an amount c of Re is 0.5≤c≤10.0; and a ratio m of a total of Ba and Re to a total of Ti, Zr, and Hf is 0.990≤m≤1.050.