The disclosure relates to cubic boron nitride inserts for machining iron-based workpieces, as well as related methods and apparatuses. The insert includes a cutting element containing cubic boron nitride (cBN) in an amount in a range of 50 wt. % to 95 wt. % based on the cutting element, and a binder containing at least one of (i) alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) and a manganese material (e.g., an oxide such as MnO.sub.x) and (ii) zirconia (ZrO.sub.2). The insert can be used for various machining processes, for example turning or boring. Suitable workpieces include iron-based materials or ferrous alloys, for example a cast iron such as compacted graphite iron (CGI).

A zirconia ceramic material for use in dental applications is provided comprising an yttria-stabilized zirconia material stabilized with 5 mol % yttria to 8 mol % yttria, and methods for making a sintered body from the ceramic material. The zirconia ceramic materials exhibit both enhanced translucency and a flexural strength of at least 300 MPa, or at least 500 MPa, when fully sintered.

The present invention relates to a light-transmitting ceramic sintered body which contains air voids having pore diameters of 1 μm or more but less than 5 μm at a density within the range of from 10 voids/mm.sup.3 to 4,000 voids/mm.sup.3 (inclusive), while having a closed porosity of from 0.01% by volume to 1.05% by volume (inclusive). With respect to this light-transmitting ceramic sintered body, a test piece having a thickness of 1.90 mm has an average transmittance of 70% or more in the visible spectrum wavelength range of 500-900 nm, and the test piece having a thickness of 1.90 mm has a sharpness of 60% or more at a comb width of 0.5 mm.

A preparation method for a ceramic composite material, a ceramic composite material, and a wavelength converter. The preparation method comprises: preparing an aluminium salt solution and a fluorescent powder; dispersing the fluorescent powder into a buffer solution having a pH 4.5-5.5 to obtain a suspension; titrating the suspension with the aluminium salt solution to obtain a fluorescent powder coated with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 hydrate film; calcining the fluorescent powder coated with Al.sub.2O.sub.3 hydrate film to obtain a Al.sub.2O.sub.3-coated fluorescent powder; mixing aluminium oxide powder with a particle size of 0.1 μm-1 μm and aluminium oxide powder with a particle size of 1 μm-10 μm to obtain mixed aluminium oxide powder; mixing the Al.sub.2O.sub.3-coated fluorescent powder and the mixed aluminium oxide powder to obtain mixed powder, the Al.sub.2O.sub.3-coated fluorescent powder being present in 40%-90% by weight of the mixed powder; and pre-pressing and sintering the mixed powder to obtain the ceramic composite material.

Provided is a joined body including a piezoelectric substrate and a polycrystalline spinel substrate provided on one main surface of the piezoelectric substrate, wherein the polycrystalline spinel substrate has a porosity of 0.005% or more and 0.6% or less.

[PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED] To provide a solid heat storage material that is made of a VO.sub.2-based inorganic material, is easy to sinter, has a high latent heat storage capacity, and can be suitably used as a phase change solid heat storage material, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[SOLUTION] A powder material for sintering of a first aspect of the present invention includes vanadium and oxygen and includes a vanadium oxide represented by the chemical formula VO.sub.2 and at least one other type of vanadium oxide, in which, when the molar ratio of V and O in all the powder is expressed as 1:(2+d), d is in the range of 0<d<0.5.

A sintered body comprises zirconia including a stabilizer element dissolved therein and a lanthanoid element dissolved therein, the lanthanoid element having an ionic radius larger than the atomic radius of zirconium. The content of monoclinic zirconia after a hydrothermal treatment at 140° C. for 24 hours is less than 25%. The sintered body includes a spinel compound including aluminum and a coloring element.

A sintered body contains perovskite YAlO.sub.3 (YAP) as a main phase exhibited in X-ray diffractometry, and has a Vickers hardness of 11 GPa or more. In the case where the sintered body contains a composition other than YAlO.sub.3, the composition preferably substantially consists of Y.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12 and Y.sub.4Al.sub.2O.sub.9. The sintered body preferably has an absolute density of 5.1 g/cm.sup.3 or more. The sintered body preferably has an open porosity of 1% or less, and also preferably has an average crystal grain size of 10 μm or less.

A red zirconium-oxide sintered body includes oxide of cerium, auxiliary metal oxide and oxide of zirconium, wherein the auxiliary metal oxide includes any one or a combination of at least two of oxide of yttrium, oxide of magnesium, oxide of calcium and oxide of ytterbium; the red zirconium-oxide sintered body satisfies conditions that the oxide of cerium has a content of 0.2˜1.5 mol %; the oxide of cerium comprises trivalent cerium oxide; a sum of contents of the oxide of cerium and the auxiliary metal oxide is 1.1˜2.5 mol %; and the sintered body has fracture toughness≥8 MPa.Math.m.sup.1/2. The zirconium-oxide sintered body has red appearance and toughness more than 8 MPa.Math.m.sup.1/2, and can be used for products such as mobile phone backboards, ornaments and dial plates.

Methods and apparatus for plasma chamber target for reducing defects in workpiece during dielectric sputtering are provided. For example, a dielectric sputter deposition target can comprise a dielectric compound having a predefined average grain size ranging from approximately 65 μm to 500 μm, wherein the dielectric compound is at least one of magnesium oxide or aluminum oxide.