The invention relates to a solid electrolyte comprised of partially stabilized zirconia, and a gas sensor including the solid electrolyte. The partially stabilized zirconia includes crystal particles, the crystal particles include at least stabilizer low-concentration phase particles, and the partially stabilized zirconia further includes voids. Among the stabilizer low-concentration phase particles, the presence rate of the stabilizer low-concentration phase particles where each distance from a void is 5 m or less is 65 volume percent or more. The stabilizer low-concentration phase particles include specific stabilizer low-concentration phase particles each having a distance of 5 m or less from an adjacent void in the voids, a presence rate of the specific stabilizer low-concentration phase particles having 65 volume percent or more.

The present invention discloses potassium sodium bismuth niobate tantalate zirconate ferrite ceramics with non-stoichiometric Nb.sup.5+ and a preparation method therefor. A ceramic powder with a general formula of (K.sub.0.45936Na.sub.0.51764Bi.sub.0.023)(Nb.sub.0.89958+0.957xTa.sub.0.05742Zr.sub.0.04Fe.sub.0.003)O.sub.3 (?0.01?x?0.04) is prepared by a traditional solid phase method; and then piezoelectric ceramics are prepared by traditional electronic ceramic preparation processes such as granulating, molding, binder removal, sintering and silvering test. An excessive amount of Nb.sup.5+ doping improves the temperature stability of the ceramics by providing a domain wall pinning effect. This result demonstrates the promise of potassium sodium bismuth niobate tantalate zirconate ferrite ceramics for a wide range of applications, including sensors, actuators, and other electronic devices.

A cubic boron nitride sintered body including cubic boron nitride and a binder phase, wherein: a content ratio of the cubic boron nitride is 85 volume % or more and 95 volume % or less, a content ratio of the binder phase is 5 volume % or more and 15 volume % or less, the binder phase contains Co.sub.3W.sub.3C, W.sub.2Co.sub.21B.sub.6, and an Al compound, and I.sub.B/I.sub.A is 0.02 or more and 0.15 or less, I.sub.C/I.sub.A is 0.02 or more and 1.00 or less, and I.sub.C?I.sub.D, where I.sub.A denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (111) plane of the cubic boron nitride, I.sub.B denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (400) plane of the Co.sub.3W.sub.3C, I.sub.C denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (420) plane of the W.sub.2Co.sub.21B.sub.6, and I.sub.D denotes an X-ray diffraction peak intensity of a (001) plane of WC.

The disclosure herein relates to rechargeable batteries and solid electrolytes therefore which include lithium-stuffed garnet oxides, for example, in a thin film, pellet, or monolith format wherein the density of defects at a surface or surfaces of the solid electrolyte is less than the density of defects in the bulk. In certain disclosed embodiments, the solid-state anolyte, electrolyte, and catholyte thin films, separators, and monoliths consist essentially of an oxide that conducts Li+ ions. In some examples, the disclosure herein presents new and useful solid electrolytes for solid-state or partially solid-state batteries. In some examples, the disclosure presents new lithium-stuffed garnet solid electrolytes and rechargeable batteries which include these electrolytes as separators between a cathode and a lithium metal anode.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

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.

A silicon carbide porous body contains -SiC particles, Si particles, and metal silicide particles. The maximum particle diameter of the -SIC particles is not smaller than 15 m. The content of the Si particles is not lower than 10 mass %. The maximum particle diameter of the Si particles is not larger than 40 m. Further, an oxide coating film having a thickness not smaller than 0.01 m and not larger than 5 m is provided on surfaces of the Si particles.

A potassium sodium niobate sputtering target having a relative density of 95% or higher. A method of producing a potassium sodium niobate sputtering target, including the steps of mixing a Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 powder, a K.sub.2CO.sub.3 powder, and a Na.sub.2Co.sub.3 powder, pulverizing the mixed powder to achieve a grain size d.sub.50 of 100 m or less, and performing hot press sintering to the obtained pulverized powder in an inert gas or vacuum atmosphere under conditions of a temperature of 900 C. or higher and less than 1150 C., and a load of 150 to 400 kgf/cm.sup.2. A high density potassium sodium niobate sputtering target capable of industrially depositing potassium sodium niobate films via the sputtering method is provided.

In a ceramic sintered body, the Zr content is 17.5 mass %-23.5 mass % in terms of ZrO.sub.2, the Hf content is 0.3 mass %-0.5 mass % in terms of HfO.sub.2, the Al content is 74.3 mass %-80.9 mass % in terms of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, the Y content is 0.8 mass %-1.9 mass % in terms of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, the Mg content is 0.1 mass %-0.8 mass % in terms of MgO, the Si content is 0.1 mass %- and 1.5 mass % in terms of SiO.sub.2, and the Ca content is 0.03 mass %-0.35 mass % in terms of CaO. The total content of Na and K is 0.01 mass %-0.10 mass %, when the K content is converted to K.sub.2O and the Na content is converted to Na.sub.2O. The balance content is 0.05 mass % or less in terms of oxide.

A radio-frequency (RF) power variable capacitor capable of operating at, at least, 50 watts in the MHz range. The capacitor has a composite HDK-NDK ceramic dielectric. The HDK (high dielectric constant) component comprises an active matrix of barium strontium titanate, for example. Acoustic resonances are reduced or eliminated by the addition of a metal or metalloid oxide such as magnesium borate (NDKlow dielectric constant), which acts as an acoustic resonance reduction agent (ARRA) in the RF power domain. The acoustic resonances which previously occurred under bias voltage 500 V or 1100 V in prior art RF power variable capacitors are eliminated by the addition of the ARRA.