A composite material and a method of using the composite material. The composite material consists of at least 65 volume percent cubic boron nitride (cBN) grains dispersed in a binder matrix, the binder matrix comprising a plurality of microstructures bonded to the cBN grains and a plurality of intermediate regions between the cBN grains; the microstructures comprising nitride or boron compound of a metal; and the intermediate regions including a silicide phase containing the metal chemically bonded with silicon; in which the content of the silicide phase is 2 to 6 weight percent of the composite material, and in which the cBN grains have a mean size of 0.2 to 20 m.

An embodiment of a PCD insert comprises an embodiment of a PCD element joined to a cemented carbide substrate at an interface. The PCD element has internal diamond surfaces defining interstices between them. The PCD element comprises a masked or passivated region and an unmasked or unpassivated region, the unmasked or unpassivated region defining a boundary with the substrate, the boundary being the interface. At least some of the internal diamond surfaces of the masked or passivated region contact a mask or passivation medium, and some or all of the interstices of the masked or passivated region and of the unmasked or unpassivated region are at least partially filled with an infiltrant material.

Anti-ballistic armor element, comprising a ceramic body comprising a sintered material consisting of ceramic grains with a Vickers hardness of more than 5 GPa, the total pore volume of said material being between 0.5 and 10%, said ceramic body being characterized in that the cumulative volume of pores with a diameter of between 30 and 100 micrometers represents between 0.2 and 2.5% of the volume of said material, the cumulative volume of pores with a diameter of more than 100 micrometers is less than 0.2% of the volume of said material , the remainder of said total pore volume consisting of pores whose diameter is less than 30 micrometers.

A rare earth aluminate sintered compact including rare earth aluminate phosphor crystalline phases and voids, wherein an absolute maximum length of 90% or more by number of rare earth aluminate phosphor crystalline phases is in a range from 0.4 ?m to 1.3 ?m, and an absolute maximum length of 90% or more by number of voids is in a range from 0.1 ?m to 1.2 ?m.

Fused tuckstone defining lower and upper surfaces. The lower surface includes a support surface to rest on metallic structure of a glass furnace, a tank surface intended to face an upper edge of a tank of the furnace, and a lower transition surface connecting the support and tank surfaces. The upper surface includes a superstructure surface to receive a side wall of a superstructure of the furnace and an upper transition surface connecting the superstructure and lower surfaces. At least a part of the lower transition surface has a crystal density of more than four times the crystal density at a depth of 4 centimeters below the lower transition surface, a crystal density being evaluated by the number of crystals having a surface area of more than 12 ?m.sup.2 per mm.sup.2 of surface after polishing, the crystal density at the depth being evaluated after cutting of the tuckstone.

It is difficult for a CrSi-based sintered body composed of chromium silicide (CrSi.sub.2) and silicon (Si) to have high strength. Provided is a CrSi-based sintered body including Cr (chromium) and silicon (Si), in which the crystal structure attributed by X-ray diffraction is composed of chromium silicide (CrSi.sub.2) and silicon (Si), a CrSi.sub.2 phase is present at 60 wt % or more in a bulk, a density of the sintered body is 95% or more, and an average grain size of the CrSi.sub.2 phase is 60 ?m or less.

Provided herein are rapid, high quality film sintering processes that include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide (lithium-stuffed garnet). The instant disclosure sets forth equipment and processes for making high quality, rapidly-processed ceramic electrolyte films. These processes include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide for use as electrolyte films. In certain processes, the film is not in contact with any surface as it sinters (i.e., during the sintering phase).

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.

An electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric layer including an oriented alumina sintered body having a degree of c-plane orientation of 5% or more, the degree of c-plane orientation being determined by a Lotgering method using an X-ray diffraction profile obtained by the irradiation of an X-ray in the 2 range of 20 to 70; a ceramic layer integrated with a surface disposed opposite a wafer placement surface of the dielectric layer; and an electrostatic electrode between the dielectric layer and the ceramic layer.

A composite powder of the present invention includes a glass powder and a ceramic powder, wherein a content of the glass powder is from 30 vol % to 60 vol %, wherein a content of the ceramic powder is from 40 vol % to 70 vol %, wherein the glass powder includes as a glass composition, in terms of mass %, 10% to 30% of SiO.sub.2, more than 20% to 40% of B.sub.2O.sub.3, 20% to 40% of SrO+BaO, 0% to 10% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and 0% to 15% of ZnO, and wherein the composite powder is used for a light reflective substrate.