A piezoelectric ceramic composition contains a perovskite composition which is represented by (Pba.Math.Rex){Zr.sub.b.Math.Ti.sub.c, .Math.(Ni.sub.1/3Nb.sub.2/3).sub.d.Math.(Zn.sub.1/3Nb.sub.2/3).sub.e}O.sub.3 (wherein Re represents La and/or Nd, and a-e and x satisfy the following conditions 0.95a1.05, 0x0.05, 0.35b0.45, 0.35c0.45, 0<d0.10, 0.07e0.20 and b+c+d+e=1) and 0.05-0.3% by mass of an Ag component in terms of oxides relative to the perovskite composition.

Provided is a light transmitting metal oxide sintered body manufacturing method for obtaining a light transmitting sintered body, the main component of which is metal oxide, by carrying out hot isostatic pressing at a HIP heat processing temperature (T) set in a temperature range of 1000-2000 C. The light transmitting metal oxide sintered body manufacturing method, by which light transmitting properties can be improved, is characterized by the following: in the temperature elevating step of the hot isostatic pressing, a temperature range (S) from room temperature to the HIP heat processing temperature (T) is divided into a plurality of stages; for each divided stage the temperature elevation rate is controlled; and the temperature elevation rate of a final stage (14) that includes at least the HIP heat processing temperature (T) is 10 C./h to 180 C./h.

A polycrystalline super hard construction comprises a body of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) material and a plurality of interstitial regions between inter-bonded diamond grains forming the polycrystalline diamond material. The body of PCD material comprises a working surface positioned along an outside portion of the body, and a first region adjacent the working surface, the first region being a thermally stable region. The first region and/or a further region and/or the body of PCD material has/have an average oxygen content of less than around 300 ppm. A method of forming such a construction is also disclosed.

A sintered ferrite magnet comprising main phases of ferrite having a hexagonal M-type magnetoplumbite structure, first grain boundary phases existing between two main phases, and second grain boundary phases existing among three or more main phases, the second grain boundary phases being dispersed in its arbitrary cross section, and the second grain boundary phases having an average area of less than 0.2 m.sup.2, are produced by calcining, pulverizing, molding and sintering raw material powders having the general formula of Ca.sub.1-x-yLa.sub.xA.sub.yFe.sub.2n-zCo.sub.z, wherein 1xy, x, y and z and n representing a molar ratio are in desired ranges; 1.8% or less by mass of SiO.sub.2 and 2% or less by mass (as CaO) of CaCO.sub.3 being added to a calcined body after calcining and before molding; and the sintering step being conducted with a temperature-elevating speed of 1-4 C./minute in a range from 1100 C. to a sintering temperature, and a temperature-lowering speed of 6 C./minute or more in a range from the sintering temperature to 1100 C.

The present invention provides a solid-state ion capacitor. In the solid-state ion capacitor, the particle number in the thickness direction of the solid electrolyte sandwiched between the electrodes was at least 1 and the average particle number was 80 or less. Further, the solid electrolyte includes particles with D10D90 in the particle diameters of particle size distribution of 0.5 m or more and 100 m or less.

A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond compact comprises providing metallized diamond particles including diamond particles including nanograins of a sweep catalyst secured thereto, the sweep catalyst comprising at least one of tungsten and tungsten carbide and constituting between about 0.01 weight percent and about 1.0 weight percent of the metallized diamond particles and placing the metallized diamond particles and a metal solvent catalyst in a container. The metallized diamond particles are subjected to a high-temperature, high-pressure process in the presence of the metal solvent catalyst to form a polycrystalline diamond material having inter-bonded diamond grains and nanograins of tungsten carbide, the nanograins of tungsten carbide covering less than about twenty percent of a surface area of the inter-bonded diamond grains. Polycrystalline diamond compacts and earth-boring tools including the polycrystalline diamond compacts are also disclosed.

A process is described, for producing zirconia-based multi-phasic ceramic composite materials, comprising the steps of: providing at least one ceramic suspension by dispersing at least one ceramic zirconia powder in at least one aqueous medium to obtain at least one matrix for such composite material; providing at least one aqueous solution containing one or more inorganic precursors and adding such aqueous solution to such ceramic suspension to surface modify such ceramic zirconia powder and obtain at least one additived suspension; quickly drying such additived suspension to obtain at least one additived powder; heat treating such additived powder to obtain at least one zirconia powder coated on its surface by second phases; and forming such zirconia powder coated on its surface by second phases.

Setter plates are fabricated from Li-stuffed garnet materials having the same, or substantially similar, compositions as a garnet Li-stuffed solid electrolyte. The Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, reduce the evaporation of Li during a sintering treatment step and/or reduce the loss of Li caused by diffusion out of the sintering electrolyte. Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, maintain compositional control over the solid electrolyte during sintering when, upon heating, lithium is prone, to diffuse out of the solid electrolyte.

A ceramic oxide body is disclosed. The ceramic oxide body may include fused cast aluminum oxide powder, fine aluminum oxide powder and titanium oxide powder.

A method for manufacturing a ceramic article including (i) a step of irradiating a powder mainly containing a ceramic material with an energy beam to sinter or melt and solidify the powder into a solidified portion, wherein the step is repeated a predetermined number of times to sequentially bond the resulting solidified portions together to obtain a ceramic modeling object, (ii) a step of allowing the shaped ceramic object to absorb a metal component-containing liquid that contains inorganic particles containing a metal element; and (iii) a step of heating the shaped ceramic object that has absorbed the metal component-containing liquid.