A cutting tool (1) formed of a silicon nitride-based sintered body (2) including a matrix phase (3), a hard phase (4), and a grain boundary phase (10) in which a glass phase (11) and a crystal phase (12) exist. The sintered body (2) contains yttrium in an amount of 5.0 wt % to 15.0 wt % in terms of an oxide, and contains titanium nitride as the hard phase (4) in an amount of 5.0 wt % to 25.0 wt %. In an X-ray diffraction peak, a halo pattern appears at 2 ranging from 25 to 35 in an internal region of the sintered body (2). A ratio B/A of a maximum peak intensity B to a maximum peak intensity A satisfies 0.11B/A0.40 . . . Expression (1) in a surface region of the sintered body (2), and satisfies 0.00B/A0.10 . . . Expression (2) in the internal region of the sintered body (2).

A preparation method for a copper plate-covered silicon nitride ceramic substrate is provided. The structure of the copper plate-covered silicon nitride ceramic substrate includes a silicon nitride ceramic substrate, copper sheets disposed on the upper and lower sides of the silicon nitride ceramic substrate and soldering layers disposed between the copper sheets and the silicon nitride ceramic substrate; the composition of the silicon nitride ceramic substrate comprises a silicon nitride phase (more than or equal to 95 wt %); and a grain boundary phase (containing at least three elements (Y, Mg and O) and less than or equal to 5 wt %, and the content of a crystalline phase in the grain boundary phase is more than or equal to 40 vol %); and the sintering aids are Y.sub.2O.sub.3 and MgO. The two-step sintering process comprises: in a nitrogen atmosphere, performing low-temperature heat treatment and high-temperature heat treatment in sequence.

A method for preparing a boron carbide material includes: providing raw materials of a boron material, a carbon material and a rare earth oxide, wherein an element molar ratio B:C of the boron material to the carbon material is in a range of 4:1 to 4:7, and the rare earth oxide is in an amount of 5 wt % or less based on a total weight of the raw materials, mixing and milling the raw materials to obtain a mixture, compressing the mixture into a tablet form by a tablet press, and sintering the compressed mixture by a laser, wherein the laser has a laser wavelength of 980 nm, a laser power in a range of 100 to 3000 W, and a laser irradiation time of 3 to 60 s.

Supports for supporting mould parts and/or cores in investment casting, comprise support material comprising: a mechanically supportive continuous matrix phase comprising alumina; at least one second phase interpenetrating the matrix phase and providing a pathway for leachants to penetrate into the material; wherein the support material comprises: in the range of 1 wt % and 12 wt % of the second phase; and less than 15 vol % voids.

A batch mixture comprising pre-reacted pseudobrookite particles consisting essentially of aluminum titanate and magnesium dititanate, a reactive alumina source, a reactive titania source, and a reactive silica source. Other batch mixtures and methods of manufacturing honeycomb extrudates and porous honeycomb bodies using the batch mixture are disclosed.

Provided is a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) composition, which includes a cBN hard phase from about 60 vol. % to about 80 vol. % based on a total volume of the PcBN composition, and a ceramic binder phase from about 20 vol. % to about 40 vol. % based on a total volume of the PcBN composition. The ceramic binder phase includes an AlN phase, an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 phase, at least one Co(x)W(y)B(z) phase, and sub-stoichiometric (ss) titanium nitride (TiN), titanium carbonitride (TiCN), or a combination of TiN and TiCN. Associated methods of manufacturing sintered PcBN compacts, cutting tools, and compacts manufactured by using the PcBN composition are further presented.

A method of making a sintered ceramic body comprising the steps of disposing a ceramic powder (5) inside an inner volume of a spark plasma sintering tool (1), wherein the tool comprises: a die (2) comprising a sidewall comprising inner and outer walls, wherein the inner wall has a diameter defining the inner volume; upper and lower punches (4,4) operably coupled with the die, wherein each of the punches have an outer wall defining a diameter less than the diameter of the die inner wall, thereby creating a gap (3) between the punches and the inner wall when at least one of the punches are moved within the inner volume, and the gap is from 10 m to 70 m wide; creating vacuum conditions inside the inner volume; moving at least one of the punches to apply pressure to the ceramic powder while heating, and sintering; and lowering the temperature of the sintered body.

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.

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.

There is a high-temperature tube bundle reactor built from material derived from metal oxides such as alumina-zirconia. The heat exchange surfaces of the reactor have a specific surface finish, and the bulk matrix of the material of the various components of the reactor has a specific grain, pore size and porosity characteristics. There is also a high-temperature redox process using the reactor.