Provided is a ceramic-resin composite body that has good mass productivity and product properties (heat dissipation properties, insulation properties and adhesive properties), and particularly a ceramic-resin composite that can dramatically improve the heat dissipation properties for electronic devices. The ceramic-resin composite body includes: 35 to 70% by volume of a sintered body having a monolithic structure in which non-oxide ceramic primary particles having an average major diameter of from 3 to 60 m and an aspect ratio of from 5 to 30 are three-dimensionally continuous; and 65 to 30% by volume of a thermosetting resin composition having an exothermic onset temperature of 180 C. or more and a curing rate of from 5 to 60% as determined with a differential scanning calorimeter, and having a number average molecular weight of from 450 to 4800, wherein the sintered body is impregnated with the thermosetting resin composition.

There is provided a platy Mg-containing zinc oxide sintered compact containing 1 to 10 wt % Mg as a first dopant element and 0.005 wt % or more at least one second dopant element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga and In, the balance consisting essentially of ZnO and optionally at least one third dopant element selected from the group consisting of Br, Cl, F, Sn, Y, Pr, Ge, B, Sc, Si, Ti, Zr, Hf, Mn, Ta, W, Cu, Ni, Cr, La, Gd, Bi, Ce, Sr and Ba, wherein the (002)-plane or (100)-plane orientation in the plate surface is 60% or more. The Mg-containing zinc oxide sintered compact of the present invention has excellent properties such as high orientation despite solid dissolution of Mg.

Articles and methods in which an electric field is used to actuate a material are generally described. Provided in one embodiment is a method including applying an electric field to a ceramic material. Applying the electric field to the ceramic material can transform the ceramic material from a first solid phase to a second distinct solid phase. The applied electric field is less than a breakdown electric field of the ceramic material, according to certain embodiments.

A CaSiAlON ceramic with enhanced mechanical properties and a method employing micron-sized and submicron precursors to form the CaSiAlON ceramic. The CaSiAlON ceramic comprises not more than 42 wt % silicon, relative to the total weight of the CaSiAlON ceramic. The method employs submicron particles and also allows for substituting a portion of aluminum nitride with aluminum to form the CaSiAlON ceramic with enhanced mechanical properties.

An alumina sintered body according to the present invention includes a surface 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 through X-ray irradiation at 2=20 to 70. The alumina sintered body contains Mg and F, a Mg/F mass ratio is 0.05 to 3500, and a Mg content is 30 to 3500 ppm by mass. The alumina sintered body has a crystal grain size of 15 to 200 m. When a field of view of 370.0 m long372.0 m wide is photographed with a 1000-fold magnification and the photograph is visually observed, a number of pores having a diameter of 0.2 to 0.6 m is 250 or less.

Provided is a ceramic-resin composite body that has good mass productivity and product properties (heat dissipation properties, insulation properties and adhesive properties), and particularly a ceramic-resin composite that can dramatically improve the heat dissipation properties for electronic devices. The ceramic-resin composite body includes: 35 to 70% by volume of a sintered body having a monolithic structure in which non-oxide ceramic primary particles having an average major diameter of from 3 to 60 m and an aspect ratio of from 5 to 30 are three-dimensionally continuous; and 65 to 30% by volume of a thermosetting resin composition having an exothermic onset temperature of 180 C. or more and a curing rate of from 5 to 60% as determined with a differential scanning calorimeter, and having a number average molecular weight of from 450 to 4800, wherein the sintered body is impregnated with the thermosetting resin composition.

The invention relates to boron nitride agglomerates, comprising lamellar, hexagonal boron nitride primary particles, which are agglomerated with one another with a preferred orientation, the agglomerates formed being flake-shaped.

The invention also relates to a method for producing said boron nitride agglomerates, characterized in that lamellar, hexagonal boron nitride primary particles are agglomerated in such a way that they line up with one another with a preferred orientation.

The flake-shaped agglomerates according to the invention are suitable as filler for polymers for making polymer-boron nitride composites and for hot pressing of boron nitride sintered compacts.

There is provided a thermoelectric conversion material which is characterized by being composed of a sintered body of plate-like crystals of a composite oxide represented by general formula (2) Bi.sub.fCa.sub.gM.sup.3.sub.hCo.sub.iM.sup.4.sub.jO.sub.k, and by having a density of 4.0-5.1 g/cm.sup.3. This thermoelectric conversion material is also characterized in that: when observed by SEM, the ratio of the plate-like crystals of a composite oxide represented by general formula (2) having an inclination in the major axis direction within 020 relative to the surface of the thermoelectric conversion material is 60% or more on the number basis; the average length of the lengths of the plate-like crystals of a composite oxide represented by general formula (2) is 20 m or more; and the aspect ratio of the plate-like crystals of a composite oxide represented by general formula (2) is 20 or more.

The invention relates to a copper-ceramic composite comprising: a ceramic substrate containing alumina; a copper or copper alloy coating on the ceramic substrate; the alumina has a mean grain shape factor R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3), defined as the arithmetic mean of the shape factors R of the alumina grains, of at least 0.4.

The invention relates to a copper-ceramic composite, comprising a ceramic substrate, which contains aluminum oxide, a coating on the ceramic substrate made of copper or a copper alloy, wherein the aluminum oxide has an average grain form factor R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3), determined as an arithmetic average value from the form factors of the grains of the aluminum oxide, the copper or the copper alloy has an average grain form factor R.sub.a(Cu), determined as an arithmetic average of the form factors of the grains of the copper or copper alloy, and the average grain form factors of the aluminum oxide and copper or copper alloy meet the following condition: 0.5R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3)/R.sub.a(Cu)2.0.