A honeycomb structure includes latticed partition walls defining a plurality of polygonal cells which extends from one end face to the other end face and forms through channels for fluid, the partition walls are porously formed by using aggregates and a bonding material different from a material of the aggregates, and the partition walls have a relation indicating that a surface porosity of a surface region from a partition wall surface of each of the partition walls to a depth of 15% of a partition wall thickness T and an inner porosity of an inner region from the partition wall surface to a depth of 15% to 50% of the partition wall thickness are different from each other, and a difference obtained by subtracting the surface porosity from the inner porosity is in excess of 1.5%.

In one aspect, articles are described comprising wear resistant coatings employing composite architectures including refractory layers of varying compositions and phases. Briefly, a coated article comprises a substrate and a coating deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) adhered to the substrate, the coating comprising an inner refractory layer comprising M.sub.1-xAl.sub.xN wherein x0.7 and M is titanium, chromium or zirconium and an outer zirconia layer or outer multiphase refractory layer comprising an alumina phase and an oxide phase comprising at least one Group IVB metal, wherein the M.sub.1-xAl.sub.xN has less than 15 weight percent hexagonal phase.

A guide member for a fishing line including an alumina ceramic including Ti and Al, a content of Ti being not less than 0.5 mass % in terms of TiO.sub.2, a content of Al being not less than 92 mass % in terms of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and a main phase of the alumina ceramic being alumina crystals, wherein a content ratio of aluminas crystal with an aspect ratio of not less than 2 within the alumina crystals is not less than 15%.

It is an object to provide a cubic boron nitride polycrystalline material excellent in toughness. A cubic boron nitride polycrystalline material containing fine cubic boron nitride which is granular, has a maximum grain size not greater than 100 nm, and has an average grain size not greater than 70 nm and at least one of plate-shaped cubic boron nitride in a form of a plate having an average major radius not smaller than 50 nm and not greater than 10000 nm and coarse cubic boron nitride which is granular, has a minimum grain size exceeding 100 nm, and has an average grain size not greater than 1000 nm is provided.

A graphene/metal-oxide hybrid reinforced composite and a method for a graphene/metal-oxide hybrid reinforced composite. The method includes freeze drying a slurry comprising graphene oxide and flakes to form a flake-graphene oxide foam. The graphene/metal-oxide hybrid reinforced composite comprises graphene, metal, and metal oxide nanoparticles. The metal is arranged in parallel lamellar structure to form metal layers in the composite. The metal oxide nanoparticles are present at the interfaces between the metal layers and the graphene.

Sintered product having a chemical analysis such that, in percentages by mass based on the oxides, ZrO2 partially stabilised with CeO2 and Y2O3: remainder up to 100%, Al2O3: >10% and <19%of an additive selected from CaO, the oxides of manganese, ZnO, the oxides of praseodymium, SrO, the oxides of copper, Nd2O3, BaO, the oxides of iron, and mixtures thereof: 0.2-6%, impurities: <2%, CeO2 and Y2O3 being present in quantities such that, in molar percent based on the sum of ZrO2, CeO2 and Y2O3, CeO2: 2.5 mol % and <5.5 mol %, and Y2O3: 0.5-2 mol %.

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.

The present invention relates to a dielectric element such as a thin-film capacitor including a dielectric film. The dielectric film contains a main component represented by the general formula (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.z(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 wherein 0<x0.500, 0<y0.350, and 0.900z0.995. The dielectric film includes a layer containing columnar crystal grains and a layer containing spherical crystal grains, and contains as a sub-component at least one of divalent metal elements and trivalent metal elements.

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.

A magnetoelectric effect material includes as a primary component, a polycrystalline oxide ceramic containing at least Sr, Co, and Fe. In the polycrystalline oxide ceramic, the crystal c-axis is oriented in a predetermined direction, and the degree of orientation of the c-axis is 0.2 or more by a Lotgering method. A component substrate is formed of this magnetoelectric effect material.