A method for manufacturing an optical element is a method for manufacturing an optical element in which laser light is transmitted, reciprocated, or reflected, and the method includes a first step of obtaining a bonded element formed by subjecting a first element part and a second element part, both being transparent to laser light, to surface activated bonding with a non-crystalline layer interposed therebetween; and after the first step, a second step of crystallizing at least a portion of the non-crystalline layer by raising the temperature of the bonded element. In the second step, the temperature of the bonded element is raised to a predetermined temperature that is lower than the melting points of the first element part and the second element part.

A strongly scattering optoceramic converter material having a density of less than 97% is provided, as well as a method for producing such an optoceramic material. By appropriately choosing in particular the composition, blending method, and sintering conditions, the production method permits to produce converter materials with tailored properties.

Provided is a transparent spinel sintered body which is formed from an Mg—Al spinel powder having an Al/Mg ratio of from 1.97 to 2.03 or a mixed powder of an Mg oxide and an Al oxide, and wherein the total content of metal impurities excluding Al and Mg is less than 100 ppm. A sample of this transparent spinel sintered body having a thickness of 3 mm has a total light transmittance of 80% or more in the thickness direction for the wavelength range of from 190 nm to 400 nm; and this transparent spinel sintered body is usable as a medium that transmits light from an ultraviolet light emitting element.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.

A translucent in-vivo indwelling device with a translucent region including a rare earth doped fluorapatite.

A sintered body including zirconia containing a stabilizer, wherein the sintered body has a monoclinic fraction of 0.5% or more and has a three-point bending strength of more than 1450 MPa as measured by a three-point bending test according to JIS R 1601. - - -

The invention relates to a polycrystalline IR transparent material produced by sintering chalcogenide powder, e.g., ZnS powder, using hot uniaxial pressing followed by hot isostatic pressing. The microstructure of the material described in this disclosure is much finer than that found in material produced using the state of the art process. By using a powder with a particle size fine enough to improve sintering behavior but coarse enough to prevent a lowering of the wurtzite-sphalerite transition temperature, a highly transparent material with improved strength is created without degrading the optical properties. A high degree of transparency is achieved during hot pressing by applying pressure after the part has reached a desired temperature. This allows some degree of plastic deformation and prevents rapid grain growth which can entrap porosity. The crystallographic twins created during this process further inhibit grain growth during hot isostatic pressing.

A ceramic composite article includes a substrate including a matrix of ceramic material defining a network of interstitial regions and a transparent material occupying at least some of the interstitial regions of the substrate. The transparent material can have a melting point lower than a melting point of the ceramic material. The matrix of ceramic material can be formed by a 3D printing process.

Provided are metal oxide ceramic materials and intermediate materials thereof (e.g., nanozirconia gels, nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles). The nanozirconia gels are formable gels. Also provided are methods of making and using the metal oxide materials and intermediate materials. The nanozirconia gels can be made using, for example, osmotic processing. The nanozirconia gels can be used to make nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental article. The nanozirconia green bodies, pre-sintered ceramic bodies, zirconia dental ceramic materials, and dental articles have desirable properties (e.g., optical properties and mechanical properties).

A zirconia sintered body, where when cross-sectional area of each zirconia crystal-grain is calculated in image of cross section of zirconia sintered body, converted crystal-grain size of each zirconia crystal-grain is calculated based on cross-sectional area where each zirconia crystal-grain has circular cross-sectional shape, zirconia crystal-grains are classified into class of <0.4 μm, class of ≧0.4 and <0.76 μm, and class of ≧0.76 μm based on converted crystal-grain size, total cross-sectional area of zirconia crystal-grains is calculated in each of classes, and rate of cross-sectional area to total cross-sectional area of all zirconia crystal-grains whose cross-sectional area has been calculated is calculated in each class, rate of cross-sectional area of zirconia crystal-grains in class of <0.4 μm is 4% to 35%, rate of cross-sectional area of zirconia crystal-grains in class of ≧0.4 and <0.76 μm is 24% to 57%, and rate of cross-sectional area of zirconia crystal-grains in class of ≧0.76 μm-is 16% to 62%.