The disclosure relates to microchemical (or microfluidic) apparatus as well as related methods for making the same. The methods generally include partial sintering of sintering powder (e.g., binderless or otherwise free-flowing sintering powder) that encloses a fugitive phase material having a shape corresponding to a desired cavity structure in the formed apparatus. Partial sintering removes the fugitive phase and produces a porous compact, which can then be machined if desired and then further fully sintered to form the final apparatus. The process can produce apparatus with small, controllable cavities shaped as desired for various microchemical or microfluidic unit operations, with a generally smooth interior cavity finish, and with materials (e.g., ceramics) able to withstand harsh environments for such unit operations.

A dielectric ceramic composition includes a barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3)-based base material main ingredient and an accessory ingredient, the accessory ingredient including dysprosium (Dy) and praseodymium (Pr) as first accessory ingredients. A content of the Pr satisfies 0.233 molPr0.699 mol, based on 100 mol of the barium titanate base material main ingredient.

Herein discussed is a method of sintering a ceramic comprising (a) providing an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) source; (b) (i) providing a layer of intermixed ceramic particles and absorber particles, wherein the absorber particles have a volume fraction in the intermixed particles in the range of no less than 3%; or (ii) providing a first layer comprising ceramic particles and a second layer comprising absorber particles in contact with at least a portion of the first layer, wherein the second layer is farther from the EMR source than the first layer; (c) heating (i) the layer of intermixed particles or (ii) the first layer using EMR; and (d) controlling the EMR such that at least a portion of the ceramic particles are sintered wherein (i) the layer of intermixed particles becomes impermeable or (ii) the first layer becomes impermeable, wherein the absorber particles have greater EMR absorption than the ceramic particles.

A manufacturing method of a low heat-conducting magnesium-aluminium spinel brick includes: (1) evenly mixing sintered magnesia, fused magnesia, magnesium-aluminium spinel and corundum to prepare flame retardant coating raw material mixed powder, adding naphthalene binder to the flame retardant coating raw material mixed powder to prepare the flame retardant coating raw materials after evenly mixing; (2) evenly mixing forsterite, fayalite and magnesia, adding the naphthalene binder to the mixed powder, moulding, drying, and then burning to obtain aggregate composite hortonolite raw materials; adding the naphthalene binder to the aggregate composite hortonolite having granularity 5 mm to prepare the thermal insulating layer raw materials after evenly mixing; (3) spacing and loading the flame retardant coating raw materials and the thermal insulating layer raw materials in a mold, pressing into green bricks, keeping the green bricks at a temperature of 110 C. for 24 hours, drying, and burning into magnesium-aluminium spinel bricks.

A composite includes a component and a glass or glass ceramic material. The component has a first coefficient of expansion .sub.1 and the glass or the glass ceramic material has a second coefficient of expansion .sub.2. The glass or the glass ceramic material has a surface with a thickness and thickness differences (TTV) within the surface, and thickness fluctuations (LTV). The composite has a residual stress in the glass or the glass ceramic material (WARP), and a geometric and material-physical degree of compatibility KG4.

A combination of a component and a composite, the composite having a) a PMC layer, and b) a tile layer comprising a plurality of Ox/Ox CMC tiles, each tile having: i) a central portion, ii) an outer portion and iii) one or more overlap joints formed by the overlapping of the outer portions of adjoining tiles so that hot gases entering a smooth top surface of the tile layer between abutting outer and central periphery segments must travel laterally between the overlapping outer portions of adjoining tiles to reach a top surface of the PMC layer. A method of heat shielding a component with a heat shielding composite comprising a) providing the composite and b) applying the composite to a surface of the component.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor that includes a ceramic body including a stack of a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of first and second internal electrodes; and first and second external electrodes provided at each of both end faces of the ceramic body. Each of the plurality of dielectric layers contain Ba, Ti, P and Si. The plurality of dielectric layers include an outer dielectric layer located on an outermost side in the stacking direction; an inner dielectric layer located between the first and second internal electrodes; and a side margin portion in a region where the first and second internal electrodes do not exist. In at least one of the outer dielectric layer, the inner dielectric layer and the side margin portion, the P and the Si segregate in at least one of grain-boundary triple points of three ceramic particles.

A multilayer piezoelectric ceramic is such that: its piezoelectric ceramic layers do not contain lead as a constituent element, and have a perovskite compound expressed by the composition formula Li.sub.xNa.sub.yK.sub.1-x-yNbO.sub.3 (where 0.02<0.1, 0.02<x+y1), as the primary component; and the internal electrode layers are constituted by a metal containing silver by 80 percent by mass or more, and contain ceramic grains containing the same elements found in the primary component. The multilayer piezoelectric element has a long lifespan, and whose internal electrode layers have a high content percentage of silver.

A heater assembly includes a heating member, a mounting member that mounts the heating member to a wall of an external component, and an insulator disposed between the heating member and the wall. The insulator electrically insulates the heating member from the wall and blocks a ground path from the heating member to the wall of the external component.

A combination of a component and a composite, the composite having a) a PMC layer, and b) a tile layer comprising a plurality of Ox/Ox CMC tiles, each tile having: i) a central portion, ii) an outer portion and iii) one or more overlap joints formed by the overlapping of the outer portions of adjoining tiles so that hot gases entering a smooth top surface of the tile layer between abutting outer and central periphery segments must travel laterally between the overlapping outer portions of adjoining tiles to reach a top surface of the PMC layer. A method of heat shielding a component with a heat shielding composite comprising a) providing the composite and b) applying the composite to a surface of the component.