A method for molding a ceramic material includes: mixing a ceramic powder, a resin, a curing agent and a solvent to obtain a raw material slurry for a ceramic material; injecting the raw material slurry into an elastic container; curing the resin in the raw material slurry injected into the elastic container to form a molded body having a desired shape; and demolding the molded body from the elastic container.

A production process for a crystal oriented ceramics includes: a first step of preparing composite particles formed of particles having magnetic anisotropy having magnetic susceptibility anisotropy and seed particles having magnetic susceptibility anisotropy less than or equal to 1/10 of the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of the particles having magnetic anisotropy and are formed of an inorganic compound having an anisotropic shape in which a crystal axis intended to be corresponds to a minor axis or a major axis; a second step of adding raw material powder including the composite particles to a solvent to prepare a slurry a third step of preparing a green compact by disposing the slurry in a static magnetic field of 0.1 tesla and drying the slurry in a state in which crystal axes of the seed particles in a major axis direction are in one direction; and a fourth step of sintering the green compact.

A method is disclosed for forming a blended phosphor composition. The method includes the steps of firing precursor compositions that include europium and nitrides of at least calcium, strontium and aluminum, in a refractory metal crucible and in the presence of a gas that precludes the formation of nitride compositions between the nitride starting materials and the refractory metal that forms the crucible. The resulting compositions can include phosphors that convert frequencies in the blue portion of the visible spectrum into frequencies in the red portion of the visible spectrum.

Problem: To provide a cutting tool formed from a silicon nitride-based sintered body having high fracture resistance and having residual stress of a rake face and a flank face in an appropriate range. Solution: A cutting tool (1) formed from a silicon nitride-based sintered body containing not less than 50 volume % silicon nitride-based phase and from 10 to 30 volume % titanium nitride phase, uses an intersection ridge portion of a rake face (2) and a flank face (3) as a cutting edge (4), has a residual stress applied to the titanium nitride phase that is tensile stress, and is such that the tensile stress applied to the titanium nitride phase in the rake face (2) is greater than the tensile stress applied to the titanium nitride phase in the flank face (3).

Systems and methods are provided for fabrication of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material with carbon nanotubes and graphene. One embodiment is a method for forming a ceramic matrix composite structure. The method includes providing a mixture of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and silicon carbon nitride, heating the mixture to bond the carbon nanotubes and the graphene, and sintering the silicon carbon nitride in the mixture.

Embodiments relate to a method for manufacturing a silicon nitride sintered body with high thermal conductivity, which includes the steps of: a) obtaining a slurry by mixing a silicon nitride powder and a non-oxide based sintering aid; b) obtaining a mixed powder by drying the slurry; c) forming a compact by pressurizing the mixed powder; and d) sintering the compact.

A hard material which, when used as a material of a sintered material, makes it possible to obtain a sintered material with excellent abrasion resistance, a sintered material, a cutting tool including the sintered material, a method for manufacturing the hard material and a method for manufacturing the sintered material are provided. The hard material contains aluminum, nitrogen, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, and silicon, and has a cubic rock salt structure.

Systems and methods are provided for fabrication of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material with carbon nanotubes and graphene. One embodiment is a method for forming a ceramic matrix composite structure. The method includes providing a mixture of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and silicon carbon nitride, heating the mixture to bond the carbon nanotubes and the graphene, and sintering the silicon carbon nitride in the mixture.

A production process for a crystal oriented ceramics includes: a first step of preparing composite particles formed of particles having magnetic anisotropy having magnetic susceptibility anisotropy and seed particles having magnetic susceptibility anisotropy less than or equal to 1/10 of the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of the particles having magnetic anisotropy and are formed of an inorganic compound having an anisotropic shape in which a crystal axis intended to be corresponds to a minor axis or a major axis; a second step of adding raw material powder including the composite particles to a solvent to prepare a slurry a third step of preparing a green compact by disposing the slurry in a static magnetic field of >0.1 tesla and drying the slurry in a state in which crystal axes of the seed particles in a major axis direction are in one direction; and a fourth step of sintering the green compact.

The present invention provides a silicon nitride wear resistant member comprising a silicon nitride sintered compact containing -Si.sub.3N.sub.4 crystal grains as a main component, 2 to 4% by mass of a rare earth element in terms of oxide, 2 to 6% by mass of Al in terms of oxide, and 0.1 to 5% by mass of Hf in terms of oxide, wherein the silicon nitride sintered compact has rare earth-HfO compound crystals; in an arbitrary section, an area ratio of the rare earth-HfO compound crystals in a grain boundary phase per unit area of 30 m30 m is 5 to 50%; and variation of the area ratios of the rare earth-HfO compound crystals between the unit areas is 10% or less. Due to above structure, there can be provided a wear resistant member comprising the silicon nitride sintered compact having an excellent wear resistance and processability.