A densified ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material densified CMC exhibits superior strength and toughness, relative to prior CMCs The material can be made by a process that includes impregnating a set of ceramic fibers with a non-fibrous ceramic material, resulting in a precursor matrix, stabilizing the precursor matrix, resulting in a stabilized matrix, and densifying the stabilized matrix using a frequency assisted sintering technology (FAST) process, resulting in the densified CMC material.

A method for preparing polycrystalline fluoride ceramics using powder of fluoride ceramics nanocrystallites as starting material, wherein the method includes: (a) Optionally, a pre-processing step at a temperature ranging from 100 C. to 300 C. at vacuum of 10-5 mbar (10-3 Pa) to 10-8 mbar (10-6 Pa) for 30 minutes to 10 hours, (b) Applying a uniaxial pressure in the range from 1 to 200 MPa, at or around ambient temperature, to obtain a pre-compacted sample, (c) Applying to the pre-compacted of step b) a hydrostatic pressure by Cold Isostatic Pressing, to obtain a pre-compacted sample, (d) Loading the pre-compacted sample from step (c) into a die and submitting the sample to a uniaxial compression in combination with electric field-assisted sintering, under vacuum equal to or higher than 5 Pa. Polycrystalline fluoride ceramics obtained by this method find use in IR devices.

A translucent polycrystalline cubic boron nitride body is provided. It comprises no more than 2 weight % hexagonal boron nitride grains and has an absorption coefficient of less than 100 cm.sup.1 at a wavelength of 1064 nm.

A high-temperature-steam-oxidation-resistive coated reinforcement fiber applicable to a fiber reinforced composite, is provided with: a reinforcement fiber; a coating layer covering the reinforcement fiber and including a rare-earth silicate; an exfoliative layer intervening in an interface between the coating layer and the reinforcement fiber; and a supplemental coating layer covering the reinforcement fiber, the exfoliative layer and the coating layer.

A black zirconia sintered body is obtained by processing and forming a powder for the black zirconia sintered body, and then sintering the same at a high temperature and normal pressure in the atmosphere. The powder for the black zirconia sintered body is prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis method using a soluble zirconium salt, a soluble yttrium salt and a color former as raw materials, wherein the molar ratio of the soluble zirconium salt, the soluble yttrium salt and the color former is 90-95:1-5:1-9. The black zirconia sintered body can be used in ceramic processes.

Methods for fabricating refractory metal scandate nanocomposite powders with homogeneous microstructured refractory metal grains and a uniform nanosized dispersion of scandia are provided. The powders prepared by the sol-gel methods have a spherical morphology, a narrow distribution of particle sizes and a very uniform dispersion of nanosized scandia particles joined to the tungsten grains. The powder particle sizes can range from nanometers to micrometers. The powders can be pressed into porous cathode structures that can be impregnated with emissive materials to produce high current density and long life cathodes for high-power terahertz vacuum electron devices. The sol-gel fabrication methods allow control over the materials, particle size, particle composition and pore size and distribution of the cathode structure by manipulation of the process parameters.

A preform for making a component of a braking system having a fibre-reinforced ceramic composite material, obtained by forming and subsequent pyrolysis of a pre-preg is described. Also described is a component of a braking system made wholly or in part from the preform, and a method for making a preform in a fibre-reinforced ceramic composite material.

To provide a dielectric porcelain composition and an electronic component that demonstrate ferroelectricity. A dielectric porcelain composition that is characterized by having a perovskite-type oxynitride as a principal component and by including a polycrystalline body that demonstrates ferroelectricity.

In order to provide a film-forming powder using hydroxyapatite which is a main component of teeth, or hydroxyapatite in which a color tone adjuster is blended, the powder being used in a jet-device for forming a film on a surface of a tooth by spraying the powder on the tooth, and being suitable for forming a film having a high hardness and extremely low solubility in acid in a short period of time, and suitable for forming a film of a powder conforming to the color tone of a tooth in a short period of time; a hydroxyapatite powder calcined in an inert gas atmosphere at 600 to 1350 C., a powder obtained by applying to the hydroxyapatite powder calcined at 600 to 1350 C. plasma irradiation, or plasma irradiation and mechanical energy, and additionally a film-forming powders obtained by blending color tone adjusters into these hydroxyapatite powders are produced.

A sintered material includes cubic boron nitride grains and a binder, a grain size D50 of the cubic boron nitride grains when a cumulative value of the cubic boron nitride grains is 50% in an area-based grain size distribution being more than 0.5 m and less than or equal to 5 m, more than or equal to 70 volume % and less than or equal to 98 volume % of the cubic boron nitride grains being included in the sintered material, the binder being composed of A.sub.1-xCr.sub.xN, where 0x1, and a remainder, the remainder being composed of at least one of a first element and a compound including the first element and a second element, the first element being one or more elements selected from a group consisting of W, Co, Ni, Mo, Al, and Cr, the second element being one or more elements selected from a group consisting of nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and boron.