Disclosed is a method for fabricating a solid article from a boron carbide powder comprising boron carbide particles that are coated with a titanium compound. Further disclosed herein are the unique advantages of the combined use of titanium and graphite additives in the form of water soluble species to improve intimacy of mixing in the green state. The carbon facilitates sintering, whose concentration is then attenuated in the process of forming very hard, finely dispersed TiB.sub.2 phases. The further recognition of the merits of a narrow particle size distribution B.sub.4C powder and the use of sintering soak temperatures at the threshold of close porosity which achieve post-HIPed microstructures with average grain sizes approaching the original median particle size. The combination of interdependent factors has led to B.sub.4C-based articles of higher hardness than previously reported.

The disclosure relates to systems, methods and compositions for inkjet printing of ceramic dielectric portions. Specifically, the disclosure relates to systems, methods and compositions for the inkjet printing of three dimensional patterns formed from pre-ceramic polymer derived interpenetrated networks that are comprised of at least two phases, or bi-continuous phases, one formed by free radical polymerization and the other by sol-gel polymerization.

A method for producing an alumina sintered body, including: a step of applying an alkaline earth metal compound onto a surface of an alumina raw material which is an unsintered alumina compact or an alumina sintered body; and a step of subjecting the alumina raw material to which the alkaline earth metal compound has been applied to heat treatment at a temperature of 1200 C. or more for 5 minutes or more and 300 minutes or less.

A method for producing an alumina sintered body, including: a step of applying an alkaline earth metal compound onto a surface of an alumina raw material which is an unsintered alumina compact or an alumina sintered body; and a step of subjecting the alumina raw material to which the alkaline earth metal compound has been applied to heat treatment at a temperature of 1200 C. or more for 5 minutes or more and 300 minutes or less.

Method for the preparation, by means of a heating technique, of a composite material composed of a matrix of at least a first oxide of at least one metal and/or at least one metalloid reinforced by reinforcements in at least a second oxide of at least one metal and/or at least one metalloid, characterised in that the following successive steps are carried out: the reinforcements are placed in at least one liquid precursor of the first oxide of at least one metal and/or at least one metalloid; said reinforcements and the liquid precursor are heated so as to form the first oxide by means of the thermal decomposition of said liquid precursor, and to deposit the first oxide thus formed around the reinforcements and between the reinforcements thus forming the matrix.

Green ceramic batch mixtures include at least one inorganic batch component, at least one organic binder, and a water-in-oil emulsion including at least one lubricant, at least one aqueous solvent, and at least one emulsifier. Methods for forming ceramic bodies include forming a green ceramic batch mixture including a water-in-oil emulsion and extruding the green ceramic batch mixture. The methods and batch mixtures can be used to produce green and fired ceramic bodies.

A method for forming an ultra-high temperature (UHT) composite structure includes dispensing a polymeric precursor with a spinneret biased at a first DC voltage; forming a plurality of nanofibers from the polymeric precursor; receiving the plurality of nanofibers with a collector biased at a second DC voltage different than the first DC voltage; and changing a direction of movement of the plurality of nanofibers between the spinneret and the collector with a plurality of magnets having a magnetic field by adjusting the magnetic field.

A solid electrolyte which reduces grain boundary resistance and exhibits a high total ion conductivity is provided. The solid electrolyte includes a first area which has a cubic garnet type crystalline and a second area which is amorphous, around the first area, in which each of the first area and the second area contains a composite oxide represented by formula (1) or (2) as a forming material, and an abundance ratio of metal atoms each having an ionic radius of 78 pm or more gradually increases from the first area to the second area.
Li.sub.7+xLa.sub.3xZr.sub.2A.sub.xO.sub.12(1)
[In formula (1), A is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. In addition, x is 0.1 or more and 0.6 or less.]
Li.sub.7La.sub.3xZr.sub.2B.sub.xO.sub.12(2)
[In formula (2), B is at least one selected from the group consisting of Sc and Y. In addition, x is 0.1 or more and 0.6 or less.]

The present invention provides an Al.sub.2O.sub.3ZrO.sub.2Y.sub.2O.sub.3TiN nanocomposite ceramic powder and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the field of ceramic materials. In the ceramic powder provided by the present invention, a molar ratio of Zr:Al:Y:Ti is (3070):(1030):(0.41):(520). The nanocomposite ceramic powder provided by the present invention is good in dispersibility, and does not generate agglomeration, and the mechanical properties of a ceramic material obtained after sintering of the nanocomposite ceramic powder provided by the present invention are better. Proved by results of embodiments, the hardness of a ceramic material obtained by sintering of the nanocomposite ceramic powder provided by the present invention is 2835 GPa, and abrasion ratio is 45006000:1.

Pre-ceramic particle solutions can prepared by a Coordinated-PDC process, a Direct-PDC process or a Coordinated-Direct-PDC process. The pre-ceramic particle solution includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of (i) an organic polymer including a metal or metalloid cation, (ii) a first organometallic polymer and (iii) a second organometallic polymer including a metal or metalloid cation different from a metal in the second organometallic polymer, a plurality of particles selected from the group consisting of (a) a ceramic fuel particle and (b) a moderator particle, a dispersant, and a polymerization initiator. The pre-ceramic particle solution can be supplied to an additive manufacturing process, such as digital light projection, and made into a structure (which is pre-ceramic particle green body) that can then be debinded to form a polymer-derived ceramic sintered body. In some embodiments, the polymer-derived ceramic sintered body is a component or structure for fission reactors.