The present invention discloses a dielectric ceramic formula enabling one to obtain a multilayer ceramic capacitor by alternatively stacking the ceramic dielectric layers and base metal internal electrodes. The dielectric ceramic composition comprises a primary ingredient:

[(Na.sub.1-xK.sub.x).sub.sA.sub.1-s].sub.m[(Nb.sub.1-yTa.sub.y).sub.uB1.sub.vB2.sub.w)]O.sub.3

wherein:
A is at least one selected from the alkaline-earth element group of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba;
B1 is at least one selected from the group of Ti, Zr, Hf and Sn;
B2 is at least one selected from transition metal elements;
and wherein:
x, y, s, u, v, and w are molar fractions of respective elements, and m is the molar ratio of [(Na.sub.1-xK.sub.x).sub.sA.sub.1-s] and [(Nb.sub.1-yTa.sub.y).sub.uB1.sub.vB2.sub.w)]. They are in the following respective range:
0.93≤m≤1.07;
0.7≤s≤1.0;
0.00≤x≤0.05; 0.00≤y≤0.65;
0.7≤u≤1.0; 0.0≤v≤0.3; 0.001≤w≤0.100;
a first sub-component composes of at least one selected from the rare-earth compound,
wherein the rare-earth element is no more than 10 mol % parts with respect to the main component; and
a second sub-component composes a compound with low melting temperature to assist the ceramic sintering process, said frit, which is Li free and could be at least one selected from fluorides, silicates, borides, and oxides. The content of frit is within the range of 0.01 mol % to 15.00 mol % parts with respect to the main component.

This invention relates to a multilayer ceramic capacitor produced by alternatively stacking the ceramic dielectric layers and internal electrodes mainly comprise base metals. The present dielectric ceramic composition having a main component with a perovskite structure ABO.sub.3 formula of:

(K.sub.xNa.sub.yLi.sub.zA.sub.1-x-y-z).sub.m(Nb.sub.uTa.sub.vB.sub.w)O.sub.3

wherein:
A is at least one selected from the alkaline earth element group of Ca, Sr, and Ba;
B is at least one selected from the group of Ti, Zr, Hf and Sn;
and wherein:
x, y, z, u, v, and w are molar fractions of respective elements, and m is the molar ratio of A-site and B-site elements. They are in the following respective range:
0.95≤m≤1.05;
0.05≤x≤0.90; 0.05≤y≤0.90; 0.00≤z≤0.12
0<u<1; 0.0≤w≤0.3; u+v+w=1
The dielectric ceramic composition further contains:
a first accessory ingredient composes at least one selected from the rare-earth compounds, wherein the rare-earth element is no more than 10 mole parts with respect to 100 mole parts of the main component; a second accessory ingredient composes at least one selected from transition metal compounds, wherein the transition metal element is in the range of 0.05 mole to 10.00 mole parts with respect to 100 mole parts of the main component; and a third accessory ingredient composes a compound with low melting temperature to assist the ceramic sintering process, which is within the range of 0.01 mole to 15 mole parts with respect to 100 mole parts of the main component.

Provided is a dielectric composition exhibiting a high strength and a high specific dielectric constant. The dielectric composition contains composite oxide particles having a composition formula represented by (Sr.sub.xBa.sub.1-x).sub.yNb.sub.2O.sub.5+y and an Al-based segregation phase. The Al segregation phase has niobium, aluminum, and oxygen.

In order to provide a dielectric composition having high density even when fired at a relatively low temperature, the main component of a dielectric composition includes tantalum and at least one of barium or strontium, and the subcomponent of the dielectric composition includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of vanadium, titanium, and aluminum.

A dielectric assembly solid dielectric elements within a liquid or solid matrix material. The dielectric assembly may be manufactured by pressing a dielectric powder to form pressed dielectric elements, sintering the pressed dielectric elements to form the solid dielectric elements, and assembling the solid dielectric elements within the matrix material to form the dielectric assembly. The solid dielectric elements can be specifically oriented (e.g., in one or more tiled layers) or randomly oriented, and the dielectric assemblies can be molded and/or machined into desired 3D geometries. The dielectric assemblies can be relatively large (e.g., >1 mm.sup.3) while having bulk dielectric constants higher than conventional slurries and composites formed of dielectric powder in a liquid or solid matrix.

A transparent complex oxide sintered body is manufactured by sintering a compact in an inert atmosphere or vacuum, and HIP treating the sintered compact, provided that the compact is molded from a source powder based on a rare earth oxide: (Tb.sub.xY.sub.1-x).sub.2O.sub.3 wherein 0.4≤x≤0.6, and the compact, when heated in air from room temperature at a heating rate of 15° C./min, exhibits a weight gain of at least y % due to oxidative reaction, y being determined by the formula: y=2x+0.3. The sintered body has a long luminescent lifetime as a result of controlling the valence of Tb ion.

An electrochemical cell comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode comprises a layered perovskite having the general formula: DAB.sub.2O.sub.5+δ, wherein D consists of two or more lanthanide elements; A consists of one or more of Sr and Ba; B consists of one or more of Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, and Nd; and δ is an oxygen deficit. The second electrode comprises a cermet material including at least one metal and at least one perovskite. Related structures, apparatuses, systems, and methods are also described.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a solid solution ceramic material having increased electromechanical strain, as well as ceramic materials obtainable therefrom and uses thereof. In one aspect, the present invention provides a method A method of increasing electromechanical strain in a solid solution ceramic material which exhibits an electric field induced strain derived from a reversible transition from a non-polar state to a polar state; i) determining a molar ratio of at least one polar perovskite compound having a polar crystallographic point group to at least one non-polar perovskite compound having a non-polar crystallographic point group which, when combined to form a solid solution, forms a ceramic material with a major portion of a non-polar state; ii) determining the maximum polarization, P.sub.max, remanent polarisation, P.sub.r, and the difference, P.sub.max−P.sub.r, for the solid solution formed in step i); and either: iii)a) modifying the molar ratio determined in step i) to form a different solid solution of the same perovskite compounds which exhibits an electric field induced strain and which has a greater difference, P.sub.max−P.sub.r, between maximum polarization, P.sub.max, and remanent polarisation, P.sub.r, than for the solid solution from step i), or; iii)b) adjusting the processing conditions used for preparing the solid solution formed in step i) to increase the difference, P.sub.max−P.sub.r, in maximum polarization, P.sub.max, and remanent polarisation, P.sub.r, of the solid solution.

A refractory object may include a zircon body that is intentionally doped with a dopant including an alkaline earth element and aluminum. The refractory object can have an improved creep deformation rate. In an embodiment, the refractory object can have a creep deformation rate of not greater than about 1.8 E-5 h.sup.−1 at a temperature of 1350° C. and a stress of 2 MPa. In another embodiment, the zircon body may include an amorphous phase including an alkaline earth metal element.

An oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor includes a composite oxide expressed as A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6.00−yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.0+z, where A represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, T represents an element including Si or Ge or both, and M represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo, and where x is from −1.00 to 1.00, y is from 0.40 to less than 1.00, and z is from −3.00 to 2.00.