A method of producing, from a continuous or discontinuous (e.g., chopped) carbon fiber, partially to fully converted metal carbide fibers. The method comprises reacting a carbon fiber material with at least one of a metal or metal oxide source material at a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the metal or metal oxide source material (e.g., where practical, at a temperature greater than the vaporization temperature of the metal or metal oxide source material). Additional methods, various forms of carbon fiber, metal carbide fibers, and articles including the metal carbide fibers are also disclosed.

Grain-oriented electrical steel sheet excellent in magnetic properties and excellent in adhesion of the primary coating to the steel sheet is provided. This is provided with a base metal steel sheet containing a predetermined chemical composition and a primary coating formed on a surface of the base metal steel sheet and containing Mg.sub.2SiO.sub.4 as a main constituent. A peak position of Al emission intensity obtained when performing elemental analysis by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry from a surface of the primary coating in a thickness direction of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is arranged within a range of 2.0 to 10.0 μm from the surface of the primary coating in the thickness direction. A number density of Al oxides of a size of 0.2 μm or more in terms of a circle equivalent diameter based on the area at the peak position of Al emission intensity is 0.032 to 0.20/μm.sup.2, and, in a 100 μm×100 μm distribution chart of Al oxides at the peak position of Al emission intensity obtained by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry, if dividing the distribution chart by 10 μm×10 μm grid section, a ratio of a number of grid sections not containing the Al oxides to the total number of grid sections in the distribution chart is 5% or less.

An aluminium oxide ceramic material containing the following components:

TABLE-US-00001 component wt.-% Al.sub.2O.sub.3  95.0 to 99.989 MgO 0.001 to 0.1 Eu, calculated as Eu.sub.2O.sub.3  0.01 to 1.0.

A composite material having a first phase includes an aluminum oxide proportion of at least 65% by volume and a second phase comprising a zirconium proportion of 10 to 35% by volume. The zirconium is present as zirconium oxide. The aluminum oxide is a ceramic matrix and the zirconium oxide is dispersed therein. From 90 to 99% of the zirconium oxide is present in the tetragonal phase. A chemical stabilizer for stabilizing the tetragonal phase of the zirconium oxide is also present. The total content of chemical stabilizer is <0.2 mol % relative to the zirconium oxide content.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode. The electrolyte and/or electrode composition includes zirconia stabilized with (i) scandia, (ii) ceria, and (iii) at least one of yttria and ytterbia. The composition does not experience a degradation of ionic conductivity of greater than 15% after 4000 hrs at a temperature of 850° C.

Provided is a solid oxide fuel cell having a service life of approximately 90,000 hours, a level required to encourage the widespread use of SOFC. The solid oxide fuel cell is provided with a solid electrolyte layer, an oxygen electrode layer provided on one side of the solid electrolyte layer, and a fuel electrode layer provided on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer. The oxygen electrode layer is made from a material containing iron or manganese, and the solid electrolyte layer contains an yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte material having a lanthanoid oxide dissolved therein.

A scintillation crystal can include Ln.sub.(1-y)RE.sub.yX.sub.3, wherein Ln represents a rare earth element, RE represents a different rare earth element, y has a value in a range of 0 to 1, and X represents a halogen. In an embodiment, RE is Ce, and the scintillation crystal is doped with Sr, Ba, or a mixture thereof at a concentration of at least approximately 0.0002 wt. %. In another embodiment, the scintillation crystal can have unexpectedly improved linearity and unexpectedly improved energy resolution properties. In a further embodiment, a radiation detection system can include the scintillation crystal, a photosensor, and an electronics device. Such a radiation detection system can be useful in a variety of radiation imaging applications.

Compounds are generally provided, which may be particularly used to form a layer in a coating system. In one embodiment, the compound may have the formula: A.sub.xB.sub.bLn.sub.1-x-bHf.sub.1-t-dTi.sub.tD.sub.dMO.sub.6, where: A is Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Fe, Cr, Co, Mn, Bi, or a mixture thereof; x is about 0.01 to about 0.99; b is 0 to about 0.5, with 1-x-b being 0 to about 0.99 such that Ln is present in the compound; Ln is a rare earth or a mixture thereof that is different than A; t is 0 to about 0.99; D is Zr, Ce, Ge, Si, or a mixture thereof; d is 0 to about 0.5; the sum of t and d is less than 1 such that Hf is present in the compound; and M is Ta, Nb, or a mixture thereof.

An article including a substrate and a plurality of coatings disposed on the substrate is presented. The plurality of coatings includes a thermal barrier coating disposed on the substrate; and a protective coating including a calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicon-oxide (CMAS)-reactive material disposed on the thermal barrier coating. The CMAS-reactive material has an orthorhombic weberite crystal structure. The CMAS-reactive material is present in the plurality of coatings in an effective amount to react with a CMAS composition at an operating temperature of the thermal barrier coating, thereby forming a reaction product having one or both of melting temperature and viscosity greater than that of the CMAS composition. A method of making the article and a related turbine engine component are also presented.

A method of manufacturing a conversion element is disclosed. A precursor material is selected from one or more of lutetium, aluminum and a rare-earth element. The precursor material is mixed with a binder and a solvent to obtain a slurry. A green body is formed from the slurry and the green body is sintered to obtain the conversion element. The sintering is performed at a temperature of more than 1720° C.