A manufacturing method of ceramic powder includes: synthesizing barium titanate powder from barium carbonate, titanium dioxide, manganese carbonate, and one of ammonium molybdate and tungsten oxide, wherein: a solid solution amount of the donor element is 0.05 mol or more and 0.3 mol or less; a solid solution amount of the accepter element with respect to the barium titanate is 0.02 mol or more and 0.2 mol or less on a presumption that the amount of the barium titanate is 100 mol and the acceptor element is converted into an oxide; and relationships y≥−0.0003x+1.0106, y≤−0.0002x+1.0114, 4≤x≤25 and y≤1.0099 are satisfied when a specific surface area of the ceramic powder is “x” and an axial ratio c/a of the ceramic powder is “y”.

A sintered composite ceramic includes: a lithium-garnet major phase; and a lithium-rich minor phase, such that the lithium-rich minor phase has Li.sub.xTiO.sub.(x+4)/2, with 0.66≤x≤4. The sintered composite ceramic may exhibit a relative density of at least 90% of a theoretical maximum density of the ceramic, an ionic conductivity of at least 0.35 mS.Math.cm.sup.−1, or a critical current density (CCD) of at least 1.0 mA.Math.cm.sup.−2.

A sintered friction material, in which a content of a copper component is 0.5 mass % or less, is provided. The sintered friction material includes a titanate and a metal material other than copper, as a matrix. A content of the metal material other than copper is 10.0 volume % to 34.0 volume %. A method for manufacturing a sintered friction material is provided. The method includes a mixing step of mixing raw materials containing a titanate and a metal material other than copper, a molding step of molding the raw materials mixed in the mixing step, and a sintering step of sintering, at 900° C. to 1300° C., a molded product molded in the molding step. In the sintered friction material, the titanate and the metal material other than copper form a matrix, and a content of the metal material other than copper is 10.0 volume % to 34.0 volume %.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

A sintered composite ceramic, includes: a lithium-garnet major phase; and a lithium dendrite growth inhibitor minor phase, such that the lithium dendrite growth inhibitor minor phase has a Li-metal oxide in a range of >0-10 wt. % based on the total weight of the sintered composite ceramic.

A composite ceramic including: a lithium garnet major phase; and a grain growth inhibitor minor phase, as defined herein. Also disclosed is a method of making composite ceramic, pellets and tapes thereof, a solid electrolyte, and an electrochemical device including the solid electrolyte, as defined herein.

A manufacturing method of ceramic powder includes mixing a barium carbonate having a specific surface are of 15 m.sup.2/g or more, a titanium dioxide having a specific surface area of 20 m.sup.2/g or more, a first compound of a donor element having a larger valence than Ti, and a second compound of an acceptor element having a smaller valence than Ti and having a larger ion radium than Ti and the donor element, and synthesizing barium titanate powder by calcining the barium carbonate, the titanium dioxide, the first compound and the second compound until a specific surface area of the barium titanate powder becomes 4 m.sup.2/g or more and 25 m.sup.2/g or less.

Systems and methods for making ceramic powders are provided. The method for forming a ceramic powder includes: preparing a precursor mixture, wherein the preparing comprises adding at least one additive to a plurality of reagents, wherein the at least one additive includes at least one of: an oxide, a salt, a pure metal, or an alloy of elements ranging from atomic numbers 21 through 30, 39 through 51, and 57 through 77 and combinations thereof; and carbothermically reacting the precursor mixture to form a ceramic powder, wherein, due to the preparing step, the precursor mixture comprises a sufficient amount of the at least one additive to form the ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder comprises: (a) a morphology selected from the group consisting of irregular, equiaxed, plate-like, and combinations thereof; and (b) a particle size distribution selected from the group consisting of fine, intermediate, coarse, and combinations thereof.

Methods of forming a carbon fiber reinforced carbon foam are provided. Such a method may comprise heating a porous body composed of a solid material comprising covalently bound carbon atoms and heteroatoms and having a surface defining pores distributed throughout the solid material, in the presence of an added source of gaseous hydrocarbons. The heating generates free radicals in the porous body from the heteroatoms and induces reactions between the free radicals and the gaseous hydrocarbons to form covalently bound carbon nanofibers extending from the surface of the solid material and a network of entangled carbon microfibers within the pores the porous body, thereby forming a carbon fiber reinforced carbon foam. Carbon fiber reinforced carbon foams and ballistic barriers incorporating the foams are also provided.

A dielectric ceramic composition includes main component grains having a perovskite structure represented by a formula AMO.sub.3. “A” includes Ba. “M” includes Ti. The dielectric ceramic composition includes a 4A subcomponent. The 4A subcomponent includes Fe and Mn. A molar ratio of Mn to a total of Fe and Mn in terms of a metal element is 0.18 to 0.65.