Provided are a MnZnWO sputtering target having excellent crack resistance and a production method therefor. The MnZnWO sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, W, and O. From an X-ray diffraction pattern of the MnZnWO sputtering target, a ratio P.sub.MnO/P.sub.W of a maximum peak intensity P.sub.MnO of a peak due to a manganese oxide composed only of Mn and O to a maximum peak intensity P.sub.W of a peak due to W is 0.027 or less.

A zirconia sintered body contains aluminum, cobalt, and manganese and a remaining portion consisting of yttria-containing zirconia. In an oxide exchange, aluminum content is 5.0 wt % or more and 30.0 wt % or less, cobalt content is 0.1 wt % or more and 2.0 wt % or less, and manganese content is 0.5 wt % or more and 7.0 wt % or less.

A nuclear fuel includes uranium(IV) oxide (UO.sub.2) and manganese (Mn) as a dopant. The Mn dopant may be present in the fuel in an amount up to the solubility limit for Mn under a given set of conditions, for example, about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt %. The nuclear fuel is substantially free of aluminum (Al). The nuclear fuel exhibits enhanced grain size development during sintering temperatures as low at 1400 K due to an increase in uranium sub-lattice vacancies induced by dissolution of the Mn dopant at interstitial defect sites. The Mn-doped nuclear fuel exhibits improved grain sizes at lower temperatures compared to Cr-, Al-, and undoped UO.sub.2, and therefore desirably exhibits lower fission gas release and higher plasticity, reducing the chances of fuel rod failure.

Provided is a MnZnO sputtering target which can be used in DC sputtering, and a production method for the target. The MnZnO sputtering target comprises a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, O, and at least one element X, the element X being a single one or two elements selected from the group consisting of W and Mo. The target has a relative density of 90% or more and a specific resistance of 110.sup.3 .Math.cm or less.

A lead-free insulating ceramic coating zinc oxide arrester valve and a method for manufacturing thereof are disclosed. In an embodiment a method includes preparing an initial powder from starting materials with the following mass percentages: ZnO: 86-95%; Bi2O3: 1.0-3.0%; Co3O4: 0.5-1.5%; Mn3O4: 0.2-1.0%; Sb2O3: 3.0-9.0 %; NiO: 0.2-1.0%; and SiO2: 1.0-3.0%, preparing a ceramic coating powder by mixing the initial powder, deionized water and first grinding balls, milling the mixture, and drying and pulverizing the mixture, preparing a ceramic coating slurry by mixing a PVA solution, the ceramic coating powder and second grinding balls and milling the mixture, applying the ceramic coating slurry to a green body, heating and debinding the ceramic coating slurry with the green body thereby forming a resistor element and sintering the resistor element thereby obtaining a zinc oxide surge arrester valve block having a lead-free insulating ceramic coating.

Provided are a black mixed oxide that contains chromium per se of any valency as a main component, and fails to contain cobalt as the main component material, and has a high safety, an excellent color tone and economical efficiency, and a method for producing the same, and various products using the black mixed oxide material. The mixed oxides comprise oxides containing La, Mn and Cu as main components but containing neither Cr nor Co as a main component, wherein the contents of La, Mn and Cu in the mixed oxides satisfy the following ratios, as oxide equivalent amount with respect to 100% by weight of the oxide equivalent amount: the La content as La.sub.2O.sub.3 being 35-70 wt %; the Mn content as MnO.sub.2 being 25-60 wt %; and the Cu content as CuO being 0.5-10 wt %.

A lead-free insulating ceramic coating zinc oxide arrester valve and a method for manufacturing thereof are disclosed. In an embodiment a method includes preparing an initial powder from starting materials with the following mass percentages: ZnO: 86-95%; Bi.sub.2O.sub.3: 1.0-3.0%; Co.sub.3O.sub.4: 0.5-1.5%; Mn.sub.3O.sub.4: 0.2-1.0%; Sb.sub.2O.sub.3: 3.0-9.0%; NiO: 0.2-1.0%; and SiO.sub.2: 1.0-3.0%, preparing a ceramic coating powder by mixing the initial powder, deionized water and first grinding balls, milling the mixture, and drying and pulverizing the mixture, preparing a ceramic coating slurry by mixing a PVA solution, the ceramic coating powder and second grinding balls and milling the mixture, applying the ceramic coating slurry to a green body, heating and debinding the ceramic coating slurry with the green body thereby forming a resistor element and sintering the resistor element thereby obtaining a zinc oxide surge arrester valve block having a lead-free insulating ceramic coating.

A method for producing a dielectric ceramic includes: shaping mixed powdery particles including a cordierite material (2MgO.2Al.sub.2O.sub.3.5SiO.sub.2) and a low-temperature-sintering material including Al, Si and Sr, the Si being partially vitrified; and firing the resultant shaped body. The method includes the step of wet-pulverizing the low-temperature-sintering material together with at least the cordierite material to prepare mixed powder particles having a median diameter D50 less than 1 m; and, in a process until a time of the preparation of the mixed powder particles, the low-temperature-sintering material undergoes no step of wet-pulverizing only the low-temperature-sintering material, and drying the resultant pulverized material.

A piezoelectric material includes: an oxide containing Na, Ba, Nb, Ti, and Mn, in which the oxide has a perovskite-type structure, a total amount of metal elements other than Na, Ba, Nb, Ti, and Mn contained in the piezoelectric material is 0.5 mol % or less with respect to a total amount of Na, Ba, Nb, Ti, and Mn, a molar ratio x of Ti to a total molar amount of Nb and Ti is 0.05x0.12, a molar ratio y of Na to Nb is 0.93y0.98, a molar ratio z of Ba to Ti is 1.09z1.60, a molar ratio m of Mn to the total molar amount of Nb and Ti is 0.0006m0.0030, and 1.07yz1.50 is satisfied.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material reduced in dielectric loss tangent, and achieving both a large piezoelectric constant and a large mechanical quality factor. A piezoelectric material according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is a piezoelectric material including a main component formed of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the general formula (1): Na.sub.x+s(1y)(Bi.sub.wBa.sub.1sw).sub.1yNb.sub.yTi.sub.1yO.sub.3 (where 0.84x0.92, 0.84y0.92, 0.002(w+s)(1y)0.035, and 0.9w/s1.1), and a Mn component, wherein the content of the Mn is 0.01 mol % or more and 1.00 mol % or less with respect to the perovskite-type metal oxide.