This positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries contains: first particles which have an average surface roughness of 4% or less and are mainly configured of a lithium-nickel composite oxide wherein the ratio of Ni relative to the total number of moles of metal elements other than Li is more than 30% by mole; and second particles which are present on the surfaces of the first particles and are mainly configured of at least one hydroxide selected from among hydroxides of lanthanoid elements (excluding La and Ce) and oxyhydroxides.

A ceramic electronic component includes a ferrite material magnetic body part and a Cu conductive part, the ferrite containing 20 to 48% trivalent Fe in terms of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 and divalent Ni. The ferrite can contain Mn so that it is less than 50% of the total of Fe and Mn in terms of Mn.sub.2O.sub.3 and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3. The magnetic and conductive parts are co-fired at a pressure not exceeding the equilibrium oxygen partial pressure of CuCu.sub.2O thereby ensuring insulating performance and favorable electrical characteristics.

To provide a tin oxide refractory which prevents volatilization of SnO.sub.2 in a high temperature zone from an early stage and which also has high erosion resistance to glass. A tin oxide refractory comprising SnO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 as essential components, wherein the total content of SnO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 in the tin oxide refractory is at least 70 mass %, and, based on the total content of SnO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2, the content of SnO.sub.2 is from 32 to 98 mol %, the content of SiO.sub.2 is from 1 to 35 mol % and the content of ZrO.sub.2 is from 1 to 35 mol %.

A piezoelectric material composition may be represented by Equation 1. A piezoelectric device may include a piezoelectric device layer including the piezoelectric material composition represented by Equation 1, a first electrode disposed at a first surface of the piezoelectric device layer, and a second electrode disposed at a second surface different from the first surface of the piezoelectric device layer.

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}{a\mathrm{PbZrO}}_3-{b\mathrm{PbTiO}}_3-\left(1-a-b\right)\mathrm{Pb}\left({\mathrm{Ni}}_c{\mathrm{Nb}}_{1-c}\right)O_3+x\mathrm{mol}\%A+y\mathrm{vol}\%{\mathrm{BaTiO}}_3& \left[\mathrm{Equation}1\right]\end{array}$ where A is Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, Co.sub.2O.sub.3, Mn.sub.2O.sub.3, ZnO, GeO.sub.2, CuO, or NiO, and 0.15a0.24, 0.29b0.38, 0.30c0.35, 0.00x3.00, and 0.00y7.00.

A coil conductor and a via electrode placed away from the coil conductor are embedded in a magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is sandwiched between a pair of non-magnetic layers. The coil conductor and the via electrode are formed from a conductive material containing Cu as its main constituent, and the magnetic layer is formed from NiMnZn ferrite where the CuO molar content is 5 mol % or less, and (x, y) falls within the range of A (25, 1), B (47, 1), C (47, 7.5), D (45, 7.5), E (45, 10), F (35, 10), G (35, 7.5), and H (25, 7.5) when the molar content x of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 and the molar content y of Mn.sub.2O.sub.3 are represented by (x, y). Thus, insulation properties can be ensured, favorable electrical characteristics can be achieved, and a ceramic electronic component is achieved which is able to be reduced in size.

Ceramic particles for use in a solar power tower and methods for making and using the ceramic particles are disclosed. The ceramic particle can include a sintered ceramic material formed from a mixture of a ceramic raw material and a darkening component comprising MnO as Mn.sup.2+. The ceramic particle can have a size from about 8 mesh to about 170 mesh and a density of less than 4 g/cc.

To achieve local melting of an inorganic material powder containing an inorganic material as a main component in an additive manufacturing technology, to thereby achieve high shaping accuracy. Provided is an inorganic material powder to be used in an additive manufacturing method involving performing shaping through irradiation with laser light, the inorganic material powder including: a base material that is an inorganic material; and an absorber, wherein the absorber has a higher light-absorbing ability than the base material for light having a wavelength included in the laser light, and contains any one of Ti.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO, SiO, ZnO, antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO), and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO), or contains any one of a transition metal carbide, a transition metal nitride, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, AlN, a boride, and a silicide.

A multi-layer porcelain block includes a first zirconia powder layer, a second zirconia powder layer, a third zirconia powder layer, a fourth zirconia powder layer, a fifth zirconia powder layer, a sixth zirconia powder layer, a seventh zirconia powder layer, and an eighth zirconia powder layer laid in sequence. The zirconia powders in the first to eighth zirconia powder layers are doped with yttria. The first zirconia powder layer accounts for 13% to 17% by mass, the second zirconia powder layer accounts for 8% to 12% by mass, the third zirconia powder layer accounts for 10% to 14% by mass, the fourth zirconia powder layer accounts for 10% to 14% by mass, the fifth zirconia powder layer accounts for 10% to 14% by mass, the sixth zirconia powder layer accounts for 10% to 14% by mass.

(i) a step of disposing a powder that includes an absorber absorbing light of a wavelength included in a laser beam to be irradiated and silicon dioxide as a main component; (ii) a step of sintering or melting and solidifying the powder by irradiating the powder with a laser beam; and (iii) a step of heat-treating a shaped object formed by repeating the steps (i) and (ii) at 1470 C. or more and less than 1730 C.

Ceramic particles for use in a solar power tower and methods for making and using the ceramic particles are disclosed. The ceramic particle can include a sintered ceramic material formed from a mixture of a ceramic raw material and a darkening component comprising MnO as Mn.sup.2+. The ceramic particle can have a size from about 8 mesh to about 170 mesh and a density of less than 4 g/cc.