A multilayer piezoelectric element using an alkaline niobate-based piezoelectric ceramic, which can inhibit its reliability from dropping while lowering production cost, is characterized by forming internal electrodes (10) with a metal whose silver content is 80 percent by mass or higher, and also constituting piezoelectric ceramic layers (40) with a piezoelectric ceramic whose primary component is an alkaline niobate having a perovskite structure and which also contains a lithium manganate.

A barium titanate piezoelectric ceramic having good piezoelectric properties and mechanical strength and a piezoelectric element that includes the ceramic are provided. A method for making a piezoelectric ceramic includes forming a compact composed of an oxide powder containing barium titanate particles, sintering the compact, and decreasing the temperature of the compact after the sintering. The sintering includes (A) increasing the temperature of the compact to a first temperature within a temperature range of a shrinking process of the compact; (B) increasing the temperature of the compact to a second temperature within a temperature range of a liquid phase sintering process of the compact after (A); (C) decreasing the temperature of the compact to a third temperature within the temperature range of the shrinking process of the compact after (B); and (D) retaining the third temperature after (C).

A ferrite sintered magnet includes a composition expressed by a formula (1) of Ca.sub.1-w-xLa.sub.wA.sub.xFe.sub.zCo.sub.mMn.sub.aO.sub.19. In the formula (1), w, x, z, m, and a satisfy a formula (2) of 0.21w0.62, a formula (3) of 0.02x0.46, a formula (4) of 7.43z11.03, a formula (5) of 0.18m0.41, and a formula (6) of 0.046a0.188. In the formula (1), A is at least one kind of element selected from a group consisting of Sr and Ba.

Process for producing coated mixed lithium oxide particles, in which mixed lithium oxide particles and a mixture comprising aluminium oxide and titanium dioxide are subjected to dry mixing by means of a mixing unit having a specific power of 0.1-1 kW per kg of mixed lithium oxide particles and mixture used, in total, under shearing conditions. Coated mixed lithium oxide particles comprising a mixture of aluminium oxide and titanium dioxide as coating material, wherein the aluminium oxide and the titanium dioxide are in the form of aggregated primary particles and the weight ratio of aluminium oxide to titanium dioxide is 10:90-90:10. Battery cell comprising the coated mixed lithium oxide particles.

The invention provides a dual component lithium-rich layered oxide positive electrode material for a secondary battery, the material consisting of a single-phase lithium metal oxide with space group R-3m and having the general formula Li.sub.1+.sub.bN.sub.1bO.sub.2, wherein 0.155b0.25 and N=Ni.sub.xMn.sub.yCO.sub.zZr.sub.cA.sub.d, with 0.10x0.40, 0.30y0.80, 0<z0.20, 0.005c0.03, and 0d0.10, and wherein x+y+z+c+d=1, with A being a dopant comprising at least one element, and the material further consisting of a Li.sub.2ZrO.sub.3 component.

The present invention relates to the field of foam formation and stabilization, particularly foamed construction materials, such as cement. Disclosed are additives suitable to obtain mineral foams when added to the corresponding starting materials. The invention provides a ready-to-use product in the form of a solid particulate composition comprising hydrophobized particles (1) and catalytically active particles (2) as defined in claim 1. The invention further provides for manufacturing methods of such ready-to-use product.

The present subject matter provides colored wear tiles for use in optical sorting apparatuses and related methods that separate an associated material into a desired product and an undesired product. The colored wear tiles have a color and/or lightness value that permeates the entire body of the wear tile and sufficiently differs from the color and/or lightness of the associated material in order to allow the colored wear tile, or portions or pieces thereof, that may mix with the associated material, to be separated from the desired product by the sorting apparatus.

A composition used for forming a PZT-based piezoelectric film formed of Mn and Nb co-doped composite metal oxides is provided, in which the composition includes PZT-based precursors so that a metal atom ratio (Pb:Mn:Nb:Zr:Ti) in the composition satisfies (1.00 to 1.25):(0.002 to 0.056):(0.002 to 0.056):(0.40 to 0.60):(0.40 to 0.60), a rate of Mn is from 0.20 to 0.80 when the total of metal atom rates of Mn and Nb is 1, a rate of Zr is from 0.40 to 0.60 when the total of metal atom rates of Zr and Ti is 1, and the total rate of Zr and Ti is from 0.9300 to 0.9902 when the total of metal atom rates of Mn, Nb, Zr, and Ti is 1.

A ceramic and a preparation method therefor are provided. The ceramic includes a zirconia matrix, and an additive dispersed inside and on an outer surface of the zirconia matrix. The additive is an oxide including elements A and B, where A is selected from at least one of Ca, Sr, Ba, Y, and La, and B is selected from at least one of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to thermoelectric ceramic oxide compositions comprising a CaMnO.sub.3 ceramic. In a further aspect, the disclosed thermoelectric ceramic oxide compositions can dramatically increase the energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric through a combination of modifying the chemistry of precursor materials, and simultaneously introducing a metal oxide liquid phase during sintering. In a further aspect, the present disclosure pertains to thermoelectric ceramic oxide compositions comprising a metal doped CaMnO.sub.3 having with a metal oxide grain boundary phase; wherein the metal is selected from group 13, group 14, group 15, group 16, or a rare earth element. In a still further aspect, the disclosure relates to methods for making the thermoelectric ceramic oxide materials. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.