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.

The current technology is directed to red and red-shade violet pigments with an hexagonal ABO.sub.3 structure of the form Y(In, M)O.sub.3 in which M is substituted for In in the trigonal bipyramidal B site of the ABO.sub.3 structure, and where M is a mixture containing Co.sup.2+ and charge compensating ions, or M is a mixture containing Co.sup.2+ and charge compensating ions, as well as other aliovalent and isovalent ions.

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 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 containing barium titanate particles, sintering the compact, and decreasing the temperature of the compact. The sintering includes (A) increasing the temperature of the compact to a temperature range of a shrinking process of the compact; (B) increasing the temperature of the compact to a temperature range of a liquid phase sintering process of the compact; (C) decreasing the temperature of the compact to the temperature range of the shrinking process of the compact; and (D) retaining the third temperature.

A dielectric ceramic composition includes a main component comprising (1-x)BaTiO.sub.3-x(Na.sub.1-yK.sub.y)NbO.sub.3, where 0.005x0.5 and 0.3y1.0; a first subcomponent comprising an element selected from the group consisting of Mn, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu and Zn; and a second subcomponent comprising SiO.sub.2.

A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes secondary particles of a lithium transition metal complex oxide as a main component. The main component is represented by a formula: Li.sub.t (Ni.sub.1-xCo.sub.x).sub.1-yMn.sub.yB.sub.P.sub.S.sub.O.sub.2, where t, x, y, , , and satisfy inequalities of 0x1, 0.00y0.50, (1x).Math.(1y)y, 0.0000.020, 0.0000.030, 0.0000.030, and 1+3+3+2t1.30, and satisfy at least one of inequalities of 0.002, 0.006, and 0.004. The secondary particles exhibit a pore distribution, where a pore volume Vp(1) having a pore diameter of not less than 0.01 m and not more than 0.15 m satisfies an inequality of 0.035 cm.sup.3/gVp(1) and where a pore volume Vp(2) having a pore diameter of not less than 0.01 m and not more than 10 m satisfies an inequality of Vp(2)0.450 cm.sup.3/g.

In one embodiment, a method comprising causing motion of an enclosed container comprising substrate material and graphite material within the container; and coating surfaces of the substrate material with the graphite material responsive to the motion of the container, the coated surfaces comprising graphene or graphene layers.

A particulate mesoporous nanocomposite having the general formula ZrO.sub.2.Math.Mg.sub.6MnO.sub.8, wherein the nanocomposite comprises a monoclinic zirconium dioxide (ZrO.sub.2) crystalline phase, a tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 crystalline phase, and a cubic magnesium manganese oxide (Mg.sub.6MnO.sub.8) crystalline phase. The nanocomposite may be obtained by a method comprising: forming an aqueous mixture by adding an aqueous solution of a chelating agent into an aqueous solution of a magnesium salt, a manganese salt and a zirconium salt; adding a polyol in the aqueous mixture to form a gel; heating the gel under stirring at a temperature of about 200 C. to about 400 C. for a sufficient duration to form a dry powder; and, calcining the dry powder at a temperature of about 700 C. to about 1000 C. to form the nanocomposite material.

A Mn and Nb co-doped PZT-based piezoelectric film formed of Mn and Nb co-doped composite metal oxides is provided, in which a metal atom ratio (Pb:Mn:Nb:Zr:Ti) in the film satisfies (0.98 to 1.12):(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 manganese-based solid solution positive-electrode material, wherein the manganese-based solid solution positive-electrode material has a layered structure, and a chemical formula of the manganese-based solid solution positive-electrode material is aNa.sub.2Mn.sub.xR.sub.1-xO.sub.3.Math.(1a)LiMn.sub.yM.sub.1-O.sub.2, where 0.05a<1, 0<x1, 0.1y1, and each of the R and the M in the chemical formula independently comprises any one or combination of at least two of: alkali metal elements, alkaline earth metal elements, and transition metal elements.