A method for making a carbon carbon, carbon ceramic matrix, or carbon silica composite, comprising melt processing a resin comprising a polyaryletherketone (PAEK) and at least one reinforcing additive to make a precursor part, pyrolyzing the precursor part to make a pyrolyzed part, infusing a liquid second resin into the pyrolyzed part to make an infused part, and pyrolyzing the infused part. Other methods comprise processing aligned reinforcing additives and a resin comprising a PAEK to make an aligned reinforcing additives PAEK, aligned 1-2 dimensional flake material, or aligned 1-2 dimensional platelet material, to create a fabric, prepreg or tape comprising the aligned reinforcing additives and impregnated PAEK. Other methods comprise impregnating continuous fiber tape or fabric with a resin comprising PAEK and at least one reinforcing additive or co-weaving a continuous fiber or fabric with a PAEK fiber comprising PAEK and at least one reinforcing additive.

This document describes processes for preparing ceramics, especially lithium-based ceramics. The ceramics produced by this process and their use in electrochemical applications are also described as well as electrode materials, electrodes, electrolyte compositions, and electrochemical cells comprising them.

The disclosure related to a method for making a nanowire structure. First, a free-standing carbon nanotube structure is suspended. Second, a metal layer is coated on a surface of the carbon nanotube structure. The metal layer is oxidized to grow metal oxide nanowires.

Hybrid composite materials including carbon nanotube sheets and flexible ceramic materials, and methods of making the same are provided herein. In one embodiment, a method of forming a hybrid composite material is provided, the method including: placing a layer of a first flexible ceramic composite on a lay-up tooling surface; applying a sheet of a pre-preg carbon fiber reinforced polymer on the flexible ceramic composite; curing the flexible ceramic composite and the pre-preg carbon fiber reinforced polymer sheet together to form a hybrid composite material; and removing the hybrid composite material from the lay-up tooling surface, wherein the first flexible ceramic composite comprises an exterior surface of the hybrid composite material.

Provided herein are methods of manufacturing a ceramic article. The methods may include providing a liquid-state pre-ceramic polymer component, disposing the liquid-state pre-ceramic polymer component on a support, curing the liquid-state pre-ceramic polymer component, and subjecting the pre-ceramic polymer to pyrolysis. Apparatuses and systems for manufacturing a ceramic article also are provided.

Methods of forming solid carbon products include disposing a plurality of nanotubes in a press, and applying heat to the plurality of carbon nanotubes to form the solid carbon product. Further processing may include sintering the solid carbon product to form a plurality of covalently bonded carbon nanotubes. The solid carbon product includes a plurality of voids between the carbon nanotubes having a median minimum dimension of less than about 100 nm. Some methods include compressing a material comprising carbon nanotubes, heating the compressed material in a non-reactive environment to form covalent bonds between adjacent carbon nanotubes to form a sintered solid carbon product, and cooling the sintered solid carbon product to a temperature at which carbon of the carbon nanotubes do not oxidize prior to removing the resulting solid carbon product for further processing, shipping, or use.

Proppants having added functional properties are provided, as are methods that use the proppants to track and trace the characteristics of a fracture in a geologic formation. Information obtained by the methods can be used to design a fracturing job, to increase conductivity in the fracture, and to enhance oil and gas recovery from the geologic formation. The functionalized proppants can be detected by a variety of methods utilizing, for example, an airborne magnetometer survey, ground penetrating radar, a high resolution accelerometer, a geophone, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultra-sound, impedance measurements, piezoelectric activity, radioactivity, and the like. Methods of mapping a subterranean formation are also provided and use the functionalized proppants to detect characteristics of the formation.

Provided herein is a method of manufacturing a nanoscale coated network, which includes providing nanofibers, capable of forming a network in the presence of a liquid vehicle and providing a nanoscale solid substance in the presence of the liquid vehicle. The method may also include forming a network of the nanofibers and the nanoscale solid substance and redistributing at least a portion of the nanoscale solid substance within the network to produce a network of nanofibers coated with the nanoscale solid substance. Also provided herein is a nanoscale coated network with an active material coating that is redistributed to cover and electrochemically isolate the network from materials outside the network.

A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond comprises derivatizing a nanodiamond to form functional groups, and combining the derivatized nanodiamond with a microdiamond having an average particle size greater than that of the derivatized nanodiamond, and a metal solvent-catalyst. A polycrystalline diamond compact is prepared by adhering the polycrystalline diamond to a support, and an article such as a cutting tool may be prepared from the polycrystalline diamond compact.

Provided is a ceramic member in which the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between an insulating ceramic material and an electrically conductive ceramic material is extremely small and therefore any mismatch caused in association with this difference in thermal expansion coefficient does not occur, and which does not undergo any failure such as breakage, cracking, detachment or destruction. The ceramic member (1) includes an electrically conductive ceramic material (2) which contains yttrium oxide as the main component and additionally contains a fibrous electrically conductive substance such as carbon nanotubes in an amount of 0.1 to 3 vol % inclusive and an insulation ceramic material (3) which contains yttrium oxide as the main component, wherein the electrically conductive ceramic material (2) and the insulation ceramic material (3) are adhered to each other in an integrated manner through an adhesive layer (4) which includes an inorganic adhesive material.