A zirconia powder in which when a stabilizer is Y.sub.2O.sub.3, a content thereof is 1.4 mol % or more and less than 2.0 mol %; when the stabilizer is Er.sub.2O.sub.3, a content thereof is 1.4 mol % or more and 1.8 mol % or less; when the stabilizer is Yb.sub.2O.sub.3, a content thereof is 1.4 mol % or more and 1.8 mol % or less; and when the stabilizer is CaO, a content thereof is 3.5 mol % or more and 4.5 mol % or less; and in a range of 10 nm or more and 200 nm or less in a pore distribution, a peak top diameter of a pore volume distribution is 20 nm or more and 120 nm or less, a pore volume is 0.2 ml/g or more and less than 0.5 ml/g, and a pore distribution width is 30 nm or more and 170 nm or less.

A zirconia powder containing a stabilizer, and having a specific surface area of 20 m.sup.2/g or more and 60 m.sup.2/g or less and a particle diameter D.sub.50 of 0.1 μm or more and 0.7 μm or less, in which in a range of 10 nm or more and 200 nm or less in a pore distribution based on a mercury intrusion method, a peak top diameter in a pore volume distribution is 20 nm or more and 85 nm or less, a pore volume is 0.2 ml/g or more and less than 0.5 ml/g, and a pore distribution width is 40 nm or more and 105 nm or less.

A dielectric composition includes dielectric particles, grain boundary phases, and segregations. The dielectric particles each include a perovskite compound represented by ABO.sub.3 as a main component. The grain boundary phases are located between the dielectric particles. The segregations exist in a part of the grain boundary phases and include at least Al, Si, and O. A molar ratio (Al/(Al+Si)) of an Al content to a total content of Al and Si in the segregations is 0.45 or more and 0.75 or less.

Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.

The present invention relates to a negative active material for a lithium secondary battery, a preparation method therefor, and a lithium secondary battery including the same. The negative electrode active material is a negative electrode material for a secondary battery, the negative electrode active material comprising a silicon-carbon composite comprising: a core comprising crystalline carbon and silicon particles; and an amorphous carbon-containing coating layer disposed on a surface of the core, wherein the negative electrode active material comprises: silicon oxide formed on a surface of the silicon particles; and an oxide of crystalline carbon, formed on a surface of the crystalline carbon, the average particle diameter (D50) of the silicon particles having a nanometer size, the proportion of O relative to Si in the silicon oxide is 30%-50%, and the proportion of O relative to C in the oxide of the crystalline carbon is 4%-10%.

The present invention provides a method of producing a honeycomb structured body having excellent mechanical strength. The present invention relates to a method of producing a honeycomb structured body including a honeycomb fired body in which multiple through-holes are arranged longitudinally in parallel with one another with a partition wall therebetween, the method including: a raw material mixing step of preparing a raw material paste containing ceria-zirconia composite oxide particles, alumina particles, an inorganic binder, and alumina fibers; a molding step of molding the raw material paste into a honeycomb molded body in which multiple through-holes are arranged longitudinally in parallel with one another with a partition wall therebetween; a drying step of drying the honeycomb molded body obtained in the molding step; and a firing step of firing the honeycomb molded body dried in the drying step into a honeycomb fired body, wherein the percentage of amorphous alumina fibers in the alumina fibers for use in the raw material mixing step is 50 to 100 wt %.

The present invention provides a method of producing a honeycomb structured body having excellent mechanical strength. The present invention relates to a method of producing a honeycomb structured body including a honeycomb fired body in which multiple through-holes are arranged longitudinally in parallel with one another with a partition wall therebetween, the method including: a raw material mixing step of preparing a raw material paste containing ceria-zirconia composite oxide particles, alumina particles, an inorganic binder, and inorganic fibers; a molding step of molding the raw material paste into a honeycomb molded body in which multiple through-holes are arranged longitudinally in parallel with one another with a partition wall therebetween; a drying step of drying the honeycomb molded body obtained in the molding step; and a firing step of firing the honeycomb molded body dried in the drying step into a honeycomb fired body, wherein the raw material mixing step includes pre-mixing of the inorganic binder and the inorganic fibers.

In a silicon nitride substrate including a silicon nitride sintered body including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase, a plate thickness of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.4 mm or les, and a percentage of a number of the silicon nitride crystal grains including dislocation defect portions inside the silicon nitride crystal grains in a 50 μm×50 μm observation region of any cross section or surface of the silicon nitride sintered body is not less than 0% and not more than 20%. Etching resistance can be increased when forming the circuit board.

A polycrystalline super hard construction is disclosed having a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, the polycrystalline super hard material comprising a plurality of grains of super hard material; a second region forming a substrate to the first region; and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface, the interface comprising a portion having an uneven topology and a substantially planar portion, the third region comprising a composite material including a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, and a matrix material.

Provided is halloysite powder having a small b value. The halloysite powder is powder including a granule in which halloysite including halloysite nanotubes is aggregated, the granule has a first pore deriving from a tube hole of the halloysite nanotubes and a second pore different from the first pore, and the Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 content is not more than 2.00 mass %.