The invention provides a ceramic composite oxide of formula (I): (1−x)AaBbOy+xCcDdOz (I) wherein A, B, C and D are each independently selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, In, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ta, W, Bi and mixtures thereof; x is 0.05 to 0.95; y and z are balanced by the charge of the cations; 0≤a, b, c, d≤1; and wherein said ceramic composite oxide has an average particle size diameter of 10 to 700 nm.

Fused cast refractory product including, as weight percentages on the basis of the oxides and for a total of 100%: ZrO.sub.2: balance to 100%, Hf.sub.2O: <5%, SiO.sub.2: 8.1% to 12.0%, B.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.20% to 0.90%, Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O: 0.40% to 0.80%, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.3% to 2.0%, Y.sub.2O.sub.3: <2.0%, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3+TiO.sub.2: <0.6%, and other species: <1.5%.

A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U.sub.3Si.sub.2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2

An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting layer deposited on a substrate. The superconducting layer includes an oxide superconductor RE-Ba—Cu—O and artificial pinning centers ABO.sub.3, where RE is a rare earth element, A is Ba, Sr or Ca, and B is Hf, Zr, or Sn. In a TEM image of a cross-section of the superconducting layer, a standard deviation σ of an inclination angle of the artificial pinning center rods with respect to a cross-sectional direction of the superconducting layer is 6.13° to 11.73° and an average length of the artificial pinning center rods is 19.84 to 25.44 nm.

A multi-layer coating arrangement includes an environmental barrier coating (EBC) over a substrate; and at least one dense vertically cracked (DVC) coating layer over the EBC. The at least one DVC layer is resistant to erosion, water vapor corrosion and to calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS).

An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting layer deposited on a substrate. The superconducting layer includes an oxide superconductor RE-Ba—Cu—O and artificial pinning centers ABO.sub.3, where RE is a rare earth element, A is Ba, Sr or Ca, and B is Hf, Zr, or Sn. In a TEM image of a cross-section of the superconducting layer, a standard deviation σ of an inclination angle of the artificial pinning center rods with respect to a cross-sectional direction of the superconducting layer is 6.13° to 11.73° and an average length of the artificial pinning center rods is 19.84 to 25.44 nm.

Provided are a piezoelectric ceramics which does not contain lead, has small temperature dependence of a piezoelectric constant within an operating temperature range, and has high density, a high mechanical quality factor, a satisfactory piezoelectric constant, and a small surface roughness, and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric ceramics. The method of manufacturing a piezoelectric ceramics is characterized by including: sintering a compact containing a raw material at 1,000° C. or more to obtain a sintered compact; abrading the sintered compact; and annealing the abraded sintered compact at a temperature of 800° C. or more and less than 1,000° C.

Disclosed are embodiments of synthetic garnet materials for use in radiofrequency applications. In some embodiments, increased amounts of bismuth can be added into specific sites in the crystal structure of the synthetic garnet in order to boost certain properties, such as the dielectric constant and magnetization. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosed materials can be used in high frequency applications, such as in base station antennas.

A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U.sub.3Si.sub.2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U.sub.3Si.sub.2.

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (<50 um) free standing membranes of an ionically conducting material for use as a catholyte, electrolyte, and, or, anolyte, in an electrochemical device, a battery component (positive or negative electrode materials), or a complete solid state electrochemical energy storage device. Also, the methods set forth herein disclose novel sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.