A sintered bead with the following crystal phases, in percentages by mass based on crystal phases: 25%zircon, or Z.sub.1, 94%; 4%stabilized zirconia+stabilized hafnia, or Z.sub.2, 61%; monoclinic zirconia+monoclinic hafnia, or Z.sub.350%; corundum57%; crystal phases other than Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2, Z.sub.3 and corundum<10%; the following chemical composition, in percentages by mass based on oxides: 33%ZrO.sub.2+HfO.sub.2, or Z.sub.483.4%; HfO.sub.22%; 10.6%SiO.sub.234.7%; Al.sub.2O.sub.350%; 0%Y.sub.2O.sub.3, or Z.sub.5; 0%CeO.sub.2, or Z.sub.6; 0.3%CeO.sub.2+Y.sub.2O.sub.319%, provided that (1) CeO.sub.2+3.76*Y.sub.2O.sub.30.128*Z, and (2) CeO.sub.2+1.3*Y.sub.2O.sub.30.318*Z, with Z=Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6(0.67*Z.sub.1*(Z.sub.4+Z.sub.5+Z.sub.6)/(0.67*Z.sub.1+Z.sub.2+Z.sub.3)); MgO5%; CaO2%; oxides other than ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, CeO.sub.2 and Y.sub.2O.sub.3<5.0%.

A sintered ceramic foam that has a total porosity of greater than 60% by volume and the following phase composition, in mass percent based on the crystallized phases: 25 to 55% mullite, 20 to 65% corundum, 10 to 40% zirconia, mullite, corundum and zirconia together representing more than 80% of the mass of the crystallized phases. Also, a furnace that has a thermal insulator such ceramic foam.

Set forth herein are processes and materials for making ceramic thin films by casting ceramic source powders and precursor reactants, binders, and functional additives into unsintered thin films and subsequently sintering the thin films under controlled atmospheres and on specific substrates.

A zirconia composition, a zirconia semi-sintered body, a zirconia sintered body, and a dental product are provided. The zirconia sintered body contains 4 mol % to 7 mol % of yttria as stabilizer, and a shielding material. The zirconia sintered body comprises first region and second region having a higher content ratio of the shielding material than the first region. Difference between content ratio of yttria in the first region and that of yttria in the second region is 1 mol % or less.

A composite plate having a thickness of no more than 2 mm, and having laminated therein a zirconia sintered body, an adhesive layer, and a base material, the elasticity of the base material being no more than 100 GPa, and the apparent density of the composite plate being no more than 4.3 g/cm.sup.3.

An engineered ceramic matrix is provided to blunt and self-heal matrix cracks to reduce oxygen ingress into a fiber reinforced composite.

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.

A zirconia ceramic body for use with dental prosthetics has an L* value between 10 and 20 for a sample thickness 011 to 1.3 mm in accordance with CIE L*a*b* colorimetric system. The zirconia ceramic body can have between 6-20 wt % or 7.20 wt % of yttria based on total weight percent of the zirconia ceramic body. The zirconia ceramic body is subsequently finally sinterable to produce a translucent zirconia sintered body. In one aspect, the sintered body has a total light transmittance of at least 36% and less than 50% to light with a wavelength of 400 nm, and less than 55% to light with a wavelength of 600 nm, at a thickness of 0.6 mm, measured using a LAMBDA 35 UV/VIS Spectrophotometer manufactured by Perkin Elmer.

A method of making a translucent colored zirconia dental restoration comprises obtaining a zirconia green body, forming a dental restoration precursor from the zirconia green body, applying a color liquid to the precursor, and sintering the restoration precursor with regular sintering in air without post HIP processing. The zirconia green body comprises between 7 wt % to 20 wt % of stabilizer based on a total weight percent of the zirconia green body, and at least some particles with a diameter of 100 nanometers to 1000 nanometers. The zirconia green body is subsequently finally sinterable with regular sintering in air without post HIP processing to produce a translucent zirconia sintered body having a total light transmittance of at least 36% and less than 50% to light with a wavelength of 400 nm, and less than 55% to light with a wavelength of 600 nm, at a thickness of 0.6 mm.

A method of making a translucent colored zirconia dental restoration comprises obtaining a zirconia green body, forming a dental restoration precursor from the zirconia green body, applying a color liquid to the precursor, and sintering the restoration precursor with regular sintering in air without post HIP processing. The zirconia green body comprises between 7 wt % to 20 wt % of stabilizer based on a total weight percent, and an L* value between 10 and 20 for a sample thickness of 1 to 1.3 mm. The zirconia green body is subsequently finally sinterable with regular sintering in air without post HIP processing to produce a translucent zirconia sintered body having a total light transmittance of at least 36% and less than 50% to light with a wavelength of 400 nm, and less than 55% to light with a wavelength of 600 nm, at a thickness of 0.6 mm.