Provided herein are rapid, high quality film sintering processes that include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide (lithium-stuffed garnet). The instant disclosure sets forth equipment and processes for making high quality, rapidly-processed ceramic electrolyte films. These processes include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide for use as electrolyte films. In certain processes, the film is not in contact with any surface as it sinters (i.e., during the sintering phase).

Oxide-based thin film sintered bodies, oxide-based solid electrolyte sheets, and all-solid lithium secondary batteries are disclosed. In some implementations, an oxide-based thin film sintered body includes oxide particles, the oxide-based thin film sintered body having a surface roughness Ra ranging from 0.1 to 3 ?m, wherein Ra is an arithmetical mean height of a surface, wherein the oxide particles absorb light energy in a wavelength range from 10 to 1200 nm and have an energy band gap ranging from 0.1 to 15 eV.

A dental block for producing a dental prosthesis comprises a green body including zirconia and having a chemical composition comprising between 6.0 wt % to 20 wt % of yttria (Y.sub.2O.sub.3). The green body is subsequently sinterable, with regular sintering in air and with no post HIP processing, to product a translucent sintered body with a total light transmittance of at least 36% to light with a wavelength of 400 nm at a thickness of 0.6 mm.

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.

Disclosed 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 disclosed herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Also disclosed herein are 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 electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also disclosed herein are methods for preparing 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 disclosed herein are sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

A dental block for producing a dental prosthesis comprises a green body including zirconia and having a chemical composition including containing between 6.0 wt % or 7.5 wt % to 20 wt % of yttria (Y.sub.2O.sub.3). The green body has multiple different layers having a different chemical composition between adjacent layers. The green body has a pre-sintered translucency that is substantially the same across the multiple different layers, and subsequently has a post-sintered translucency and a post-sintered color intensity/chroma with an inverse relationship with the post-sintered translucency increasing in one direction across the multiple different layers and the post-sintered color intensity/chromes decreasing in the same direction across the multiple different layers. The green body can have a color component and a diameter of at least 90 mm and thickness of 10-25 mm.

Disclosed 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 disclosed herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Also disclosed herein are 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 electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also disclosed herein are methods for preparing 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 disclosed herein are sintering techniques, e.g., for heating and/or field assisted (FAST) sintering, for solid state energy storage devices and the components thereof.

A lead-free piezoelectric element that stably operates in a wide operating temperature range contains a lead-free piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material that includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 (1.00a1.01, 0.02x0.30, 0.020y0.095, and yx) as a main component and manganese incorporated in the perovskite-type metal oxide. The manganese content relative to 100 parts by weight of the perovskite-type metal oxide is 0.02 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less on a metal basis.

Setter plates are fabricated from Li-stuffed garnet materials having the same, or substantially similar, compositions as a garnet Li-stuffed solid electrolyte. The Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, reduce the evaporation of Li during a sintering treatment step and/or reduce the loss of Li caused by diffusion out of the sintering electrolyte. Li-stuffed garnet setter plates, set forth herein, maintain compositional control over the solid electrolyte during sintering when, upon heating, lithium is prone to diffuse out of the solid electrolyte.