A sintered composite ceramic includes: a lithium-garnet major phase; and a lithium-rich minor phase, such that the lithium-rich minor phase has Li.sub.xTiO.sub.(x+4)/2, with 0.66≤x≤4. The sintered composite ceramic may exhibit a relative density of at least 90% of a theoretical maximum density of the ceramic, an ionic conductivity of at least 0.35 mS.Math.cm.sup.−1, or a critical current density (CCD) of at least 1.0 mA.Math.cm.sup.−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.

Disclosed are a sagger for sintering lithium composite transition metal oxide and a preparation method thereof. The sagger includes a substrate layer and a shallow layer on a surface of the substrate layer, and a coating layer. The substrate layer is prepared from the following raw materials: silicon carbide, magnesia-alumina spinel, aluminum oxide-magnesium oxide-yttrium oxide composite fiber, zircon powder and a binding agent; the shallow layer is prepared from the following raw materials: silicon carbide, magnesia-alumina spinel, aluminum oxide-titanium oxide composite fiber, yttrium oxide-zirconium oxide composite fiber and a binding agent; and the coating layer is prepared from the following raw materials: silicon carbide, magnesia-alumina spinel, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide fiber, lithium composite transition metal oxide powder and a binding agent. The sagger of the present disclosure has properties of good corrosion resistance and a small coefficient of thermal expansion.

Set forth herein are processes and materials for sintering dense thin green films comprising lithium-stuffed garnet powder and a binder to obtain sintered lithium-stuffed garnet thin films. Some of the processes, herein, include providing a first setter and a second setter, wherein the first setter and second setter each include at least 5 atomic % lithium (Li) per setter; placing the green film on the first setter; placing the second setter within 2 cm of the green film but not in contact with the green film; and heating the green film to at least 900 C.

It is intended to suppress flaming and smoking due to combustion of combustible substances in a certain-shaped joint material, while maintaining hot sealability of the certain-shaped joint material. A certain-shaped joint material for hot installation is obtained by: adding organic additives to a blend in a combined amount of 26 mass % to 50 mass %, with respect to and in addition to 100 mass % of the blend, wherein the blend comprises 50 mass % to 90 mass % of gibbsite type aluminum hydroxide raw material, 1 mass % to 9 mass % of clay, and 9 mass % to 23 mass % of graphite, with the remainder mainly composed of an additional refractory raw material; and subjecting the resulting mixture to kneading, forming and drying.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to articles, coated articles and methods of coating such articles with a rare earth metal containing oxide coating. A method of co-depositing a rare earth metal containing oxide coating on a surface of an article is disclosed. The method includes contacting the article surface with a first or second metal containing precursor to form a partial metal adsorption layer of a first metal or a second metal. The method further includes contacting the partial metal adsorption layer with the first or second metal containing precursor to form a co-adsorption layer of the first metal and the second metal. The method further includes contacting the co-adsorption layer with a reactant to form the rare earth metal containing oxide coating.

A preceramic resin formulation comprising a polycarbosilane preceramic polymer, an organically modified silicon dioxide preceramic polymer, and, optionally, at least one filler. The preceramic resin formulation is formulated to exhibit a viscosity of from about 1,000 cP at about 25° C. to about 5,000 cP at a temperature of about 25° C. The at least one filler comprises first particles having an average mean diameter of less than about 1.0 μm and second particles having an average mean diameter of from about 1.5 μm to about 5 μm. Impregnated fibers comprising the preceramic resin formulation are also disclosed, as is a composite material comprising a reaction product of the polycarbosilane preceramic polymer, organically modified silicon dioxide preceramic polymer, and the at least one filler. Methods of forming a ceramic matrix composite are also disclosed.

A coating composition is described, for use in the foundry, in particular comprising particulate, amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) and an aqueous phase having a pH of at most 5, and also coated, waterglass-bound foundry molding elements, especially coated, waterglass-bound foundry molds and foundry cores, which each comprise a coating composition of the invention. Further described is the use of a coating composition of the invention for producing a coating on a waterglass-bound foundry molding element and a method for producing a waterglass-bound foundry molding element (mold or core) coated with a water-containing refractory coating. Likewise specified is a kit whose contents include a coating composition of the invention.

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.

A single crystal ceramic core composition has an inorganic portion and an organic portion. The inorganic portion makes up about 85% by weight of the total weight of the ceramic core composition, and the organic portion makes up about 15% by weight of the total weight of the ceramic core composition. The inorganic portion includes about 94 to 98% by weight spherical fused silica, and about 2 to 6% by weight zircon flour. The organic portion includes about 84 to 88% by weight binder, about 1 to 2% by weight dye, about 6 to 12% by weight surfactant, and about 1 to 5% by weight polymeric fiber.