A method of manufacturing an insulator for a spark plug comprises the steps of combining at least two raw materials to form a powdered insulator formulation, spray drying the powdered insulator formulation, and pressing the powdered insulator formulation to create an insulator blank. The method further includes the steps of bisque firing the insulator blank, grinding the bisque fired insulator blank to form the insulator, and sintering the insulator.

Provided is a matte gray functional building material for windows, comprising: a transparent glass substrate; and a low-emissivity coating formed on one surface of the transparent glass substrate.

A flexible body-insertable cable includes conduits and cables. Each conduit has an antimicrobial material defining interior wall surfaces thereof. Each cable provides a function selected from the group consisting of mechanical functions, electrical functions, and optical functions. A solid antimicrobial material encases each of the conduits and each of the cables for retaining the conduits and cables in a spaced-apart and longitudinally-extending arrangement along a length of the solid antimicrobial material.

A flexible body-insertable cable includes conduits and cables. Each conduit has an antimicrobial material defining interior wall surfaces thereof. Each cable provides a function selected from the group consisting of mechanical functions, electrical functions, and optical functions. A solid antimicrobial material encases each of the conduits and each of the cables for retaining the conduits and cables in a spaced-apart and longitudinally-extending arrangement along a length of the solid antimicrobial material.

Compositions and method for preparing thermally sprayed coatings are disclosed. The inventive compositions include at least one component that is electrically-insulating and/or non-subliming at thermal spray temperatures; and at least one component that has a high coefficient of thermal expansion. The invention also provides a compositions and methods for preparing a coating comprising a spinel, from materials that do not comprise a spinel; and also provides non-spinel materials used to prepare coatings comprising spinel. The invention includes coatings made from the materials and methods; and articles comprising the coatings.

Compositions and method for preparing thermally sprayed coatings are disclosed. The inventive compositions include at least one component that is electrically-insulating and/or non-subliming at thermal spray temperatures; and at least one component that has a high coefficient of thermal expansion. The invention also provides a compositions and methods for preparing a coating comprising a spinel, from materials that do not comprise a spinel; and also provides non-spinel materials used to prepare coatings comprising spinel. The invention includes coatings made from the materials and methods; and articles comprising the coatings.

The present invention relates to an electrochromic device having an improved color changing speed. The present invention provides an electrochromic device comprising: a first transparent electrode; a second transparent electrode facing the first transparent electrode; a first bus electrode of a predetermined pattern formed on an upper surface of the first transparent electrode; an electrolyte layer positioned between the first bus electrode and the second transparent electrode; a first electrochromic layer positioned between the first transparent electrode and the electrolyte layer and coming in contact with the electrolyte layer; and a passivation layer formed between the first bus electrode and the electrochromic layer so as to prevent contact of the first bus electrode and the electrochromic layer, and encompassing the first bus electrode. According to the present invention, the electrochromic speed of a large area electrochromic device can be improved.

A silsesquinoxane modified TiO.sub.2 sol, a method of forming the TiO.sub.2 sol, a radiation curable composition comprising the TiO.sub.2 sol and cured material formed from the radiation curable composition are disclosed. The TiO.sub.2 sol is at least partially covered by silsesquinoxane and has high RI useful for an insulating layer on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes that provides transparency of the ITO electrodes.

A silsesquinoxane modified TiO.sub.2 sol, a method of forming the TiO.sub.2 sol, a radiation curable composition comprising the TiO.sub.2 sol and cured material formed from the radiation curable composition are disclosed. The TiO.sub.2 sol is at least partially covered by silsesquinoxane and has high RI useful for an insulating layer on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes that provides transparency of the ITO electrodes.

Artificial synaptic devices with an HfO.sub.2-based ferroelectric layer that can be implemented in the CMOS back-end are provided. In one aspect, an artificial synapse element is provided. The artificial synapse element includes: a bottom electrode; a ferroelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, wherein the ferroelectric layer includes an HfO.sub.2-based material that crystallizes in a ferroelectric phase at a temperature of less than or equal to about 400 C.; and a top electrode disposed on the bottom electrode. An artificial synaptic device including the present artificial synapse element and methods for formation thereof are also provided.