Provided are a heat generating device capable of efficiently maintaining heat generation for a long time at low cost while saving power, and the use thereof. The heat generating device includes a hollow container the inside of which is electrically insulated, a pair of opposed electrodes which are housed in the container and which are separately opposed to each other, and a heat generating body which is housed between the opposed electrodes in the container and which contains silicon powder and carbon powder in a mixed state. The heat generating body is configured to have a density of 0.85 g/cm.sup.3 to 1.30 g/cm.sup.3.

A device for heating a target with IR radiation, a process for heat treating a target, a process for making a composite, a use of an IR source, a use of an array of IR sources and a use of the device. Also disclosed is a device for treating a target, comprising an IR source that emits IR radiation from an emitter surface having a first surface area; and a set of elongate bodies consisting of one or more elongate bodies, each elongate body having an inlet, collectively called the inlets, and each elongate body having an outlet, collectively called the outlets; wherein the emitted IR radiation is coupled into the set of elongate bodies via the inlets and decoupled from the elongate body via the outlets over an outlet surface having a second surface area; and wherein the first surface area is greater than the second surface area.

Provided is an electrically heated catalytic converter including at least a conductive substrate and an electrode member that is fixed to the substrate, in which a protective film is formed on a surface of at least a portion of the electrode member. In the electrically heated catalytic converter, at least a portion of the protective film is formed of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, or a composite oxide including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 as a major component, the protective film has an amorphous structure or a partially crystalline glass structure having a crystallization rate of 30 vol % or lower with respect to the entire portion of the protective film, and a thickness of the protective film is in a range of 100 nm to 2 m.

Provided is a SiC sintered body which contains nitrogen atoms, wherein a ratio R.sub.max/R.sub.ave of a maximum volume resistivity R.sub.max of the sintered body to an average volume resistivity R.sub.ave of the sintered body is 1.5 or lower; a ratio R.sub.min/R.sub.ave of a minimum volume resistivity R.sub.min of the sintered body to the average volume resistivity R.sub.ave is 0.7 or higher; and a relative density of the sintered body is 98% or higher.

A system for direct injection of selected thermal-infrared (IR) wavelength radiation or energy into food items for a wide range of processing purposes is provided. These purposes may include heating, raising or maintaining the temperature of the food articles. The system is especially applicable to operations that require or benefit from the ability to irradiate at specifically selected wavelengths or to pulse or inject the radiation. The system is particularly advantageous when functioning at higher speeds and in a non-contact environment with the target.

A conductive honeycomb structure includes: a pillar honeycomb structure portion including an outer peripheral side wall and partition walls, each of the partition walls extending through the pillar honeycomb structure from a first end face to a second end face to define a plurality of cells forming a through channel of a first fluid; a pair of electrode portions disposed in contact with an outer surface of the outer peripheral side wall across a central axis of the honeycomb structure portion; and a pair of terminal connecting portions formed on the outer peripheral side wall, each of the terminal connecting portions being at least partially covered with each of the electrode portions. Each of the electrode portions includes band-shape first, second and third electrode layers each having a predetermined electrical resistance.

The present disclosure relates to a molybdenum silicide based composition comprising aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) and to the use thereof in high temperature applications.

Provided is a SiC sintered body which contains nitrogen atoms, wherein a ratio R.sub.max/R.sub.ave of a maximum volume resistivity R.sub.max of the sintered body to an average volume resistivity R.sub.ave of the sintered body is 1.5 or lower; a ratio R.sub.min/R.sub.ave of a minimum volume resistivity R.sub.min of the sintered body to the average volume resistivity R.sub.ave is 0.7 or higher; and a relative density of the sintered body is 98% or higher.

A heater includes a ceramic body of bar shape; and a heat-generating resistor disposed in an inside of the ceramic body, when viewed in a transverse section, the heat-generating resistor including at least one step portion provided in an outer periphery part of the heat-generating resistor, the at least one step portion having such a shape that semicircular portions bisected in a diametrical direction of the heat-generating resistor deviate from each other along the diametrical direction.

A heater assembly for an aerosol-generating system is provided, the heater assembly including: a liquid aerosol-forming substrate storage component; a reservoir of free-flowing liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate storage component; and a heating element including a first portion, a second portion, and a further portion, in which the first portion of the heating element is embedded in the liquid aerosol-forming substrate storage component, the second portion of the heating element is not embedded in the liquid aerosol-forming substrate storage component, and the further portion of the heating element is located in the reservoir. An aerosol-generating system including the heater assembly is also provided.