The piezoelectric film is a piezoelectric film containing a perovskite-type oxide as a main component, in which a current-voltage profile showing a relationship between a voltage and a current that flows in a case where the voltage is applied has two maximal values, where the current-voltage profile is acquired in a case where the voltage is sweep-applied from 40 V to +40 V at a first change rate of 10 kV/cm.Math.sec while the piezoelectric film is sandwiched between a pair of electrode layers.

A potassium sodium niobate sputtering target having a relative density of 95% or higher. A method of producing a potassium sodium niobate sputtering target, including the steps of mixing a Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 powder, a K.sub.2Co.sub.3 powder, and a Na.sub.2Co.sub.3 powder, pulverizing the mixed powder to achieve a grain size d.sub.50 of 100 m or less, and performing hot press sintering to the obtained pulverized powder in an inert gas or vacuum atmosphere under conditions of a temperature of 900 C. or higher and less than 1150 C., and a load of 150 to 400 kgf/cm.sup.2. The present invention aims to provide a high density potassium sodium niobate sputtering target capable of industrially depositing potassium sodium niobate films via the sputtering method.

According to one embodiment, an active material is provided. The active material includes particles of a monoclinic niobium titanium composite oxide. The particles include primary particles. The primary particles have an average aspect ratio of 5 or more.

A method for forming a crystalline material having an anisotropic, quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes: mixing a plurality of precursor materials together to form a combined precursor material, the plurality of precursor materials including a transition-metal ion or a main group ion and at least one of an alkaline earth ion or an alkali metal ion; and reacting the combined precursor material to obtain the crystalline material, the crystalline material having a formula ABX3, wherein A is the at least one of the alkaline earth ion or the alkali metal ion and B is the transition-metal ion surrounded by six anions (X), and wherein the quasi-one-dimensional anisotropic crystal provides a birefringence of at least 0.03, defined as the absolute difference in the real part of the complex-refractive-index values along different crystal axes, in at least a portion of one or N both of the visible-wave spectrum or the infrared spectrum.

A ternary paraelectric having a Cc structure and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The ternary paraelectric having a Cc structure includes a material having a chemical formula of A.sub.2B.sub.4O.sub.11 that has a monoclinic system, is a space group No. 9, and has a dielectric constant of 150 to 250, wherein A is a Group 1 element, and B is a Group 5 element. A may include one of Na, K, Li and Rb. B may include one of Nb, V, and Ta. The A.sub.2B.sub.4O.sub.11 material may be Na.sub.2Nb.sub.4O.sub.11 in which bandgap energy thereof is greater than that of STO. The A.sub.2B.sub.4O.sub.11 material may have relative density that is greater than 90% or more.

A composition based on cerium and niobium oxide in a proportion of niobium oxide of 2% to 20% is described. This composition can include zirconium oxide, optionally 50% of cerium oxide, 2% to 20% of niobium oxide, and at most 48% of zirconium oxide. Also described, is the use of the composition for treating exhaust gases.

Provided are: composite particles having excellent oxidation resistance; and a method for producing composite particles. The composite particles are obtained by forming a composite of TiN and at least one of Al, Cr, and Nb. In the method for producing composite particles, a titanium powder and a powder of at least one of Al, Cr, and Nb are used as raw material powders and composite particles are produced using a gas phase method.

A lead-free lithium doped potassium sodium niobate piezoelectric ceramic material in powdered form and having a single crystalline phase and uses thereof are described. Methods of making the said piezoelectric ceramic material are also described.

An inorganic green pigment includes a material with spinel structure of the general formula selected from the following formulas a) (A.sub.1xB.sub.1+x)(C.sub.3xyD.sub.2xB.sub.1x2yNi.sub.3y)O.sub.8, wherein 0.05x0.9 and 0.05y0.5, and wherein x+2y1; b) (A.sub.1xB.sub.1+x)(C.sub.3xyD.sub.2xyB.sub.1xyNi.sub.2y)O.sub.8, wherein 0.05x0.5 and 0.05y0.5; c) (A.sub.1xB.sub.1+x)(C.sub.3x4yD.sub.2xB.sub.1x+yNb.sub.y)O.sub.8, wherein 0.05x0.5 and 0.05y0.2; d) (A.sub.1xB.sub.1+x)(C.sub.3xD.sub.2x2yB.sub.1x+yNb.sub.y)O.sub.8, wherein 0.05x0.9 and 0.05y0.2, and wherein xy; and e) (A.sub.1xB.sub.1+x)(C.sub.3x3yD.sub.2xB.sub.1xNb.sub.2yNi.sub.y)O.sub.8, wherein 0.05x0.9 and 0.05y0.2, wherein A is at least one element selected from Co, Zn, Ca, Mg and Cu, wherein B is at least one element selected from Li and Na, wherein C is at least one element selected from Ti, Mn, Sn and Ge, and wherein D is at least one element selected from Cr, B, Fe, Mn and Al.

According to one embodiment, an active material is provided. This active material includes active material particles containing orthorhombic Na-containing niobium titanium composite oxide, and satisfies the following formula (1):
1A5/A0(1) where A5 is a mole content ratio of a Li mole content L5 to a total of a Ti mole content T5 and a Nb mole content N5, and A0 is a mole content ratio of a Li mole content L0 to a total of a Ti mole content T0 and a Nb mole content N0.