Disclosed are embodiments of making a high Q ceramic material. The method includes providing Ba.sub.3NiTa.sub.2O.sub.9 and incorporating one of Ba.sub.2MgWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, Ba.sub.2MgWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.3LaTa.sub.3O.sub.12, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, BaLaLiWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.4Ta.sub.2WO.sub.12, Ba.sub.2La.sub.2MgW.sub.2O.sub.12, BaLaLiWO.sub.6, Sr.sub.3LaTa.sub.3O.sub.12, and SrLaTaO.sub.12 into the Ba.sub.3NiTa.sub.2O.sub.9 to form a solid solution having a high Q value of greater than 12000 at about 10 GHz.

Disclosed are embodiments of making a high Q ceramic material. The method includes providing Ba.sub.3CoTa.sub.2O.sub.9 and incorporating one of Ba.sub.2MgWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, Ba.sub.2MgWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.3LaTa.sub.3O.sub.12, Ba.sub.8LiTa.sub.5WO.sub.24, BaLaLiWO.sub.6, Ba.sub.4Ta.sub.2WO.sub.12, Ba.sub.2La.sub.2MgW.sub.2O.sub.12, BaLaLiWO.sub.6, Sr.sub.3LaTa.sub.3O.sub.12, and SrLaTaO.sub.12 into the Ba.sub.3CoTa.sub.2O.sub.9 to form a solid solution having a high Q value of greater than 12000 at about 10 GHz.

An ion conductor including: at least one oxide represented by Formulae 1 to 3
Li.sub.4xM.sub.1xM.sub.xO.sub.4 Formula 1
wherein in Formula 1, 0x1 and 0x1 , M is a Group 4 element, M is an element of Group 2, an element of Group 3, an element of Group 5, an element of Group 12, an element of Group 13, a vacancy, or a combination thereof, with the proviso that when M is Zr, then x0, x0 and M is Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Cd, Hg, Cn, Ga, In, TI, an element of Group 3, an element of Group 5, or a combination thereof;
Li.sub.4yMO.sub.4yA.sub.y Formula 2
wherein in Formula 2, M is a Group 4 element, A includes at least one halogen, with the proviso that when M is Zr, y0,
Li.sub.4+4zM.sub.1zO.sub.4 Formula 3
wherein in Formula 3, 0<z<1, and M is a Group 4 element.

A bead string of tin oxide crystallite or a bead string of complex oxide crystallite of tin oxide and titanium oxide contains tantalum and has specific hue as well as a crystallite size on the order of nanometer, and exhibits excellent conductivity and improves the catalytic activity. A bead string includes a tin oxide crystal particle aggregate or a crystal particle aggregate of a complex oxide of tin oxide and titanium oxide, in which the crystal particle aggregate contains at least one particle having a crystallite size of 5 to 50 nm, and when the crystal particle aggregate is pressed under a pressure of 0.1 MPa to have a thickness of 1 cm, in the color of the resultant particle aggregate represented by Lab color space, a lightness L* value is 80 or less, a chromaticity a* value is 4 or less, and a chromaticity b* is 3 or less.

In general, according to one embodiment, there is provided an active material. The active material contains a composite oxide having an orthorhombic crystal structure. The composite oxide is represented by a general formula of Li.sub.xM1.sub.1yM2.sub.yTi.sub.6zM3.sub.zO.sub.14+. In the general formula, M1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of Sr, Ba, Ca, and Mg; M2 is at least one selected from the group consisting of Cs, K, and Na; M3 is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe, Zr, Sn, V, Nb, Ta, and Mo; and x is within a range of 2x6, y is within a range of 0<y<1, z is within a range of 0<z6, and is within a range of 0.50.5.

There are provided a solid electrolyte material having high density and ion conductivity, and an all solid lithium ion secondary battery using the solid electrolyte material. The solid electrolyte material has a garnet-related structure which has a chemical composition represented by Li.sub.7-x-yLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2-x-yTa.sub.xNb.sub.yO.sub.12 (0x0.8, 0.2y1, and 0.2x+y1) and relative density of 99% or greater, and belongs to a cubic system. The solid electrolyte material has lithium ion conductivity which is equal to or greater than 1.010.sup.3 S/cm. The solid electrolyte material has a lattice constant a which satisfies 1.28 nma1.30 nm, and has a lithium ion which occupies only two or more 96h sites in a crystal structure. The all solid lithium ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte includes the solid electrolyte material.

Fabricating a layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12) layer includes forming a slurry including lanthanum zirconate (La.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7) nanocrystals, a lithium precursor, and a lanthanum precursor in stoichiometric amounts to yield a dispersion including lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium. In some cases, the dispersion includes lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium in a molar ratio of 7:3:2. In certain cases, the slurry includes excess lithium. The slurry is dispensed onto a substrate and dried. The dried slurry is calcined to yield the layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate.

A niobate powder for a piezoelectric application. The niobate powder includes a general composition of Li(Na/K)NbO.sub.3 and a carbon content per BET surface area of the niobate powder of from 10 to 100 ppm/(m.sup.2/g). The BET surface area is determined in accordance with DIN ISO 9277. The carbon content is determined via a non-dispersive infrared absorption.

A method of making a mercury based compound, a mercury based compound, and methods of using the mercury based compound and uses of the mercury based compound are disclosed. The mercury-based compound is in powder form and has the general chemical formula: M1.sub.aX.sub.b, where M1 is Hg, MxcMyd or a combination thereof, with Mx being Hg and My being an arbitrary element; wherein X is chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide, sulphate nitrate or a combination thereof, wherein a, b, c and d are numbers between 0.1 and 10, wherein particles of the powder have a minimum average dimension of width of at least 50 nm and a maximum average dimension of width of at most 20 ?m, and wherein the mercury-based compound is paramagnetic and is present in an excited state.

A solid electrolyte including: an oxide represented by Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, or a combination thereof,
Li.sub.2+4xM1.sub.1?xO.sub.3Formula 1
wherein, in Formula 1, M1 is hafnium, titanium, zirconium, or a combination thereof, and 0<x<1;
Li.sub.2?y(a?4)M1.sub.1?yM2.sup.a.sub.yO.sub.3Formula 2
wherein, in Formula 2, M1 is hafnium, titanium, zirconium, or a combination thereof, M2 is at least one element having an oxidation number of a, and wherein a is an integer from 1 to 6, and 0<y<1; or
Li.sub.2?zM1O.sub.3?zX.sub.zFormula 3
wherein, in Formula 3, M1 is hafnium, titanium, zirconium, or a combination thereof, X is a halogen, a pseudohalogen, or a combination thereof, and 0<z<2.