Described are molds that include a ceramic material at a surface, as well as methods of forming the molds, and methods of using the molds; the ceramic material is constituted substantially, mostly, or entirely of three elemental components designated M, A, and X; the “M” component is at least one transition metal; the “A” component is one or a combination of Si, Al, Ge, Pb, Sn, Ga, P, S, In, As, Tl, and Cd; and the “X” component is carbon, nitrogen, or a combination thereof.

An electrode heat treatment device and associated method for fabricating an electrode are described, and include forming a workpiece, including coating a current collector with a slurry. The workpiece is placed on a first spool, and the first spool including the workpiece is placed in a sealable chamber, wherein the sealable chamber includes the first spool, a heat exchange work space, and a second spool. An inert environment is created in the sealable chamber. The workpiece is subjected to a multi-step continuous heat treatment operation in the inert environment, wherein the multi-step continuous heat treatment operation includes continuously transferring the workpiece through the heat exchange work space between the first spool and the second spool and controlling the heat exchange work space to an elevated temperature.

An antimicrobial material including a substrate and an antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide in and/or on the substrate is described, as well as antimicrobial coating materials and coatings formed therefrom. The antimicrobial material may be constituted in an antimicrobial surface of a surface-presenting substrate, to combat transmission and spread of microbial disease, e.g., disease mediated by microbial pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide as described may be contacted with microorganisms to effect inactivation thereof.

A process for manufacturing continuous ceramic tape includes steps of heating a ceramic feedstock to a molten state and spraying molten droplets of the feedstock onto a deposition surface. The method further includes forming a ceramic coating on the deposition surface by accumulating the droplets, which solidify and are directly bonded to one another. The deposition surface is non-stick with respect to the ceramic coating such that the coating may be peeled off of the deposition surface as a continuous ceramic tape, without fracture. Additionally, in embodiments, the deposition surface is removed by running the deposition over a bending edge, chemically stripping or dissolving the deposition surface, or burning the deposition surface.

To form, on a ceramic member or a metal member, a thermal spray ceramic coating film which achieves both the quality of a ceramic coating film and gas barrier property, and with which a composite oxide having a melting point lower than the ambient temperature will not form when used as a coating film on a ceramic member or a metal member constituting a glass article manufacturing apparatus. A ceramic coating film-provided member comprising a ceramic member or a metal member and a thermal spray ceramic coating film formed on at least a part of the surface of the ceramic member or the metal member, wherein the thermal spray ceramic coating film contains Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and 12CaO.7Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and the weight ratio of CaO to Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (CaO/Al.sub.2O.sub.3) is more than 0.11 to 0.50.

Provided are pre-sintered and sintered zirconia dental ceramic materials. The materials have a gradient in yttria content. The materials may have a gradient in one or more physical/mechanical property and/or one or more optical property. The materials may be made by mixing at least two zirconia ceramic powders having different yttria content. A sintered zirconia dental ceramic material may be in the form of a dental article.

Provided are a high-entropy carbide ceramic, a rare earth-containing high-entropy carbide ceramic, fibers thereof, precursors thereof, and preparation methods thereof. The precursor includes at least four elements selected from Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W, with each metal element accounting for 5-35% of the total molar quantity of metal elements in the precursor. The rare earth-containing high-entropy carbide ceramic precursor includes at least four transition metal elements and at least one rare-earth metal element. The high-entropy ceramic is a single-crystal-phase high-performance ceramic prepared from the precursor, with each element being homogenously distributed at molecular level. The method for preparing the high-entropy ceramic fiber includes uniformly mixing high-entropy carbide ceramic precursor containing target metal elements with spinning aid and solvent to prepare a spinnable precursor solution, followed by spinning, pyrolyzation, and high-temperature solid solution to prepare the high-entropy carbide ceramic fiber.

Ultra-lightweight aerogels and methods for fabricating such aerogels from ammonia borane and a support structure, where the support structure is either two-dimensional nanostructures, or hydrocarbon polymer colloids. The components are mixed, then annealed. The properties of the disclosed aerogels can be tuned by controlling the ratio between the support structure and the ammonia borane, or by infiltrating the aerogels with additives.

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials are a desired solution for lightweight and high temperature applications. CMC materials can be reinforced with polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) fibers, which advantageously possess intrinsic thermal stability and high mechanical strength. Carbon-rich SiOC and SiOCN fibers were synthesized via hand-drawing and electrospinning polymer pyrolysis of a hybrid precursor materials with the aid of a spinning reagent. The prepared fibers are crosslinked and pyrolyzed for polymer-to-ceramic conversion.

This invention provides resin formulations which may be used for 3D printing and pyrolyzing to produce a ceramic matrix composite. The resin formulations contain a solid-phase filler, to provide high thermal stability and mechanical strength (e.g., fracture toughness) in the final ceramic material. The invention provides direct, free-form 3D printing of a preceramic polymer loaded with a solid-phase filler, followed by converting the preceramic polymer to a 3D-printed ceramic matrix composite with potentially complex 3D shapes or in the form of large parts. Other variations provide active solid-phase functional additives as solid-phase fillers, to perform or enhance at least one chemical, physical, mechanical, or electrical function within the ceramic structure as it is being formed as well as in the final structure. Solid-phase functional additives actively improve the final ceramic structure through one or more changes actively induced by the additives during pyrolysis or other thermal treatment.