A method for forming a sintered composition includes providing a slurry precursor including a chalcogenide compound; tape casting the slurry precursor to form a green tape; and sintering the green tape at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1350° C. for a time in a range of less than 60 min. An energy device includes a first sintered, non-polished electrode having a first surface and a second surface; a first current collector disposed on the first surface of the first electrode; an electrolyte layer disposed on the second surface of the first electrode; and a second electrode disposed on the electrolyte layer.

A ceramic member includes a matrix phase of a perovskite compound including La, Ca, and Mn, and a heterophase including Mn and O as main components, wherein crystal grains of the perovskite compound have an average grain size of about 2.5 μm or more and about 6.4 μm or less.

A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.

In additive manufacturing operations, powders used in stereolithographic processes need to be precisely spread out in a uniform fashion at every pass of the stereolithographic process to ensure predictability in powder surface morphology. Typically, this is difficult to achieve with conventional powders because often these powders suffer from poor flowability, which may further deteriorate over time, and impairs the efficiency of the stereolithographic processes. The present disclosure describes additive manufacturing powders having improved physical characteristics such as flowability and tap density, which are less sensitive or insensitive to ambient humidity. For example, there is described a powder that includes spherical particles having a particle size distribution of less than 1000 micrometers and having a measurable flowability as determined in accordance with ASTM B213 at 75% relative humidity.

A ceramic member includes a perovskite compound including La, Ca, Mn, and Ti as main components, wherein the amount of Ti is about 5 parts by mole or more and about 20 parts by mole or less, the amount of Ca is about 10 parts by mole or more and about 27 parts by mole or less, and the total amount of La and Ca is about 85 parts by mole or more and about 97 parts by mole or less based on the total amount of Mn and Ti of 100 parts by mole.

A fuel cell system component ink includes a fuel cell system component powder, a solvent including propylene carbonate (PC), and a binder including polypropylene carbonate (PPC).

A composite structure including a conductor region that is configured from a first oxide, and an insulator region that is configured from a second oxide and that surrounds the conductor region, wherein the first oxide and the second oxide are in hetero structure with each other. A powder and a fired body each having such a composite structure are also preferable.

A die or piston of a spark plasma sintering apparatus, wherein the die or piston is made from graphite and the outer surfaces of the die or piston are coated with a silicon carbide layer with a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres, the silicon carbide layer being further optionally coated with one or more other layer(s) made from a carbide other than silicon carbide chosen from hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide and titanium carbide, the other layer(s) each having a thickness of 1 to 10 micrometres. A spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus comprising the die and two of the pistons, defining a sintering, densification or assembly chamber capable of receiving a powder to be sintered, a part to be densified, or parts to be assembled. A method of sintering a powder, densifying a part, or assembling two parts by means of a method of spark plasma sintering (SPS) in an oxidising atmosphere, using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.

A negative thermal expansion material and a preparation method thereof, and a negative thermal expansion film and a preparation method thereof are provided. The negative thermal expansion material includes Eu.sub.0.85Cu.sub.0.15MnO.sub.3-δ, wherein 0≤δ≤2.

A method to produce a multilayer ceramic electronic component includes forming supports by an ink jet printing method to produce a green multilayer ceramic capacitor. A green ceramic layer and outer electrodes of the multilayer ceramic electronic component are formed by the ink jet printing method while the supports define peripheries of the green ceramic layer and the outer electrodes. When fired, the green multilayer ceramic electronic component is converted to a sintered multilayer ceramic electronic component, and the supports disappear by heating.