Provided are a composite material that has lower volume resistivity in comparison with SiC, SiC—Si, and the like, which are materials for forming constituent elements of an EHC, has low temperature dependence of volume resistivity, and thus is able to form a constituent element of a high-performance EHC; an electrode film, an electrode terminal, and a honeycomb substrate that are constituent elements of an EHC formed with such composite material, and a method for producing them. The composite material contains MoSi.sub.2 and at least one of Si or SiC, and is a material for forming a constituent element of an electrically heated catalytic converter. An electrode film 2, an electrode terminal 3, and a substrate 1 are produced from such composite material.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

At least partial substitution of zirconium by hafnium in ion-conducting zirconium-based ceramics provides enhanced chemical stability in alkaline and acid environments.

Process for preparing a porous monolith comprising between 10% and 100% by weight of a semiconductor relative to the total weight of the porous monolith, which process comprises the following steps: a) a first aqueous suspension containing polymer particles is prepared; b) a second aqueous suspension containing particles of least one inorganic semiconductor is prepared; c) the two aqueous suspensions prepared in steps a) and b) are mixed in order to obtain a paste; d) a heat treatment of the paste obtained in step c) is carried out in order to obtain the monolith with multimodal porosity.

Provided herein are methods for making a freeze-cast material having a internal structure, the methods comprising steps of: determining the internal structure of the material, the internal structure having a plurality of pores, wherein: each of the plurality of pores has directionality; and the step of determining comprises: selecting a temperature gradient and a freezing front velocity to obtain the determined internal structure based on the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity; directionally freezing a liquid formulation to form a frozen solid, the step of directionally freezing comprising: controlling the temperature gradient and the freezing front velocity to match the selected temperature gradient and the selected freezing front velocity during directionally freezing; wherein the liquid formulation comprises at least one solvent and at least one dispersed species; and subliming the at least one solvent out of the frozen solid to form the material.

electrically conductive honeycomb body that includes a porous honeycomb structure including a plurality of intersecting porous walls arranged to provide a matrix of cells, the porous walls including wall surfaces that define a plurality of channels extending from an inlet end to an outlet end of the structure. The porous walls include ceramic composite material that includes at least one carbide phase and at least one silicide phase, each carbide and silicide phase including one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Si, Mo, Ti, Zr and W.

Cured cements, cement slurries, and methods of making cured cement and methods of using cement slurries are provided. The method of making a cured cement comprising: synthesizing nanomaterials via chemical vapor deposition on at least one of cement particles or cement additive particles to form nanomaterial particles, adding the nanomaterial particles to a cement slurry to form a modified cement slurry, and curing the modified cement slurry to form a cured cement, in which the nanomaterials are interconnected and form a conductive web within the cured cement.

An electrical grounding assembly includes an electrically conductive metal grounding plate, and a corrosion-protective jacket enclosing the grounding plate. The jacket is electrically conductive and water impermeable. The electrical grounding assembly further includes an electrically conductive line having a first end in electrical contact with the grounding plate and enclosed in the jacket, and an opposed second end outside of the jacket for connection to a structure to be electrically grounded.

A method of sealing propagating cracks in a sensor-laden cement sheath comprising the steps of monitoring an electrical resistivity of the sensor-laden cement sheath to produce a measured value, wherein the sensor-laden cement sheath comprises a conductive sensor, an on-demand expanding agent, and a cement, activating a heat source when the measured value of the electrical resistivity is greater than an activation threshold, increasing a temperature of the sensor-laden cement sheath with the heat source to an activation temperature, wherein the activation temperature is operable to initiate a reaction between the on-demand expanding agent and water, wherein the activation temperature is greater than a formation temperature, reacting the on-demand expanding agent with water to produce a swelled agent, wherein the swelled agent occupies a greater volume than the on-demand expanding agent, and sealing the propagating cracks in the sensor-laden cement sheath with the swelled agent.

A multifunctional cement additive includes a biochelant and a solvent. The biochelant includes a sodium glucarate liquid oxidation product including predominantly gluconate and glucarate anions with minor component species of n-keto-acids and C.sub.2-C.sub.5 diacids. A cement composition includes (i) a cementitious material and (ii) a biochelant, and (iii) a solvent. The biochelant includes a sodium glucarate liquid oxidation product including predominantly gluconate and glucarate anions with minor component species of n-keto-acids and C.sub.2-C.sub.5 diacids.