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.

To provide a zirconia sintered body having both excellent translucency and bending strength, specifically a zirconia sintered body having both translucency and strength suitable as a denture for front tooth, and a process for its production. A translucent zirconia sintered body containing more than 4.0 mol % and at most 6.5 mol % of yttria and less than 0.1 wt % of alumina, and having a relative density of at least 99.82%, a total light transmittance of at least 37% and less than 40% to light with a wavelength of 600 nm at a thickness of 1.0 mm, and a bending strength of at least 500 MPa, and a process for its production.

A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional fired body includes (a) a step of producing a shaping mold using an organic material, the shaping mold having a shaping space which has the same shape as a shaped body having a hollow portion that opens to an outer surface thereof, in which a core corresponding to the hollow portion is integrated with the shaping mold; (b) a step of producing the shaped body in the shaping mold by pouring a ceramic slurry into the shaping space and solidifying the ceramic slurry; (c) a step of drying and then degreasing the shaped body, in which the shaping mold is eliminated in any one of the following stages: before drying, during drying, after drying and before degreasing, during degreasing, and after degreasing of the shaped body; and (d) a step of firing the shaped body to obtain a three-dimensional fired body.

A semiconductor ceramic composition which is a BaTiO.sub.3 based semiconductor ceramic composition, wherein, part of Ba is replaced by at least A (at least one alkali metal element selected from Na and K), Bi and RE (at least one element selected from rare earth elements including Y), and part of Ti is replaced by at least TM (at least one element selected from the group including of V, Nb and Ta), the relationships of 0.7≦{(the content of Bi)/(the content of A)}≦1.43, 0.017≦{(the content of Bi)+(the content of A)}≦0.25, and 0<{(the content of RE)+(the content of TM)}≦0.01 are satisfied when the total content of Ti and TM is set as 1 mol, the grain sizes have a maximum peak in a grain size distribution in a range of 1.1 μm to 4.0 μm or less, and the distribution frequency of the peak is 20% or more.

Low-carbon monolithic refractories are provided. Methods of manufacturing glass employing low-carbon monolithic refractories are also provided. Methods and apparatuses for glass manufacture for reducing the formation of carbon dioxide blisters during glass manufacture are also provided.

An elongate shaped abrasive particle comprises an elongate shaped ceramic body having opposed first and second ends joined to each other by at least two longitudinal sidewalls. At least one of the at least two longitudinal sidewalls is concave along its length. At least one of the first and second ends is a fractured surface. Methods of making elongate shaped abrasive particles and abrasive articles including them are also disclosed.

A process for producing a refractory material for use in the superstructure of glass melting tanks contains, as main components, SiO.sub.2, SiC and a binder or binder mixture. A particulate substance, which in the spectral range from 1 μm to 5 μm and at temperatures above 1000° C. has a spectral emission capability which is higher than the spectral emission capability of the matrix of the refractory material, is incorporated into the matrix of the refractory material. A method of increasing the spectral emissivity of shaped, fired, refractory materials, is also provided.

A production method for a ceramic matrix composite is comprised of: compounding an aggregate powder including a ceramic and a binder including at least one of thermoplastic resins and waxes to form a composition of the aggregate powder and the binder; pressing the composition to form sheets; accumulating fabrics of reinforcement fibers including the ceramic and the sheets alternately; pressing an accumulated body of the fabrics and the sheets; and generating a matrix combining the reinforcement fibers together.

A nitrogen-containing porous carbon material, and a capacitor and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A carbon material, a macromolecular material and a modified material are mixed into a preform. The modified material includes nitrogen. A formation process is performed on the preform to obtain a formed object. High-temperature sintering is performed on the formed object to decompose and remove a part of the macromolecular material, while the other part of the macromolecular material and the carbon material together form a backbone structure including a plurality of pores. As such, the nitrogen becomes attached to the backbone structure to form a hydrogen-containing functional group to further obtain the nitrogen-containing porous carbon material. The nitrogen-containing porous carbon material may form a first nitrogen-containing porous carbon plate and a second nitrogen-containing porous carbon plate, which are placed in seawater to form a storage capacitor for seawater.

A second mold is placed on a planar surface of a first mold to form a first mold cavity, which is filled with a first material slurry containing a first material powder and the molded slurry is caused to set, thereby forming a first molded part on the planar surface of the first mold. A third mold is placed on the planar surface of the first mold from which the second mold is removed and on which the first molded part is formed, thereby forming a second mold cavity. The second mold cavity is filled with a second material slurry which contains a second material powder different from the first material powder so as to mold the slurry in contact with the first molded part. The molded slurry is caused to set, thereby forming a second molded part on the planar surface of the first mold.