A light emitting diode (LED) assembly includes an LED light source having a first light output with a characteristic spectrum and at least one phosphor through which the first light output passes. The phosphor includes the quaternary compound M-Li—Al—O, where M is Ba, Sr, or Ca, activated by Eu.sup.2+ or Ce.sup.3+.

A spinel compound oxide particle includes metallic atoms, aluminum atoms, oxygen atoms, and molybdenum atoms, wherein the metallic atoms are selected from the group consisting of zinc atoms, cobalt atoms, and strontium atoms, and a crystallite size in a [111] plane is 100 nm or more. Included are a step (1) of firing a first mixture including a molybdenum compound and a metallic-atom-containing compound or a first mixture including a molybdenum compound, a metallic-atom-containing compound, and an aluminum compound to prepare an intermediate; and a step (2) of firing, at a temperature higher than a temperature selected in the step (1), a second mixture including the intermediate or a second mixture including the intermediate and an aluminum compound.

The phosphorescent phosphor of the present invention is represented by the composition formula: Sr.sub.1-aMg.sub.bZn.sub.cAl.sub.2O.sub.4;Eu.sub.dM.sub.e wherein a, b, c, d, and e satisfy 0.05a0.8, 0.01b0.1, 0c0.2, 0d0.2, and 0e0.15, respectively, and M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of dysprosium, samarium, lanthanum, praseodymium, terbium, holmium, thulium, lutetium, ytterbium, erbium, gadolinium, neodymium and cerium, and emits light due to excitation light in a wavelength region of 430 to 480 nm.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing crystals of aluminates of one or more element(s) other than aluminium, referred to as A. The method includes: placing starting reagents, including at least one aluminium element source and a source of the element(s) A that has a degree of oxidation of between 1 and 6, in suspension in a liquid medium, forming a suspension referred to as the starting suspension; milling the starting suspension at 50 C., in a three-dimensional liquid medium ball mill for 5 minutes; recovering, at the outlet of the three-dimensional ball mill, a suspension referred to as the end suspension including the starting reagents in activated form or crystals of aluminate of the element(s) A generally in hydrated form; if required, calcination of the end suspension when it includes the starting reagents in activated form, to obtain generally non-hydrated crystals of aluminate of the element(s) A.

A ceramic component, in particular based on zirconia and/or alumina, for a timepiece or jewelry piece, comprising at least one noble metal among platinum, rhodium, osmium, palladium, ruthenium and iridium, at a quantity of less than or equal to 5% by weight.

The invention related to a material that can stably hold an imide anion (NH.sup.2) therein even in the atmosphere or in a solvent, and a method for synthesizing the material and a use of the material. A mayenite-type compound into which imide anions are incorporated at a concentration of 110.sup.18 cm.sup.3 or more are provided. The mayenite-type compound can be produced by heating a mayenite-type compound including electrons or free oxygen ions in a cage thereof, in liquefied ammonia at 450 to 700 C. and at a pressure of 30 to 100 MPa. The compound has properties such that active imide anions can be easily incorporated into the compound and the active imide anions can be easily released in the form of ammonia from the compound, and the compound has chemical stability.

A catalyst carrier may include an aluminate based body and may have a specific surface area of not greater than about 20 m.sup.2/g. The aluminate based body may include a hexaaluminate phase.

A method for making a metal oxide material and catalyzing the oxidative coupling of methane, including mixing a metal cation-containing oxidizer portion and a reducing fuel portion with water to define an aqueous solution, evaporatively removing water from the aqueous solution to yield a concentrated liquid, burning the concentrated liquid yield an homogeneous metal oxide powder, flowing methane from a first source and oxygen from a second source over the homogeneous metal oxide powder, and catalyzing an oxidative coupling of methane reaction with the homogeneous metal oxide powder. The homogeneous metal oxide powder contains metal oxides selected from the group including LaSrAlO.sub.4, LaAlO.sub.3, Sr.sub.3Al.sub.2O.sub.6, Na.sub.2WO.sub.4Mn/SiO.sub.2, and combinations thereof.

The invention related to a material that can stably hold an imide anion (NH.sup.2) therein even in the atmosphere or in a solvent, and a method for synthesizing the material and a use of the material. A mayenite-type compound into which imide anions are incorporated at a concentration of 110.sup.18 cm.sup.3 or more are provided. The mayenite-type compound can be produced by heating a mayenite-type compound including electrons or free oxygen ions in a cage thereof, in liquefied ammonia at 450 to 700 C. and at a pressure of 30 to 100 MPa. The compound has properties such that active imide anions can be easily incorporated into the compound and the active imide anions can be easily released in the form of ammonia from the compound, and the compound has chemical stability.

The invention relates to a strontium aluminate mixed oxide precursor and a method for producing same, as well as to a strontium aluminate mixed oxide and method for producing same. The strontium aluminate mixed oxide precursor can be transformed into a strontium aluminate mixed oxide at relatively low temperature. The strontium aluminate mixed oxide is characterized by substantially spherically-shaped particles with a spongy- or porous bone-like microstructure. A luminescent material including a strontium aluminate mixed oxide is also provided.