A ceramic electronic component includes a body, including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of dielectric grains, and at least one of the plurality of dielectric grains has a core-dual shell structure having a core and a dual shell. The dual shell includes a first shell, surrounding at least a portion of the core, and a second shell, surrounding at least a portion of the first shell. The dual shell includes different types of rare earth elements R1 and R2, and R2.sub.S1/R1.sub.S1 is 0.01 or less and R2.sub.S2/R1.sub.S1 is 0.5 to 3.0, where R1.sub.S1 and R1.sub.S2 denote concentrations of R1 included in the first shell and the second shell, respectively, and R2.sub.S1 and R2.sub.S2 denote concentrations of R2 included in the first shell and the second shell, respectively.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor (10) has a laminate body (20) constituted by dielectric layers (17) and internal electrode layers (18) stacked alternately. The dielectric layers (17) contain (Ba.sub.(1-x-y)Ca.sub.xSr.sub.y).sub.m(Ti.sub.(1-z)Zr.sub.z)O.sub.3, where 0.03≤x≤0.16, 0≤y≤0.02, 0<z≤0.02, 0.99≤m≤1.02, as a primary component, and an R oxide (R is a rare earth element) by 1.0 to 4.0 mol in equivalent element, an Mg compound by 0.2 to 2.5 mol in equivalent element, an Mn compound by 0.1 to 1.0 mol in equivalent element, a Zr compound by 0.1 to 2.0 mol in equivalent element, a V compound by 0.05 to 0.3 mol in equivalent element, and an Si compound by 0.2 to 5.0 mol in equivalent element, per 100 mol of the primary component. The multilayer ceramic capacitor can offer excellent DC bias properties and ensure high reliability.

A multilayer electronic component includes a multilayer body including dielectric layers and inner electrode layers, the multilayer body including an electrode facing portion in which the inner electrode layers are laminated to face each other with the dielectric layers interposed therebetween. The multilayer body has a thickness of at least about 1.5 mm in a lamination direction, a length of at least about 3.0 mm, and a width of at least about 1.5 mm. Each of the dielectric layers includes Ba, Ti, and Cl. A Cl concentration C.sub.1 in the entire electrode facing portion satisfies about 10 wtppm<C.sub.1<about 50 wtppm. On an imaginary central axis line, a Cl concentration C.sub.2 in a central portion of the electrode facing portion and a Cl concentration C.sub.3 in both end portions of the electrode facing portion satisfy about 0.5C.sub.2≤C.sub.3<C.sub.2.

A capacitor component includes: a body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode layer; and an external electrode disposed on the body, and connected to the internal electrode layer. A surface color of the body is R≤30, G≤30, B≤40 based on R/G/B, and a dielectric constant of the dielectric layer is 2000 or more and 4000 or less.

A method of producing a dielectric material by preparing a slurry by mixing a dielectric powder, water, one of an organic-acid metal salt and an inorganic metal salt, and an organic silicon compound, causing the slurry to come into contact with an anion exchange resin to remove an anion derived from the one of the organic-acid metal salt and the inorganic metal salt from the slurry, and drying the slurry to obtain the dielectric material.

A ceramic electronic device includes a multilayer chip in which a plurality of dielectric layers of which a main component is ceramic and a plurality of internal electrode layers are stacked. The plurality of internal electrode layers include Ni, Sn and Au.

The present invention provides a polyvinyl acetal resin which leaves less fine undissolved matter when dissolved in an organic solvent and thus can improve productivity particularly when used as a binder for a ceramic green sheet, and which can also provide a ceramic green sheet having excellent toughness and enables production of a highly reliable multilayer ceramic capacitor. Provided is a polyvinyl acetal resin having: a wavenumber A (cm.sup.−1) of a peak within a range of 3,100 to 3,700 cm.sup.−1 in an IR absorption spectrum measured using an infrared spectrophotometer; and a hydroxy group content (mol %), the wavenumber A of the peak and the hydroxy group content satisfying relations of the following formulas (1) and (2):

[(3,470−A)/Hydroxy group content]≤5.5  (1)

(3,470−A)≤185  (2)

wherein A is a wavenumber which is lower than 3,470 cm.sup.−1 and at which a transmittance a (%) satisfying [100−(100−X)/2] is exhibited, where X (%) is a minimum transmittance of the peak within the wavenumber range of 3,100 to 3,700 cm.sup.−1.

A dielectric material includes a main component represented by (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3, (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-ySn.sub.y)O.sub.3, or (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-yHf.sub.y)O.sub.3 (0≤x≤1 and 0≤y≤0.05) and a subcomponent. When an angle corresponding to a maximum peak is referred to as θ.sub.0 and angles corresponding to a full width at half maximum (FWHM) are respectively referred to as θ.sub.1 and θ.sub.2 (θ1<θ2) in the peaks of (002) and (200) plane of an x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern using Cu Kα1 radiation (wavelength Δ=1.5406 Å), (θ.sub.2−θ.sub.0)/(θ.sub.0−θ.sub.1) is greater than 0.54 to 1.0 or less.

A dielectric material includes a main component represented by (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3, (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-ySn.sub.y)O.sub.3, or (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x)(Ti.sub.1-yHf.sub.y)O.sub.3 (0≤x≤1 and 0≤y≤0.05) and a subcomponent. When an angle corresponding to a maximum peak is referred to as θ.sub.0 and angles corresponding to a full width at half maximum (FWHM) are respectively referred to as θ.sub.1 and θ.sub.2 (θ1<θ2) in the peaks of (002) and (200) plane of an x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern using Cu Kα1 radiation (wavelength Δ=1.5406 Å), (θ.sub.2−θ.sub.0)/(θ.sub.0−θ.sub.1) is greater than 0.54 to 1.0 or less.

A ceramic electronic component includes a body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode, and an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of dielectric grains, and at least one of the plurality of dielectric grains has a core-dual shell structure having a core and a dual shell. The dual shell includes a first shell surrounding at least a portion of the core, and a second shell surrounding at least a portion of the first shell, and a concentration of a rare earth element included in the second shell is more than 1.3 times to less than 3.8 times a concentration of a rare earth element included in the first shell.