A composite fiber composed of at least a metal sintered body and a ceramic sintered body. In the composite fiber, the metal sintered body and the ceramic sintered body are adjacent to each other. The composite fiber having the metal sintered body and the ceramic sintered body can have a tensile strength of 5 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more.

A mould for manufacturing a packing member from a liquid ceramic composition. The mould including a first part and a second part, in which the first and/or second mould parts are resiliently deformable and the first part and/or the second part include a plurality of open mould cavities. The first and second parts are operable to engage to form closed mould cavities, and the mould is operable to be moved from an open position in which the first and second parts are partially spaced by the deformation of a mould part and in which position mould cavities are open, to a partially closed position by reducing the deformation of the mould part and in which position some of the mould cavities are closed, and then to a closed position by further reducing the deformation of the mould part and in which position the first and second parts are engaged such that the mould cavities are closed.

A mould for manufacturing a packing member from a liquid ceramic composition. The mould including a first part and a second part, in which the first and/or second mould parts are resiliently deformable and the first part and/or the second part include a plurality of open mould cavities. The first and second parts are operable to engage to form closed mould cavities, and the mould is operable to be moved from an open position in which the first and second parts are partially spaced by the deformation of a mould part and in which position mould cavities are open, to a partially closed position by reducing the deformation of the mould part and in which position some of the mould cavities are closed, and then to a closed position by further reducing the deformation of the mould part and in which position the first and second parts are engaged such that the mould cavities are closed.

A decorative article (100) having an observed colour effect that is changeable depending on observer (200) viewing angle, the article comprising: a decorative element (110) comprising a front side (114) facing a forward direction and a back side (112) opposite the front side facing a rearward direction, wherein the back side comprises a back surface (113) having a first region (122) and a second region (124) surrounding the first region; a first coating (132) arranged on the first region of the back surface, the first coating causing a first colour effect (102); and a second coating (134) arranged on the second region of the back surface, the second coating causing a second colour effect (104) that differs from the first colour effect.

A decorative article (100) having an observed colour effect that is changeable depending on observer (200) viewing angle, the article comprising: a decorative element (110) comprising a front side (114) facing a forward direction and a back side (112) opposite the front side facing a rearward direction, wherein the back side comprises a back surface (113) having a first region (122) and a second region (124) surrounding the first region; a first coating (132) arranged on the first region of the back surface, the first coating causing a first colour effect (102); and a second coating (134) arranged on the second region of the back surface, the second coating causing a second colour effect (104) that differs from the first colour effect.

A heating element and method for fabricating the same includes: a heating material piece configured to generate heat when being powered. A first substrate is configured to support the heating material piece and a liquid guiding member is configured to guide an atomizing liquid to be heated. The first substrate is a substrate made of a dense material and the heating material piece is a film with a certain resistance formed by a resistive slurry fixed on a surface of the dense material substrate by at least one selected from printing, coating, soaking and spraying. Two wires are electrically connected to the first substrate to form electrodes that are respectively connected to two ends of the film with a certain resistance. The liquid guiding member is a member made of a microporous material fixed outside the first substrate and the heating material piece.

A coating is formed on a surface of a base material of a furnace, and includes a base layer and a sliding material layer that is formed on a surface of the base layer and contains an oxide ceramic and a compound having a layered crystal structure. The sliding material layer causes the collided ashes to be slipped and facilitates the drop off of the adhered ashes. The base material forms a heat transfer tube or a wall surface of the furnace. The coating is also applied to a coal gasification furnace, a pulverized coal fired boiler, a combustion apparatus, or a reaction apparatus containing a furnace.

A coating is formed on a surface of a base material of a furnace, and includes a base layer and a sliding material layer that is formed on a surface of the base layer and contains an oxide ceramic and a compound having a layered crystal structure. The sliding material layer causes the collided ashes to be slipped and facilitates the drop off of the adhered ashes. The base material forms a heat transfer tube or a wall surface of the furnace. The coating is also applied to a coal gasification furnace, a pulverized coal fired boiler, a combustion apparatus, or a reaction apparatus containing a furnace.

Among two main surfaces of a heat dissipation member, one main surface is curved to be convex in an outward direction and the other convex in an inward direction. When a straight line passing through both endpoints P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 of the curve is l.sub.1, a point at which a distance to l.sub.1 on the curve is maximum is P.sub.max, an intersection point between l.sub.1 and a perpendicular drawn from P.sub.max to l.sub.1 is P.sub.3, a middle point of a line segment P.sub.1P.sub.3 is P.sub.4, an intersection point between the curve and a straight line that passes through P.sub.4 and is perpendicular to l.sub.1 is P.sub.mid, a length of the line segment P.sub.1P.sub.3 is L, a length of a line segment P.sub.3P.sub.max is H, and a length of a line segment P.sub.4P.sub.max is h, (2 h/L)/(H/L) is 1.1 or more.

Among two main surfaces of a heat dissipation member, one main surface is curved to be convex in an outward direction and the other convex in an inward direction. When a straight line passing through both endpoints P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 of the curve is l.sub.1, a point at which a distance to l.sub.1 on the curve is maximum is P.sub.max, an intersection point between l.sub.1 and a perpendicular drawn from P.sub.max to l.sub.1 is P.sub.3, a middle point of a line segment P.sub.1P.sub.3 is P.sub.4, an intersection point between the curve and a straight line that passes through P.sub.4 and is perpendicular to l.sub.1 is P.sub.mid, a length of the line segment P.sub.1P.sub.3 is L, a length of a line segment P.sub.3P.sub.max is H, and a length of a line segment P.sub.4P.sub.max is h, (2 h/L)/(H/L) is 1.1 or more.