Abstract: Method for forming large-dimension ceramic tiles comprising the following operative stages: feeding a determined quantity of powders into the mould cavity of a first pressing station; pressing said quantity of powders to obtain a slab of congruent material the thickness of which is reduced by a quantity between 20 and 40%; feeding said slab to at least one decorating station which deposits in a controlled manner at least a second layer of powders; feeding said decorated slab to a second pressing station; pressing the decorated slab.

Abstract: A description is given of a filling level measuring device operating with microwaves, having a housing and an insert composed of a dielectric, and of a process for producing the dielectric, in which the dielectric constant of the insert is adjustable and in which the insert has a high chemical resistance and a mechanical strength adequate for industrial applications. The dielectric is a composite material composed of a fluoroplastic, in particular polytetrafluoroethylene, and ceramic and is produced by mixing powdered ceramic and powdered fluoroplastic, drying the mixture, pressing the mixture and sintering the pressed mixture.

Abstract: A method for domain patterning of nonlinear ferroelectric materials. The method seeks to reduce the formation of random and spontaneous micro-domains that typically result during thermal cycling of ferroelectric materials and which leads to patterning defects and degraded performance. In accordance with the invention, a ferroelectric wafer is provided with a conductive layer on the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer. A sufficient bias voltage is applied across the conductive layers to polarize the wafer into a single direction. At least one of the conductive layers is selectively patterned to form a conductive domain template. A sufficient revise bias voltage is then applied to the conductive domain template and a remaining conductive layer to produce the domain patterned structure. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ferroelectric wafer is formed of LiNbO3 or LiTaO3.

Abstract: A process for making an alkaline resistant material comprises the steps of grinding together 0-40% light magnesia, 0-80% roasted magnesia, 10-54% ceramic clay, 0-9% limestone, 1-4% water glass, 0-1.5% carboxymethyl cellusolve, 0-27% talc, 0-3% calcium or barium carbonate to a particle size of less than 50 microns, mixing the ground mixture with water to produce a paste containing <23% wt. water, shaping the paste to a desired shape, drying the shaped product at a temperature of 110 degrees Centigrade, and firing the dried shaped product in a kiln at 1350 degrees Centigrade. The resulting alkali resistant ceramic contains 25-76 wt % MgO, 13-47% SiO2, 5-20 wt % Al2O3, and 1-10 wt % Fe2O3, CaO, K2O, and/or Na2O, with forsterite and spinel being the dominant crystalline phases.

Abstract: A method of production of a dielectric ceramic composition having at least a main component of Ba2TiO3, a second subcomponent including at least one compound selected from SiO2, MO (where M is at least one element selected from Ba, Ca, Sr, and Mg), Li2O, and B2O3, and other subcomponents, comprising the step of: mixing in said main component at least part of other subcomponents except for said second subcomponent to prepare a pre-calcination powder, calcining the pre-calcination powder to prepare a calcined powder, and mixing at least said second subcomponent in said calcined powder to obtain the dielectric ceramic composition having molar ratios of the subcomponents to the main component of predetermined ratios. As the other subcomponents, there is a third subcomponent including at least one compound selected from V2O5, MoO3, and WO3. A ratio of the third subcomponent to 100 moles of the main component is preferably 0.01 to 0.1 mole.

Abstract: A sputtering target is provided that includes SiC and metallic Si and has an atomic ratio of C to Si of from 0.5 to 0.95 and a density of from 2.75×103 kg/m3 to 3.1×103 kg/m3. The sputtering target is capable of forming at high speed a film that contains SiO2 as the main component and has a low refractive index. The sputtering target can be produced by a process in which a molded product of SiC is impregnated with molten Si.

Abstract: Crack-free alumina honeycombs are made by comminuting anhydrous aluminum oxide powder, blending and mulling the powder with an aluminum oxide or aluminum hydroxide permanent binder, a polymeric aluminum salt, a temporary binder, an aqueous acidic peptizing agent, and water, and thereafter homogenizing, extruding, drying and firing the extrudate to form the crack-free honeycomb.

Abstract: Processes for mechanically fabricating two and three-dimensional fibrous monolith composites include preparing a fibrous monolith filament from a core composition of a first powder material and a boundary material of a second powder material. The filament includes a first portion of the core composition surrounded by a second portion of the boundary composition. One or more filaments are extruded through a mechanically-controlled deposition nozzle onto a working surface to create a fibrous monolith composite object. The objects may be formed directly from computer models and have complex geometries.

Abstract: A method of forming substantially spherical ceramic beads that includes conveying an aqueous ceramic slurry to a nozzle tip that is immersed in an inert water-immiscible fluid layer. The nozzle tip is spaced a predetermined distance away from a rotating disk that is also immersed in the immiscible fluid layer. The rotating disk creates a shear force that at the nozzle tip that dislodges droplets of the aqueous ceramic slurry from the nozzle tip into the immiscible fluid layer. Once dislodged, the droplets assume a substantially spherical shape and a substantially mono-modal size distribution. The droplets are permitted to pass from the immiscible fluid layer into an aqueous gelling solution wherein the droplets are converted into rigid beads. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rigid beads are recovered from the gelling solution, washed, and then sintered to obtain a density of greater than about 98% of theoretical density and a sphericity of greater than about 0.95.

Abstract: A process for producing a ceramic structure, which comprises adding an organic assistant to a ceramic raw material mixture, kneading them to obtain a readily formable bullet, and extruding the readily formable bullet to obtain a ceramic structure, wherein the organic assistant is composed mainly of an organic compound giving a haze of 10 to 90% when made into a 5 weight % aqueous dispersion. According to the process, the load to the extruder is small and a ceramic structure can be produced at high shapability and a high productivity.

Abstract: A deposition system for depositing a chemical vapor onto a workpiece, including a deposition chamber having a plurality of components for performing chemical vapor deposition on the workpiece. The deposition chamber includes an inner skin made of Hasteloy for sealing the plurality of components and the workpiece from the air surrounding the deposition system, and an outer skin that encloses the inner skin and is separated from the inner skin by an air gap. The outer skin includes vents that create a convection current in the air gap between the inner skin and outer skin of the deposition chamber. The deposition system also has a gas panel for regulating the flow of gases and vapors into the deposition chamber, and a computer for controlling operation of the gas panel and the components in the deposition chamber.

Abstract: An molded product of activated carbon produced by molding a kneaded mixture containing an activated carbon, a solvent, and a phenol-aldehyde type resin being solid in a normal temperature and containing 50 to 95% by weight of components soluble in the solvent used, drying and curing the molding, and then carbonizing the molding in an inert gas has a high adsorption capability and a high mechanical strength, e.g., a compressive strength, especially the strength after being contacted with an acid or water.

Abstract: A special tile (1) is created from a basic standard tile and includes a front surface (3) with the decoration and finish determined in the basic tile manufacturer's plant. At least one edge (5a, 5b) is chamfered, bevelled or rounded in order to define a worked profile, preferablyh with a “bird's beak (4)”. The work profile (4) is painted cold with, for example, a double component or solvent based painting product, to obtain a finish which is generally similar to or co-ordinated with the finish and decoration of the front surface. The painting is preferably carried out by means of an apparatus with a manual airbrush, which is preceded by the application of a primer which acts as a fixative. After the application of the primer and the painting product, the special tile (1) is kept in a resting position for a pre-determined period of time in an environment with a controlled temperature or it is brought up to tone using a pigmented primer.

Abstract: Colloidal isopressing provides a rapid method to form an engineering shape from a powder slurry, previously filtered to remove strength degrading inclusions. A slurry composed of a weakly attractive particle network, produced with a short-range, repulsive interparticle par potential, is consolidated to make a body with a high particle density that is easily fluidized by vibration. The fluid-like body is injected into a flexible mold and subjected to a larger isostatic pressure to force particles into contact. This creates a strong, elastic body with the shape of the mold. Because the particles are forced into contact at a high pressure, the liquid remaining within the component can be removed by evaporation without shrinkage, avoiding fracture during rapid drying.

Abstract: A method of removing substantially all of the volatile component in a green, volatile-containing ceramic article is disclosed. The method comprises freezing the ceramic article; and then subjecting the frozen article to a vacuum for a sufficient time to freeze-dry the article. Frequently, the article is heated while being freeze-dried. Use of this method efficiently reduces the propensity for any warpage of the article. The article is often formed from a ceramic slurry in a gel-casting process. A method for fabricating a ceramic core used in investment casting is also described.

Abstract: A method of producing a cordierite ceramic honeycomb including the steps of: preparing raw materials becoming cordierite and forming agents; adding the forming agents into the raw materials for cordierite generation; mixing the forming agents and the raw materials to obtain a raw material batch; extruding the raw material batch to obtain a formed body; drying the formed body; and sintering the formed body after drying; so as to obtain a honeycomb structural body having a cordierite crystal phase as a main ingredient. In this method, at the sintering step, a temperature descending rate at least from a maximum temperature to 1300° C. is not larger than 100° C./hour.

Abstract: A method for dry process recycling of mixed (U,Pu)O2 oxide nuclear fuel waste, including a process for making fuel pellets of mixed (U,Pu)O2 oxide, including a dosage and a first mixture (1) of waste in powder form and, if required, of PuO2 and/or UO2 powders, a micronization (2) and a forced sieving (3) of said first mixture, another dosage and a second mixture (4) of the first sieved mixture, of UO2 powders and, if necessary, of the waste powder, pelletizing (6) the second mixture, and sintering (7) the resulting pellets; and a process for pre-treating the waste including pelletizing (20) and sintering (21) the powder waste to form waste pellets, and micronizing (23) the waste pellets to form the desired waste powder designed to be incorporated as waste powder, in the first (1) and/or second mixtures.

Abstract: Ultrasmall, complex-shaped high-precision micromolds are produced by controlled shrinkage upon sintering of green parts molded from mixtures of micrometer- or nanometer-sized particulates dispersed in an organic binder.

Abstract: A method of producing ceramic greenware, in particular a ceramic green film, having a ceramic powder component as the main ingredient and at least one organic solvent-free component as a secondary ingredient. To do so, the ceramic powder component is processed with the organic components initially to yield a highly viscous, solvent-free starting material which is then shaped by an extruder to form the greenware or green film.

Abstract: A process for producing a SiC ceramic microtube by oxidizing the surface of an organosilicon polymer to become infusible by exposure to an ionizing radiation, extracting the uncrosslinked central portion of the fiber with an organic solvent to make a hollow silicon polymer fiber, and firing it in an inert gas so that it acquires a ceramic nature.