Abstract: Disclosed is a ceramic foam material and process for making same having superior strength and chemical durability properties wherein the impregnated foam impregnated with a phosphate bonded ceramic is fired at an elevated temperature so as to produce a ceramic body substantially free of phosphate and having individual grains of ceramic tightly coalesced to minimize porosity between the grains.

Abstract: A thick resist layer is formed on a thin metal film and the resist layer is dry-etched by using an SiO.sub.2 mask formed selectively on the resist layer, and a thick wiring metal layer is formed by plating method with using the dry-etched resist layer, which has perpendicular side walls as a mask, thereby to form a low resistance and fine-patterned wiring metal layer.

Abstract: By hydrolyzing an organoalkoysilane monomer at high concentration in solution to form a silanol, allowing the silanol to age to produce a low molecular weight oligomer, spin-applying the oligomer onto a substrate to form a discrete film of highly associated cyclic oligomer thereon, heat treating the oligomer film to form a modified ladder-type silsesquioxane condensation polymer, and then oxidizing the silsesquioxane in an O.sub.2 RIE, an organoglass is formed which presents novel etch properties. The organoglass can be used as an etch-stop layer in a passivation process.

Abstract: An apparatus used in the pretreatment of wood chips in a process for converting biomass to a liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel. The apparatus functions to break down the wood chips to a size distribution that can be readily handled in a slurry form. Low maintenance operation is obtained by hydrolyzing the chips in a pressure vessel having no moving parts.