Abstract: A current/voltage non-linear resistor comprises a sintered body having a main component of ZnO, an electrode applied to a surface of the sintered body and an insulation material applied to another surface of the sintered body. The main component containing, as auxiliary components, Bi, Co, Mn, Sb, Ni and Al, and the contents of the auxiliary components are respectively expressed as Bi2O3, Co2O3, MnO, Sb2O3, NiO and Al3+, of Bi2O3: 0.3 to 2 mol %, Co2O3: 0.3 to 1.5 mol %, MnO: 0.4 to 6 mol %, Sb2O3: 0.8 to 7 mol %, NiO: 0.5 to 5 mol % and Al3+: 0.001 to 0.02 mol %; a Bi2O3 crystalline phase in the sintered body including an &agr;-Bi2O3 phase representing at least 80% of the total Bi2O3 phase.

Abstract: A current/voltage non-linear resistor comprises a sintered body having a main component of ZnO, an electrode applied to a surface of the sintered body and an insulation material applied to another surface of the sintered body. The main component containing, as auxiliary components, Bi, Co, Mn, Sb, Ni and Al, and the contents of the auxiliary components are respectively expressed as Bi2O3, Co2O3, MnO, Sb2O3, NiO and Al3+, of Bi2O3: 0.3 to 2 mol %, Co2O3: 0.3 to 1.5 mol %, MnO: 0.4 to 6 mol %, Sb2O3: 0.8 to 7 mol %, NiO: 0.5 to 5 mol % and Al3+: 0.001 to 0.02 mol %; a Bi2O3 crystalline phase in the sintered body including an &agr;-Bi2O3 phase representing at least 80% of the total Bi2O3 phase.

Abstract: A voltage non-linear resistor unit is composed of at least one of voltage non-linear resistors which is composed of a columnar sintered body formed by molding and sintering a raw material, the sintered body having both end surfaces having a surface roughness in term of arithmetic average surface roughness Ra of 1 to 2 &mgr;m and being formed with an electrode film layer, a terminal metal fitting formed in a predetermined shape and attached to the voltage non-linear resistor, and a soldering material arranged between the voltage non-linear resistors and between joint surfaces of the voltage non-linear resistor and the terminal metal fitting, the joint surfaces being joined by heating the soldering material and applying a load vertically to the joint surfaces while giving a rotation motion thereto. Such voltage non-linear resistor is effectively assembled into an arrester.

Abstract: A sintered body which can be formed into a resistor having a non-linear resistance includes zinc oxide is the principal composition and bismuth, cobalt, antimony, manganese and nickel respectively converted to expressed Bi2O3, Co2O3, Sb2O3, MnO and NiO as auxiliary compositions. The compositions contains 0.05 to 10 mol % of Bi2O3, 0.05 to 10 mol % of Co2O3, 0.05 to 10 mol % of Sb2O3, 0.05 to 10 mol % of MnO and 0.05 to 10 mol % of NiO; the content ratio of the Bi2O3 to the NiO is in a mole ratio of 0.5 or more but 1.5 or less, and the content ratio of the MnO to the Sb2O3 is in a mole ratio of 1.0 or less. Preferably, the composition contains at least one of 0.5 to 500 ppm of aluminum, converted to Al3+, and 10 to 1000 ppm of at least one or the other of boron and silver, converted respectively to B3+, and Ag+. The composition may also contain 0.01 to 1000 ppm of at least one of sodium, potassium, chlorine and calcium, converted respectively to Na+, K+, Cl− and Ca2+.