Abstract: A particulate material supplying apparatus includes a hopper that stores a particulate material, a discharge gutter that dispenses the particulate material, a feeder that transports the particulate material to a weighing scale, the weighing scale that weighs the particulate material, a supply shutter that feeds the particulate material to a machine in the next process step at a predetermined timing, and a controller that controls the operations of these devices. The discharge gutter includes an inclined gutter portion having an opening in an upper surface thereof and a substantially U-shaped cross section. The controller controls the discharge gutter so that the particulate material in the hopper is dispensed to the feeder by causing the discharge gutter to perform a swinging motion in which a forward rotation and a backward rotation each to a predetermined angle are repeated while the opening in the inclined gutter portion faces upward.

Abstract: A particulate material supplying apparatus includes a hopper that stores a particulate material, a discharge gutter that dispenses the particulate material, a feeder that transports the particulate material to a weighing scale, the weighing scale that weighs the particulate material, a supply shutter that feeds the particulate material to a machine in the next process step at a predetermined timing, and a controller that controls the operations of these devices. The discharge gutter includes an inclined gutter portion having an opening in an upper surface thereof and a substantially U-shaped cross section. The controller controls the discharge gutter so that the particulate material in the hopper is dispensed to the feeder by causing the discharge gutter to perform a swinging motion in which a forward rotation and a backward rotation each to a predetermined angle are repeated while the opening in the inclined gutter portion faces upward.

Abstract: A particulate material supplying apparatus includes a hopper that stores a particulate material, a discharge gutter that dispenses the particulate material, a feeder that transports the particulate material to a weighing scale, the weighing scale that weighs the particulate material, a supply shutter that feeds the particulate material to a machine in the next process step at a predetermined timing, and a controller that controls the operations of these devices. The discharge gutter includes an inclined gutter portion having an opening in an upper surface thereof and a substantially U-shaped cross section. The controller controls the discharge gutter so that the particulate material in the hopper is dispensed to the feeder by causing the discharge gutter to perform a swinging motion in which a forward rotation and a backward rotation each to a predetermined angle are repeated while the opening in the inclined gutter portion faces upward.

Abstract: The ceramic composites consisting of sintered alumina comprising a polycrystalline alumina matrix having a grain size of from 0.5 to 10 .mu.m, and fine particles of TiB.sub.2 2 .mu.m or less in diameter being dispersed in the alumina grains, the composite alumina ceramic containing from 15 to 40% by volume of TiB.sub.2 ; or a ceramic composites comprising a polycrystalline alumina matrix as above, fine particles of TiB.sub.2, and fine particles of SiC, the fine particles of TiB.sub.2 and SiC being each 2 .mu.m or less in diameter and being dispersed in the alumina grains, the ceramic composites containing from 5 to 30% by volume of TiB.sub.2 and from 5 to 30% by volume of SiC.

Abstract: A ceramics composites prepared by dispersing any one of the following materials (i) to (viii) in Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 which as a matrix-containing crystalline grains having a grain size of 0.5 to 100 .mu.m. (i) 3 to 40% by volume of fine TiN particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m and 3 to 40% by volume of fine SiC particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m. (ii) 3 to 40% by volume of fine TiN particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m and 3 to 40% by volume of fine Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m. (iii) 2 to 35% by volume of fine TiC particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m and 5 to 40% by volume of SiC whiskers having a diameter of 0.05 to 2 .mu.m. (iv) 2 to 35% by volume of fine TiC particles having a particle size of not more than 2 .mu.m and 5 to 40% by volume of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 whiskers having a diameter of 0.1 to 2 .mu.m.

Abstract: A MgO/SiC composite material in which SiC particles with nano-meter order in size are dispersed within MgO matrix grains can be prepared by hot-pressing the mixture of fine MgO and SiC powders. Addition of SiC particles in the range of 5 volume percent to 50 volume percent to the MgO matrix increased remarkably the fracture strength and the hardness in a nanometer-order structure of the composite.