Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing barium titanate-based particulate compositions. The method includes a heat treatment step, separate from a sintering step, that involves treating a barium titanate-based particulate composition at a temperature between about 700° C. and about 1150° C. to increase average particle size. The increased average particle size can improve the electrical properties (i.e., dielectric constant and dissipation factor) of the heat-treated composition as compared to the composition prior to heat treating. The heat-treated composition may be further processed, for example, by producing a dispersion which may be cast and sintered to form a dielectric layer in electronic components including MLCCs.

Abstract: A ceramic arc tube assembly and a method for making a ceramic arc tube are described which simplify the manufacture of ceramic arc tubes by reducing the number of handling and heat treatments required to assemble arc tubes prior to the final sintering operation. In particular, the invention uses transient assembly buttons during intermediate assembly steps which are removed prior to the final sintering operation.

Abstract: A low-cost, efficient method of preparing hierarchically ordered structures by filling a mold with a self-assembling mixture of hydrolyzed inorganic species and amphiphilic block copolymers and applying pressure to the mixture. Polymerization of the inorganic species within the mixture results in a mesoscopically structured material having molded features. A mesoporous material can be produced by subsequent thermal removal of the copolymers.

Abstract: In an improved method for the production of slabs of ceramic material the starting mixture is enclosed between two sheets of cardboard or paperboard, subjected to vibrating compression under vacuum. The aboard or paperboard being thick enough to absorb the excess mixture water prior to the transfer to the subsequent drying and firing stages, said sheets of paperboard being removed before said drying stage, so that the rough-formed slab is dried resting solely on a porous fabric or felt, and baking is performed while keeping the dried rough-formed slab in contact with the oven surface solely by means of a temporary protective layer of refractory material (engobe).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for production of a sintered oxide ceramic of composition CexMyDzO2-a with dense structure without open porosity or with a predetermined porosity. The first doping element M is at least one element of the group consisting of the rare earths but M≠Ce, alkali and earth alkali metals. The educts are used with a second doping element D of at least one metal of the group consisting of Cu, Co, Fe, Ni and Mn, in the submicron particle size or as a salt solution, and sintered at a temperature in the range of 750-1250° C. into an oxide ceramic with extremely fine structure of a grain size of maximum around 0.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A method of fabricating nanostructures containing isotropically distributed, interconnected pores having cross-sectional diameters in the nanometer and Angstrom range by integrating the steps of attriting precursor nanometer-sized particulate materials, desorbing the exposed surfaces of the attrited nanoparticulates, adsorbing a surfactant on 25-50% of the desorbed surfaces and dispersing the surfactant-coated nanoparticulates in an organic matrix to form a homogeneous thermoplastic compound from which green nanostructures are formed, dewaxed and sintered to the desired degree of microporosity.

Abstract: A method of making a product which is generally impervious to water including the steps of making a generally homogenous mixture of slate particles and clay, wetting the mixture as necessary to produce a formable composition, forming the wet mixture to a desired configuration, at least partially drying the formed mixture and subjecting the dried formed mixture to a temperature of at least 1100° C. for a time sufficient for at least some of the clay to convert into a binder to bind together the slate particles.

Abstract: A sacrificial ceramic fixture precursor is furnished with a shaped portion thereof shaped to receive a supported article. The sacrificial ceramic fixture precursor is immersed into a molten reactive metal for a period of time sufficient to permit the sacrificial ceramic fixture precursor and the reactive metal to react together. The result is a reacted ceramic fixture comprising an open-cell solid foam of ceramic cell walls having an interconnected intracellular volume therebetween. The reacted ceramic fixture is contacted to a supported article to produce a process assembly. The process assembly is processed as required for the supported article, which typically includes heating to an elevated temperature.

Abstract: The method for heating a plurality of ceramic bodies, includes: a) providing ceramic-forming raw materials and blending the raw materials with an effective amount of vehicle and forming aids to form a plastic mixture therefrom and thereafter forming the plastic raw material mixture into a plurality of green bodies; b) placing each one of the plurality of green bodies in proximity to an adjacent one of the plurality of green bodies such that upon heating with electromagnetic waves each green body is subject to no more than about 1.5 times the power density at the boundary than in the bulk thereof; and c) drying the green bodies utilizing energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. When the ceramic is a honeycomb cellular cordierite body, the method further includes heating the green bodies up to a maximum temperature of between about 1360° C. and about 1435° C.

Abstract: A wire section for forming a multi-ply fiber web. The wire section includes a first belt which advances a first fiber ply toward a couch roll defining a combining section. A twin-wire zone of the wire section includes first and second wires between which a second fiber ply is initially formed in a gap former. The second wire separates from the first wire and then the first wire supporting the second fiber ply meets the first belt supporting the first fiber ply at the couch roll of the combining section to form the multi-ply fiber web. The twin-wire part is arranged upstream of the combining section along the running direction of the first belt. The second fiber ply runs on the first wire into the combining section at an angle less than 90° with respect to the belt entering the combining section. The path of the wires from the forming roll to the combining section is disclosed. A suction box or arrangement holds the second fiber ply to the first wire when the first and second wires separate.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing special ceramic parts essentially having a curved or angular structure to cover the corners of walls that are in turn covered by other parts or flat tiles. The method basically involves extruding a tubular profile from which different special parts are obtained by making different cuts on said tubular profile using an adequate cutting tool. A pressing system is currently used requiring costly molds to manufacture individual special parts.

Abstract: A process for forming a silicon nitride-bonded silicon carbide honeycomb monolith by a) forming a plasticizable mixture which includes (1) about 60% to 85% by weight, powdered silicon carbide with a median particle size of about 10-40 micrometers; (2) about 15% to 40% by weight, powdered silicon metal with a median particle size of about 5-20 micrometers; and, (3) organic components; b) extruding the plasticizable mixture to form a green honeycomb monolith; c) drying the green honeycomb monolith; and, d) heating the honeycomb monolith to 1450° C. with a hold of 1 hour in an atmosphere of argon; and, e) nitriding the honeycomb monolith between 1450° C. to 1600° C. for a time sufficient to obtain a silicon nitride-bonded silicon carbide body.

Abstract: A process for forming a silicon carbide structure includes molding by compression a mixture of a silicon precursor powder and a cross-linking thermoset resin to form a rigid structure, carbonizing the rigid structure, and forming a silicon carbide structure by heating the carbonized rigid structure at a temperature sufficient to allow carbon and silicon in the structure to react to form silicon carbide.

Abstract: A method of producing a ceramic body having a construction such that cells are plugged alternately at both end faces of a ceramic honeycomb structural body by filling a plugging slurry into predetermined cells at both end faces of a ceramic honeycomb formed body, having the steps of: filling a plugging material for mask into the cells to be opened at one end face of the ceramic honeycomb formed body; immersing the end face, to which the plugging material for mask is filled, into a plugging slurry; and drying and sintering the ceramic honeycomb formed body while the plugging material for mask is removed during a drying step or a sintering step.

Abstract: Method of making a high quality identifiable fluoride crystalline optical microlithography lens element blank for formation into an lens element of a microlithography system. The highly qualified fluoride crystalline characteristics of the fluoride optical lithography lens blank ensure its beneficial performance in the demanding microlithography manufacturing regime which utilizes high energy short wavelength ultraviolet laser sources. The fluoride crystalline optical lithography lens element blanks are comprised of multiple adjoining abutting crystalline subgrains with low boundary angles.

Abstract: A method of making a ceramic composite wherein a polymeric ceramic precursor or fiber reinforcement infiltrated with a polymeric ceramic precursor is associated with at least one metallic element to form a preceramic composite and the said composite is pyrolyzed by high frequency microwave radiation, preferably in the form of a beam, until the polymeric ceramic precursor is converted into a ceramic having the at least one metallic element integrally formed as part of said ceramic. The products obtained by such method comprising ceramic metal composites formed by pyrolyzing a preceramic composite to high frequency microwave radiation until the polymeric ceramic precursor is converted into a ceramic having at least one metallic element integrally formed as a part of said component.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for simply producing a high purity silicon carbide sintered body having no remaining metal silicon and excellent heat resistance. A method for producing a silicon carbide sintered body of the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing a slurry by dispersing silicon carbide powder in a solvent; forming a molded body by pouring the slurry into a mold and effecting calcination for the slurry in a vacuum atmosphere or in an inert gas atmosphere; and sealing pores within the calcined molded body by impregnating the pores with high purity metal silicon molten by heating, and allowing the high purity metal silicon and carbon contained in the molded body to react on each other in the pores so as to produce silicon carbide.

Abstract: Methods of forming plasma addressed liquid crystal display ribs are disclosed. An exemplary method includes introducing a glass paste which includes a curable medium into cavities formed in an intaglio collector to define rib structures, which are from the collector to a surface of the substrate, and removing the curable medium from the rib structures on the substrate surface to generate pores in the rib structures. The substrate having rib structures is then dipped into a solution containing an opaque pigment which is absorbed into the rib structure.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method of forming an inorganic macroporous material. In some embodiments, the method includes: providing a sample of organic polymer particles having a particle size distribution of no greater than about 10%; forming a colloidal crystal template of the sample of organic polymer particles, the colloidal crystal template including a plurality of organic polymer particles and interstitial spaces therebetween; adding an inorganic precursor composition including a noncolloidal inorganic precursor to the colloidal crystal template such that the precursor composition permeates the interstitial spaces between the organic polymer particles; converting the noncolloidal inorganic precursor to a hardened inorganic framework; and removing the colloidal crystal template from the hardened inorganic framework to form a macroporous material. Inorganic macroporous materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: An aqueous slurry of rare earth hydroxide particles which is particularly suitable for use as a sintering aid of a ceramic powder such as silicon nitride. The aqueous slurry, which is characterized by the very small average diameter of the primary particles and a low electric conductivity as well as outstandingly high stability against settling of the particles, can be prepared by a process comprising the steps of: (a) precipitating rare earth hydroxide particles by mixing aqueous solutions of a rare earth compound, e.g., nitrate, and a basic compound, e.g., ammonia, preferably, in the presence of a surface active agent; (b) collecting the precipitates to give a cake; (c) washing the cake with deionized water until the electric conductivity of the washing has decreased to 3 mS/cm or lower; and (d) re-dispersing the thus washed cake in deionized water.