Abstract: An integrated micro-ceramic chemical plant having a unitary ceramic body formed from multiple ceramic layers in the green state which are sintered together includes a unitary ceramic body defining a reaction chamber and first passages are provided for communication with the reaction chamber so that two or more fluids may be delivered to such reaction chamber, a permeable partition wall being provided within the reaction chamber to permit the mixing of fluids during a reaction process. The integrated micro-ceramic chemical plant further includes a filtering chamber including filters disposed in such chamber for separating the solid reaction products from the fluid and for retrieving desired solid reaction products; and other passages for directing the desired solid reaction products to exit from the unitary ceramic body and other passages for directing the desired liquid reaction products to exit from the unitary ceramic body.

Abstract: An integrated micro-ceramic chemical plant having a unitary ceramic body formed from multiple ceramic layers in the "green" state which are sintered together includes the unitary ceramic body defining a receiving chamber which includes a reaction chamber position and having first and second passages for providing communication with the reaction chamber position so that two or more fluids may be delivered to such reaction chamber position for reaction; the unitary ceramic body defining a receiving chamber which includes the reaction chamber position. The integrated micro-ceramic chemical plant further includes a movable member insertable into the receiving chamber and defining a plurality of separate catalytic reaction chambers and micro-filtering chambers, each such catalytic reaction chamber being provided by a micro-porous ceramic member which includes a catalyst impregnated into the micro-porous ceramic member.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing a ceramic article. The method includes forming an intercalated or exfoliated solution of smectite clay and a polymer selected from polyvinyl alcohols, polyethylene oxides, polystyrene sulfonates, polyacrylamides, polymers of styrene, alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates, olefins, acrylonitriles, polyurethanes and polyester ionomers. The solution is mixed with zirconia stabilized with at least one rare earth oxide element selected from Mg, Ca, Y, Sc and Ce to form a mixture. The mixture is molded into a green part. The green part is sintered to form the ceramic article.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying receiver sheets prior to such receiver sheets receiving electrophotographic images, including at least one set of preconditioning rotatable rollers with each preconditioning rotatable roller in the set touching an opposing preconditioning rotatable roller to form a nip, wherein at least one of the preconditioning rotatable rollers in the set is formed from zirconia ceramic or zirconia composite; and the apparatus heating at least one of the surfaces of the preconditioning rollers of the set to dry receiver sheets as each passes through the nip.

Abstract: A ceramic device having an embedded multiwound coil and a method of making such device is disclosed. The device includes a ceramic unitary structure having at least two sintered ceramic parts, each of which when aligned forms a cavity and two spaced apart outlet holes connected to different portions of the cavity; a sintered ceramic conduit provided in the trough of the ceramic unitary structure and having an inner passageway with such sintered ceramic conduit forming a coil structure; and an embedded multiwound coil formed in the inner passageway of an electrically conductive material.

Abstract: Long wearing lithographic imaging members are prepared from a zirconia ceramic layer having thereon a hydrophilic, non-crosslinked water-insoluble surface layer. This surface layer is ablatable using imaging apparatus such as a laser, and the surface energy differential between the non-removed hydrophilic layer and the exposed underlying zirconia ceramic is desirable to provide lithographic printing with improved image sharpness.

Abstract: A transport roller having a core and a first bonding layer at least partially surrounding and bonded to the core. Further, roller has a first layer of corrosion material at least partially surrounding and bonded to the first bonding layer, wherein said corrosion resistant material is electroplated nickel or electroless nickel. In addition, the roller has a second bonding layer for bonding a second layer to the core. The second layer includes a wear and abrasion resistant material, wherein the wear and abrasion resistant material is selected from the group including polyurethane; acrylic; silicon dioxide; alumina; chromium oxide; zirconium oxide; composites of zirconia-alumina; or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: Long wearing and reusable lithographic printing members are prepared from a zirconium metal or alloy that has an anodized zirconium metal or alloy printing surface. In use, the anodized printing surface of the printing member is imagewise exposed to electromagnetic radiation which transforms it from a hydrophilic to an oleophilic state or from an oleophilic to a hydrophilic state, thereby creating a lithographic printing surface which is hydrophilic in non-image areas and is oleophilic and thus capable of accepting printing ink in image areas. Such inked areas can then be used to transfer an image to a suitable receiving material in lithographic printing. These printing members are directly laser-imageable as well as image erasable.

Abstract: A light reflective device including an insulative substrate; a silicon wafer positioned over the insulative substrate and defining an opening and having a flexible beam portion having top and bottom surfaces which extend into the opening; a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over the top surface of the flexible beam portion; a reflector formed over the ferromagnetic layer on the top surface of the flexible beam portion; and a micro-electromagnet mounted on the insulative substrate relative to the opening of the silicon wafer and adapted to produce a magnetic field in response to an applied current which acts on the ferromagnetic layer to cause the bending of the flexible beam portion, ferromagnetic layer and reflector.

Abstract: An improved ware plate useful for materials feeder equipment, and the like, includes highly efficient, durable and wear and abrasion resistant sliding surface for slidably contacting elements of the feeder equipment. In particular, the ware plate has a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic sliding surface for contacting an element of the feeder equipment having a zirconia-alumina ceramic composite sliding surface. Alternatively, the sliding surface of the ware plate is zirconia-alumina ceramic composite for sliding contact with the element of the feeder equipment having a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic sliding surface.

Abstract: A process of molding inorganic materials into desired shapes comprises mixing the material with a dispersant, milling, molding the mixture, drying the mixture and sintering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying a web utilizes magnetically coupled first and second rotatable elements. Rotation of one of the rotatable elements causes the simultaneous synchronous rotation of the other rotatable element. Both first and second rotatable elements include a magnetic core, a bonding layer at least partially surrounding the magnetic core, and a wear and abrasion resistant layer surrounding the bonding layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a piezoelectric element which includes piezoelectric material having a variable functionally gradient d-coefficient comprising coating a block having a uniform concentration of piezoelectric material by the steps of applying a first layer having piezoelectric material with a different chemical composition than the block onto a surface of the block to provide a different crystallographic structure than the block; and sequentially applying one or more layers of piezoelectric material on the first layer and subsequent layers with different chemical compositions of piezoelectric material also having different crystallographic structures than the block and the subsequently applied layers so as to form the piezoelectric element which has a functionally gradient d-coefficient.

Abstract: A method of preparing ceramics having the steps of forming an aqueous slurry of deflocculant, ceramic powder and binder and causing the slurry to get into a semi-rigid solid by adding a chemical initiator and/or increasing the temperature of the slurry.

Abstract: An improved materials transporting element useful for transporting materials in sliding contact with a ware plate, for instance in materials feeder equipment, has a high precision, durable, wear and abrasion resistant sliding surface. The transporting element may have a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic sliding surface for reciprocal sliding contact with the ware plate having a zirconia-alumina sliding surface. Alternatively, the transporting element may have a zirconia-alumina ceramic composite sliding surface with the ware plate having a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic sliding surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting magnetic objects (8) has at least one magnetic transport roller (20) mounted to a frame (10) for conveying a ferromagnetic carrier (12), and means for rotating the transport roller. The means comprises a ferromagnetic stator member (62), integrally associated with the transport roller (20), which has a plurality of spatially separated pole teeth (64) each of which has an operably connected coil (66) arranged for producing rotation of the transport roller (20). The transport roller (20) has a magnetic core (22), a first bonding layer (24) at least partially surrounding and bonded to the core (22), a first layer (26) at least partially surrounding and bonded to the first bonding layer (24), a second bonding layer 28 for bonding second layer 30 to the core (20). Second layer (30) comprises a wear and abrasion resistant material. Further, a ferromagnetic web (12) is arranged for movement along the magnetic transport roller (20) for transporting materials thereon.

Abstract: Reusable lithographic printing members are prepared from a ceramic that is a composite of a zirconia alloy and .alpha.-alumina. In use, a printing surface of the zirconia-alumina composite ceramic is imagewise exposed to electromagnetic radiation such as from a laser under controlled conditions to provide localized "melting" of the zirconia alloy in the exposed areas. Those areas are transformed from a hydrophilic to an oleophilic state or from an oleophilic to a hydrophilic state, thereby creating a lithographic printing surface that is hydrophilic in non-image areas and is oleophilic and thus capable of accepting printing ink in image areas. Such inked areas can then be used to transfer an image to a suitable substrate in lithographic printing. The printing members are directly laser-imageable as well as image erasable, and can include printing plates, printing cylinders, printing tapes and printing sleeves.

Abstract: A dielectric member with an integral, electrically conductive surface is made by molding a substrate from a zirconia alloy powder using a tape casting process. The resulting green substrate is sintered and after sintering may be cut to the final desired size and shape. Once the insulating ceramic substrate has been formed, the surface of the substrate is modified using infrared laser energy. Through the impingement of infrared laser radiation upon the surface of the ceramic substrate, an electrically conductive region is produced on the surface of the substrate. In such manner, the entire surface can be made electrically conductive or a particular pattern can be traced. As an integral part of the substrate, the surface will not delaminate from the substrate. Further, because the modified surface region and the substrate are both a zirconia, the coefficients of thermal expansion of the substrate and the modified surface region will be closely matched.

Abstract: A method for making electromechanical parts and tools having at least one micro-diameter electrically conductive thread incorporated therein is accomplished by molding the elements which form the base for the electromechanical part or tool from a ceramic material and, during the molding step, there are formed one or more bores through each of the base elements. The base elements may be formed individually or at a planar array for later separation into individual elements. The base elements are then supported on a micro-porous substrate within a vacuum chamber and one side of the base element is flooded with a molten electrically conductive material. By drawing a vacuum within the vacuum chamber beneath the micro-porous substrate, the molten electrically conductive material is caused to flow into and through at least one bore in each base element. The molten electrically conductive material is then cooled.

Abstract: An improved die retaining element has a highly efficient, durable and wear and abrasion resistant flange portion surrounding an opening for securing a die mold therein. The flange portion may have practically any geometric configuration, such as round, but is most effective when in a continuous plane with the powder feed box in sliding contact with a feed box. In particular, the flange portion may selectively have either a high precision tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) ceramic or zirconia-alumina ceramic composite, depending on the surface material of the feeder box in sliding contact therewith. In one embodiment, the flange portion has tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic and the feeder box has zirconia-alumina ceramic composite sliding surface. In another embodiment, flange portion has a zirconium-alumina ceramic composite sliding portion and the feeder box has a tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic sliding portion.