Abstract: The invention relates to a retarding mixture comprising sodium gluconate and alkali hydrogen carbonate, an alkali-activated binding agent containing sodium gluconate and alkali hydrogen carbonate and a method for adjusting the strength development, wherein sodium gluconate and alkali hydrogen carbonate are added to an alkali-activated binding agent.

Abstract: A transparent, polycrystalline ceramic is described. The ceramic comprises crystallites of the formula AxCuByDvEzFw, whereby A and C are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, C4+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn2+/4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Zr4+, Mo6+, Ru4+, Pd2+, Ag2+, Cd2+, Hf4+, W4+/6+, Re4+, Os4+, Ir4+, Pt2+/4+, Hg2+ and mixtures thereof, B and D are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Y3+, Zr4+, Nb3+, Ru3+, Rh3+, La3+, Lu3+, Gd3+ and mixtures thereof, E and F are selected mainly from the group consisting of the divalent anions of S, Se and O and mixtures thereof, x, u, y, v, z and w satisfy the following formulae 0.125<(x+u)/(y+v)?0.55 z+w=4 and at least 95% by weight of the crystallites display symmetric, cubic crystal structures of the spinel type, with the proviso that when A=C=Mg2+ and B=D=Al3+, E and F cannot both be O.

Abstract: A transparent, polycrystalline ceramic is described. The ceramic comprises crystallites of the formula AxCuByDvEzFw, whereby A and C are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, C4+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn2+/4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Zr4+, Mo6+, Ru4+, Pd2+, Ag2+, Cd2+, Hf4+W4+/6+, Re4+, Os4+, Ir4+,, Pt2+/4+, Hg2+ and mixtures thereof, B and D are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Y3+, Zr4+, Nb3+, Ru3+, Rh3+, La3+, Lu3+, Gd3+ and mixtures thereof, E and F are selected mainly from the group consisting of the divalent anions of S, Se and O and mixtures thereof, x, u, y, v, z and w satisfy the following formulae 0.125<(x+u)/(y+v)?0.55 z+w=4 and at least 95% by weight of the crystallites display symmetric, cubic crystal structures of the spinel type, with the proviso that when A=C=Mg2+ and B=D=Al3+, E and F cannot both be O.

Abstract: A transparent, polycrystalline ceramic is described. The ceramic comprises crystallites of the formula AxCuByDvEzFw, whereby A and C are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, C4+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn2+/4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Zr4+, Mo6+, Ru4+, Pd2+, Ag2+, Cd2+, Hf4+, W4+/6+, Re4+, Os4+, Ir4+, Pt2+/4+, Hg2+ and mixtures thereof, B and D are selected from the group consisting of Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Al3+, Ga3+, In3+, Si4+, Ge4+, Sn4+, Sc3+, Ti4+, Zn2+, Y3+, Zr4+, Nb3+, Ru3+, Rh3+, La3+, Lu3+, Gd3+ and mixtures thereof, E and F are selected mainly from the group consisting of the divalent anions of S, Se and O and mixtures thereof, x, u, y, v, z and w satisfy the following formulae 0.125<(x+u)/(y+v)?0.

Abstract: A translucent piezoelectric glass ceramic is disclosed. The glass ceramic is prepared from a precursor glass by a ceraming process, using a temperature gradient to effect the precipitation of non-ferroelectric piezo-active crystallites from the precursor glass with a preferred direction of orientation and having an average crystal size of less than 1 micrometer. Alternatively, a translucent piezoelectric glass ceramic comprising ferroelectric crystallites may be prepared by poling. In this case the crystal size is controlled to be smaller than 90 nanometers but preferably larger than 10 nanometers.

Abstract: The electronic semiconductor component has a crystalline wafer substrate with an active surface and a semiconductor layer coating the active surface. So that the semiconductor layer has a few surface defects the crystalline wafer substrate is a sapphire or silicon carbide single crystal and the active surface has a pit density of less than 500 pit/cm2, preferably less than 100 pit/cm2. The polishing method for obtaining the active surface with these pit densities includes polishing with a polishing agent, such as a silicon suspension, and a polishing tool, which is pressed on the active surface with a pressure of preferably from 0.05 to 0.2 kg/cm2 and moved over the active surface with polishing motions distributed statistically and uniformly over a 360° angle during polishing.

Abstract: A method of selecting poling parameters for poling a glass ceramic body comprising ferroelectric domains, by applying an electric field across the glass ceramic body at a certain poling temperature for a certain poling time comprises the steps of: determining an upper bound of poling temperature given by the maximum poling temperature at which uncontrolled heat-up (thermal runaway) is avoided; and selecting the poling temperature to be smaller than the upper bound, preferably close to the upper bound.

Abstract: A method of preparing a textured glass ceramic is disclosed which comprises the steps of preparing a precursor glass, preparing a precursor glass body, placing the precursor glass body in a furnace in contact with a brick body having a larger or smaller thermal capacity than formed by the precursor glass body, and ceraming the precursor glass body within the furnace in contact with the brick body thereby effecting a temperature gradient across the precursor glass body for precipitating crystallites having a preferred direction of orientation.

Abstract: A translucent piezoelectric glass ceramic is disclosed. The glass ceramic is prepared from a precursor glass by a ceraming process, using a temperature gradient to effect the precipitation of non-ferroelectric piezo-active crystallites from the precursor glass with a preferred direction of orientation and having an average crystal size of less than 1 micrometer. Alternatively, a translucent piezoelectric glass ceramic comprising ferroelectric crystallites may be prepared by poling. In this case the crystal size is controlled to be smaller than 90 nanometers but preferably larger than 10 nanometers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a color effect layer system, including: a carrier substrate selected from glass or glass-ceramics, at least one layer of spheres, particularly preferred at least 50 layers, more preferred 50 to 100 layers, including filled or not filled cavities/honeycombs, in the form of a porous material composite of a crystal-like superstructure or an inverse crystal-like superstructure having a three-dimensional periodic or substantially periodic configuration in the order of magnitude of the wavelength of visible light, wherein the sphere diameters and optionally the cavity/honeycomb diameters have a very strict distribution. In addition to the excellent optical properties, the coating systems also have sufficient mechanical stability.

Abstract: The method of making an especially low-stress wafer substrate with an active surface to be coated with few surface defects that produce coating defects includes polishing the active surface with the help of a polishing tool in order to smooth it and changing a polishing direction of the polishing tool performing the polishing over the active surface so that each site or location on the surface is polished with polishing motions distributed statistically and uniformly over a 360° angle.

Abstract: A method for making a substrate wafer for a low-defect semiconductor component is described. In this method a single crystal having a [0001] surface perpendicular to a c-axis thereof is formed, subdivided into thin disks each with at least one disk surface to be coated, the at least one disk surface is smoothed and the thin disks are tempered at a temperature above 1770 K. Preferably the tempering occurs for at least 10 minutes at temperatures greater than 1770 K in a dust-poor atmosphere with a reduced oxygen partial pressure. Al2O3 is a preferred material for the single crystal.