The invention relates to a copper-ceramic composite comprising:—a ceramic substrate;—a copper or copper alloy coating in which the copper or copper alloy has grain sizes of 10 μm to 300 μm and a number distribution of the grain sizes with a median d.sub.50 and an arithmetic mean d.sub.arith, the ratio of d.sub.50 to d.sub.arith (d.sub.50/d.sub.arith) being between 0.75 and 1.10.

A refractory lining in a combustion chamber operating in a reducing atmosphere. The lining includes at least one or more Zirconia (Zr)-based refractory lining members comprising one or more Zr-based parts. The Zr-based parts comprise at least 90 wt. %, preferably at least 95 wt. %, of monoclinic ZrO.sub.2 and/or partially stabilized ZrO.sub.2 and/or fully stabilized ZrO.sub.2, wherein the total content of tetragonal and cubic ZrO.sub.2 amounts to at least 20 wt. %, preferably more than 35 wt. %, as well as Zr based refractory lining members and methods for manufacturing the Zr based refractory lining members.

A sintered rare earth oxyfluoride compact is composed of Ln.sub.aO.sub.bF.sub.c (wherein Ln is a rare earth element; and a, b, and c each independently represent a positive number, provided that they are not equal to each other) or Ca-stabilized LnOF as a primary phase and LnOF unstabilized with Ca as a secondary phase. The intensity ratio of the XRD peak of the (018) or (110) plane of the unstabilized LnOF to the highest XRD peak of Ln.sub.aO.sub.bF.sub.c is preferably 0.5% to 30%.

An alumina sintered body including an inner layer in which alumina crystal grains contained have an average aspect ratio of 1.0 to 2.0 and an outer layer which covers at least a part of the inner layer from outside and in which alumina crystal grains contained have an average aspect ratio of more than 2.0, the alumina sintered body being free from silicon except unavoidable impurities.

A tungsten silicide target capable of suppressing the occurrence of particles during sputtering is provided by a method different from conventional methods. The tungsten silicide target includes not more than 5 low-density semi-sintered portions having a size of 50 μm or more per 80000 mm.sup.2 on the sputtering surface.

A sintered material includes a cubic boron nitride, a zirconium-containing oxide, a zirconium-containing nitride, and an aluminum-containing oxide, wherein the zirconium-containing nitride includes both or one of ZrN and ZrON, and the aluminum-containing oxide includes a type Al.sub.2O.sub.3.

A method of preparing an ITO ceramic target includes that: In.sub.2O.sub.3 powder with mass fraction of 90˜97 and SnO.sub.2 powder with mass fraction of 10˜3 are ball-milled and mixed with deionized water, diluent, binder and polymer material by a sand mill to obtain an ITO ceramic slurry with a solid content between 70˜80% and a viscosity between 120˜300 mpa.Math.s, with an average particle size D50 of the mixed powder controlled at 100˜300 nm; the ITO ceramic slurry is shaped by a pressure grouting to obtain an ITO ceramic green body with a relative density of 58˜62%; the ITO ceramic green body is put into a degreasing and sintering integrated furnace, and under a degreasing temperature of 700˜800° C., the ITO ceramic target is degreased in an atmospheric oxygen atmosphere for the time set to 12˜36 hours; the temperature increases from the degreasing temperature to the first sintering temperature of 1,600˜1,650° C.

In a ceramic sintered body, the Zr content is 17.5 mass %-23.5 mass % in terms of ZrO.sub.2, the Hf content is 0.3 mass %-0.5 mass % in terms of HfO.sub.2, the Al content is 74.3 mass %-80.9 mass % in terms of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, the Y content is 0.8 mass %-1.9 mass % in terms of Y.sub.2O.sub.3, the Mg content is 0.1 mass %-0.8 mass % in terms of MgO, the Si content is 0.1 mass %- and 1.5 mass % in terms of SiO.sub.2, and the Ca content is 0.03 mass %-0.35 mass % in terms of CaO. The total content of Na and K is 0.01 mass %-0.10 mass %, when the K content is converted to K.sub.2O and the Na content is converted to Na.sub.2O. The balance content is 0.05 mass % or less in terms of oxide.

The present document generally relates to additive manufacturing techniques for forming an article having a desired shape and other properties. More particularly, but not exclusively, in one embodiment a method for additive manufacturing an article includes adding a dispersant to an article forming material in the absence of binder to prepare a slurry or suspension including the material and the dispersant. The pH of the slurry may be adjusted to control the viscosity and/or coagulation rate of the slurry. The slurry may then be passed through an extrusion-based three-dimensional printing apparatus to form or print the article in a desired form or shape, and the article may thereafter be sintered. In one aspect, through control of the pH of the slurry, the viscosity and/or coagulation rate properties of the slurry may be tailored for use with different operating parameters of the extrusion-based three-dimensional printing apparatus.

The sliding member according to the embodiment includes a silicon nitride sintered body that includes silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase, in which a percentage of a number of the silicon nitride crystal grains including dislocation defect portions inside the silicon nitride crystal grains among any 50 of the silicon nitride crystal grains having completely visible contours in a 50 μm×50 μm observation region of any cross section or surface of the silicon nitride sintered body is not less than 0% and not more than 10%. The percentage is more preferably not less than 0% and not more than 3%.