An object of the present invention is to provide a building large porcelain panel that prevents the efflorescence.

As the solutions, a building large porcelain panel according to the present invention is formed by kneading a raw material formulation containing, as a main material, a refractory aggregate, a glassy raw material, and cement, and subjecting the raw material formulation to molding and then firing, wherein the building large porcelain panel has a Na.sub.2O content of 1 mass% or less in an entire chemical-component composition of the building large porcelain panel fired. In addition, the building large porcelain panel has a Na2O content of 1% or less and containing 0.5 to 7% of BaO and 0.5 to 8% of B.sub.2O.sub.3 (12% or less of the BaO and the B.sub.2O.sub.3) at mass-based chemical component values.

A container for heat treatment of a positive-electrode active material for a lithium-ion battery to the present invention is characterized by having a base portion containing 60 to 95 mass % of alumina, and a surface portion containing 20 to 80 mass % of spinel and formed integrally with the base portion. Moreover, a production method of the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of placing an alumina-based powder, a step of placing a spinel-based powder above the alumina-based powder, a step of forming a compact by compressing the powders and a step of firing the compact.

A composite sintered body contains a silicon phase which is a main phase, a cordierite phase, and an amorphous phase containing Si. Further, the volume resistivity thereof at a room temperature is not lower than 0.1Ω.Math.cm and not higher than 2.5Ω.Math.cm.

A method of making a plurality of composite granules can include: forming green body granules comprising an aluminosilicate; heating the green body granules to form sintered granules; cooling the sintered granules according to a cooling regime, wherein the cooling regime comprises a temperature hold between 700° C. and 900° C. for at least one hour. In a particular embodiment, the aluminosilicate for making the composite granules can have a particle size less than 150 μm. The composite granules are particularly suitable as roofing granules and can have a desired combination of high solar reflectance SR and low lightness L*, a low bulk density, good weather resistance and strength.

Components having an environmental barrier coating and a sintered layer overlying the environmental barrier coating, the sintered layer defining an outer surface having a lower surface roughness than the environmental barrier coating. The sintered layer is formed from a slurry applied to and then sintered on the environmental barrier coating. The sintered layer comprises a primary material, at least one sintering aid dissolved in the primary material, and optionally a secondary material. The sintering aid contains at least one doping composition. The primary material is a rare earth disilicate or a rare earth monosilicate and is doped with the doping composition so as to be either a doped rare earth disilicate or a doped rare earth monosilicate. The optional secondary material is a reaction product of the primary material and any of the sintering aid not dissolved in the primary material.

A high strength ceramic body for use in a regenerative burner media bed, comprising a generally spherical refractory portion and a plurality of irregular aggregate portions distributed randomly throughout the generally spherical portion. The aggregate portions are selected from the group comprising tabular alumina, white fused alumina, mullite, chamotte, and combinations thereof. The generally spherical portion has a porosity of less than 1 percent and is more than 99.5 weight percent alumina.

A refractory object may include a zircon body that may include at least about 0.1 wt. % and not greater than about 5.5 wt. % of an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 containing component for a total weight of the zircon body. The zircon body may further include at least about 25 wt. % and not greater than about 35 wt. % of a SiO.sub.2 component for a total weight of the zircon body.

A refractory article can include a body including a content of alumina of at least 60 wt %, a content of silica of not greater than 20 wt %, a content of zirconia of not greater than 20 wt % for a total weight of the body. In a particular embodiment, the body includes a third phase including composite grains including mullite and zirconia. The third phase including the composite grains can be present within a range including at least 1 wt % and not greater than 35 wt % for a total weight of the body.

An improved method for preparing porous mullite ceramic from Pickering emulsions stabilised by hetero-aggregate of oppositely charged fumed oxide particles. The method uses oppositely charged fumed oxide nano-particles (silica and alumina) to stabilize oil-in-water Pickering emulsions wherein the stabilized Pickering emulsions can be used as a template for preparing porous mullite material. An optimised Pickering emulsion template that is stabilised with fumed oxide nano-particles (silica and alumina) is used to produce a green body that is transformed into solid porous material with a controlled porosity and pore size by sintering.

A ceramic matrix composite includes a substrate which contains a fibrous body formed from a silicon carbide fiber, and a matrix which is formed in the substrate, and which contains RE.sub.3Al.sub.5O.sub.12, RE.sub.2Si.sub.2O.sub.7, and the balance being an oxide of RE, Al, and Si, or RE.sub.2SiO.sub.5, where the RE is Y or Yb.