Ut-battelle, Inc.

Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation

Stephen D Nunn

Mark A Janney

April D McMillan

Claudia A Walls

Glen H Kirby

Russell May

Ogbemi O Omatete

A method of making a sintered ceramic composition includes the steps of: providing a powder that includes at least 50 wt. % boron carbide and 0.05 wt. % to 30 wt. % of at least one oxide selected from oxides of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu; milling the powder to form a milled powder; drying the milled powder to form a milled, dried powder; and consolidating the milled, dried powder at a temperature in the range of 1500&#xb0; C. to 2200&#xb0; C. to form a sintered ceramic composition having a density of at least 90% of theoretical density, the sintered ceramic composition including zirconium diboride in an amount in the range of 1 wt. % to 10 wt. %.

Method of making lightweight high performance ceramic material

A sintered ceramic composition includes at least 50 wt. % boron carbide and at least 0.01 wt. % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, the sintered ceramic composition being characterized by a density of at least 90% of theoretical density.

Lightweight high performance ceramic material

An optical waveguide includes a sapphire body having thereon a cladding containing spinel.

Cladding for high temperature optical component and method of making same

A polymer gel is formed into a mold defining a preselected shape. A flowable composition may be formed into a preselected shape via contact with the polymer gel mold.

Polymer gel molds

A method of gelcasting includes the steps of providing a solution of at least hydroxymethylacrylamide (HMAM) and water. At least one inorganic powder is added to the mixture. At least one initiator system is provided to polymerize the HMAM. The initiator polymerizes the HMAM and water, to form a firm hydrogel that contains the inorganic powder. One or more comonomers can be polymerized with the HMAM monomer, to alter the final properties of the gelcast material. Additionally, one or more additives can be included in the polymerization mixture, to alter the properties of the gelcast material.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Stephen D Nunn