Calcium phosphate growth on cellulose fibers phosphorylated in 1.5 × SBF (simulated body fluid) solution at various temperatures from 36.5–60 °C was studied. Cellulose fibers phosphorylated by using urea and H3PO4 and then soaked in saturated Ca(OH)2 solution at ambient temperature were found to stimulate the growth of a calcium phosphate coating on their surfaces after soaking in 1.5 × SBF solution for as little as one day. Soaking in 1.5 × SBF solution at higher temperature produced a thicker layer of calcium phosphate on the fibers, which may be due to the decrease of solubility of calcium phosphate. The specific surface area of the coatings decreased with an increase of soaking temperature and soaking time in 1.5 × SBF solution.

Cordierite gel powder prepared by the hydrolysis of an alkoxide complex was seeded with crystalline α-cordierite particles. The effects of seeding on the phase transformation and mechanical properties were studied. The unseeded cordierite gel powder crystallized into α-cordierite via μ-cordierite at 1050 °C. The μ-α cordierite transformation caused microcracks which led to poor flexural strengths of about 30 MPa, although the strength of μ-cordierite was 160 MPa. The seeding appeared to promote a direct formation of the α-cordierite from the amorphous state. The development of microcracks due to μ-α cordierite transformation could be prevented by the modified crystallization behavior, resulting in the improved flexural strength of α-cordierite of 190 MPa. The seeding also lowered the crystallization temperature of α-cordierite to 900 °C, which could be attributed to the epitaxial crystallization of the complex-alkoxide-derived cordierite gel powder.

Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 powders were prepared through an alkoxide-hydroxide route. Their sintering behavior and crystallographic structures were investigated, and microwave properties of the obtained ceramics were also measured. Crystalline powder with approximately 0.5 μm in particle size was obtained by the reaction of Ba(OH)2−8H2O and Mg–Nb double alkoxide, Mg[Nb(OEt)6]2, in ethanol-acetone solution. A powder compact sintered at 1350 °C for 2 h showed >99% of relative density and >0.9 of ordering degree of the B site. The Q value of Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics was sensitive to sintering conditions due to the formation of an impurity phase. The ceramics sintered at 1350 °C for 5 h showed a dielectric constant ∊ of 32 and Q value of > 13 000 at 11.8 GHz. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τf was 23.9 ppm/°C at 9.8 GHz.

Pb(ZrxTix)O3 (PZT) powders of 0.2–0.4 μm particle sizes could be obtained from the complex alkoxides synthesized from lead acetate, Zr(OBun)4, and Ti(OEt)4. The powders crystallized to well-crystalline perovskite phases at a temperature as low as 250 °C, independent of the compositional ratio of the B site (Zr/Ti). For the preparation of powders, the complexing of alkoxides, addition of the second solvent such as acetone, acetonitrile, or methyl acetate, and base-catalyzed hydrolysis with ammonia water were essential.

The effects of heating rate on the sintering of BaTi5O11 ceramics from an alkoxide-derived powder were investigated, and the microwave properties were measured. Density and the crystalline phase of the sintered bodies varied with heating rate. Density increased with an increase in heating rate up to 30 °C/min and decreased at one exceeding 30 °C/min. BaTi5O11 ceramics with >99% theoretical density were obtained by sintering at 1120 °C for 48 h with a heating rate at 30 °C/min. The sintering with a heating rate at 100 °C/min resulted in a decomposition of BaTi5O11 to Ba2Ti9O20 and rutile that hindered sintering. The dielectric constant εr and Q volume, neither sensitive to microstructure or the crystalline phase, were 42 and ca. 6100 at 9.7 GHz, respectively. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τf was 39.3 ppm/°C at 7 GHz.