(US5169811-A)      A lanthanum chromite ceramic powder mix adapted to sinter at temps. as low as 1400 deg.C comprises 1 mol. of LaCr1-xMxO3 where M is a divalent metal selected from Ca and/or Mg, x is 0.03-0.3, y mols of B2O3 where y is 0.005-0.04 and z mols. of La2O3 where the ratio z/y is 1:1-1:3.    ADVANTAGE -   The material has good electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance at high temp. It can thus be used to fabricate fuel cells, electric furnace elements, electrodes for magnetohydrodynamic devices etc. The mix provides reactive sintering at relatively low temp    (JP5508830-W)      Powdered mixt., and a ceramic prod. sintered at 1400-1500 deg.C, comprises (mol) 1 LaCr1-xMxO3 (x=0.03-0.3), 0.005-0.04 B2 and La2O3 to give a La2O3/B2O3 ratio of 1.1-3 and pref. of 1.4-2; M is Mg and/or Ca.    Powder mixt. is pref. prepd. via a precursor with the compsn. LaCr1-xMxO3.A, where A is 35 wt.% of the cpd. and is volatile matter, which is prepd. by (i) adding excess NH4OH to a soln. contg. stoichiometric amts. of La and Cr, (ii) washing the pptd. hydroxides to remove the anions and form a slurry in a water/alcohol liq., (iii) adding a soln. to give a stoichiometric amt. of Mg or Ca and (iv) removing the water/alcohol liq. at super-critical conditions. The precursor is calcined at 650-1100 deg.C for 0.5-4 hr., deagglomerated and mixed with La2O3 and B2O3. Alcohol pref. contains 1-5C or is esp. isopropanol.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Used in the mfr. of monolithic solid oxide fuel cells. Doped lanthanum chromite compact is used as the interconnect and can be sintered to 94% density at 1400 deg.C in air whilst only producing small amts. of liq. phase with m.pts. at 1300 deg.C.    (JP95033257-B2)      Powdered mixt., and a ceramic prod. sintered at 1400-1500 deg.C, comprises (mol) 1 LaCr1-xMxO3(x = 0.03-0.3), 0.005-0.04 B2 and La2O3 to give a La2O3/B2O3 ratio of 1.1-3 and pref. of 1.4-2; M is Mg and/or Ca.    Powder mixt. is pref. prepd. via a precursor with the compsn. LaCr1-xMxO3.A, where A 35 wt.% of the cpd. and is volatile matter, which is prepd. by (i) adding excess NH4OH to a soln. contg. stoichiometric amts. of La and Cr, (ii) washing the pptd. hydroxides to remove the anions and form a slurry in a water/alcohol liq., (iii) adding a soln. to give a stoichiometric amt. of Mg or Ca and (iv) removing the water/alcohol liq. at super-critical conditions. The precursor is calcined at 650-1100 deg.C for 0.5-4 hr., deagglomerated and mixed with La2O3 and B2O3. Alcohol pref. contains 1-5C or is esp. isopropanol.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Used in the mfr. of monolithic solid oxide fuel cells. Doped lanthanum chromite compact is used as the interconnect and can be sintered to 94% density at 1400 deg.C in air whilst only producing small amts. of liq. phase with m.pts. at 1300 deg.C.