EXHIBIT 10.73

                                PROMISSORY NOTE
                                _______________

$1,800,000

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, LANXIDE CORPORATION, a Delaware
corporation (the "Maker"), hereby promises to pay to the order of LANXIDE K.K.,
a Japanese corporation (the "Payee"), the principal sum of One Million Eight
Hundred Thousand ($1,800,000) Dollars, representing the aggregate unpaid
principal amount of Advances to be made by the Payee to the Maker as follows:
$1,300,000 December 29, 1997; $500,000 January 12, 1998; together with interest
(computed on the daily unpaid balance of all such Advances based on a three
hundred sixty (360) day year counting the actual number of days elapsed) on any
and all principal amounts remaining unpaid hereunder from time to time from the
date hereof until payment in full hereof, at a rate per annum equal to 6%.

     1.   PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST.

          (a)     The entire principal balance of this Note shall be due and
payable on January 31, 1998.

          (b)     Accrued interest under this Note shall be due and payable
monthly in arrears on the last calendar day of each calendar month (provided
that, if such calendar day is a day on which commercial banks in the State of
Delaware are authorized or required to be closed, then such payment shall be
due and payable on the next succeeding business day, with interest thereon at
the rate in effect during the calendar month then ended).

          (c)     In full satisfaction of the accrued interest owed in any month
the Payee shall offset any trade payables due the Maker and/or its subsidiary
Lanxide Electronic Components, Inc. in that month in an amount equal in value
to the accrued interest owed.

          (d)     The Payee shall have the right to offset any trade payables
due the Maker's subsidiary Lanxide Electronic Components, Inc. for all
shipments made to Payee following January 31, 1998 in an amount equal to any
unpaid principal balance that may be outstanding as of January 31, 1998.

          (d)     All payments of principal and interest hereunder shall be
payable in lawful money of the United States of America at the office of the
Payee located at 2-2-22, Shiba-koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan.

     2.   PREPAYMENT.

          The Maker shall have the right to prepay, without premium or penalty,
at any time or times after the date hereof, all or any portion of the
outstanding principal balance of this Note.  The Maker agrees that if J.P.
Morgan, Zilkha and Company or Toyota Motor Company provide any financing to
Maker, that Maker will prepay this loan in full using proceeds therefrom
immediately following the receipt of such proceeds by Maker.

     3.   EVENTS OF DEFAULT.

          Any failure by the Maker to pay when due all or any portion of any
principal hereunder shall be an Event of Default hereunder.


     4.   REMEDIES ON DEFAULT.

          If an Event of Default shall occur and shall be uncured for more than
15 days, Maker shall transfer either its stock ownership in Lanxide Electronic
Components, Inc. ("LEC") or its 10% ownership in DuPont Lanxide Composites Inc.
("DLC") to Payee in satisfaction of the loan hereunder immediately following
satisfaction of Makers note to PNC Bank that is guaranteed by E.I. duPont
de Nemours and Company, Inc. ("DuPont").  If Maker has defaulted on such note
to PNC Bank and DuPont has been called upon to perform against its guaranty,
then such transfer shall occur immediately following DuPont's election to
accept either Maker's stockholding in LEC or Maker's 10% stockholding in DLC as
part of DuPont's rights under its guaranty agreement with Maker.  If the stock
of LEC is transferred by Maker to Payee in satisfaction of the loan hereunder,
Payee shall first cause LEC to execute the license hereunder attached as
Exhibit A.

     5.   CERTAIN WAIVERS.

          Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Note, the Maker hereby
waives diligence, demand, presentment for payment, protest, dishonor,
nonpayment, default, and notice of any and all of the foregoing.  The Maker
hereby expressly agrees that this Note, or any payment hereunder, may be
extended, modified or subordinated (by forbearance or otherwise) from time to
time, without in any way affecting the liability of the Maker.  The Maker
hereby further waives the benefit of any exemption under the homestead
exemption laws, if any, or any other exemption or insolvency laws, and consents
that the Payee may release or surrender, exchange or substitute any personal
property or other collateral security now or hereafter held as security for the
payment of this Note.

     6.   AMENDMENTS.

          Neither any provisions of this Note nor any performance hereunder may
be amended or waived orally, but only by an agreement in writing and signed by
the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification or
discharge is sought.

     7.   GOVERNING LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

          This Note shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Delaware and shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with,
the laws of the State of Delaware.  The Maker hereby irrevocably consents to
the jurisdiction of all courts (state and federal) sitting in the State of
Delaware in connection with any claim, action or proceeding relating to or for
the collection or enforcement of this Note, and hereby waives any defense of
forum non conveniens or other such claim or defense in respect of the lodging
of any such claim, action or proceeding in any such court.  THE MAKER HEREBY
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY CLAIM, ACTION OR
PROCEEDING RELATING TO OR FOR THE COLLECTION OR ENFORCEMENT OF THIS NOTE.

     8.   OTHER AGREEMENTS.

          Maker agrees to immediately remit the interest due and payable on a
separate $10 Million note to Kanematsu Corporation from Maker by wire transfer
immediately following receipt of the $1,300,000 advance from Payee hereunder.

          Maker agrees to cause LEC to use its best efforts within the various
constraints and commitments of the business to ship by January 31, 1998, a
maximum number of the parts ordered by Toyota and Mitsubishi for delivery
through March of 1998.

          Maker agrees to cause LEC to accept an observer from Lanxide K.K. to
observe production by LEC of parts for Toyota and Mitsubishi through January
1998.


This note shall supersede and replace all previously executed versions.


     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed and delivered this Note
on and as of the 29th day of December 1997.

                                      LANXIDE CORPORATION

                                      By:  /s/ Marc S. Newkirk
                                           ______________________________

                                      Title:  President

Lanxide Electronics Components Inc. agrees to be bound by the provisions of
Sections 1c and 1d above as surety and the provisions of Section 8 above that
relate to LEC, for so long as LEC is owned by Lanxide Corporation.

                                      LANXIDE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS INC.

                                      By:  /s/ Andrew W. Urquhart
                                           ______________________________

                                      Title:  President & CEO