A support element (S) for supporting implants (I), such as dental implants, the support element comprising a bar (S1) and a plurality of pins (S5) that are fitted to the bar (S1) and that are arranged parallel to one another, each pin (S5) defining a free end that is provided with reception means (S8) that are suitable for co-operating with the implant (S) so as to hold it on the reception means (S8) of the pin (S5), the bar (S1) including at least one mounting end (S4) for mounting the bar (S1) on another support device, thereby forming a support structure; the support element being characterized in that each pin (S5) is provided with a removal system (S9) for removing the implant (S) from the reception means (S8), without coming into contact with an exposed portion of the implant (S).

A method of boriding a metal comprises forming a molten electrolyte comprising between about five weight percent and about fifty weight percent boron oxide, and contacting at least a portion of a metal with the molten electrolyte. Electrical current is applied to at least a portion of the metal while maintaining a temperature of the molten electrolyte below about 700 C. to diffuse boron atoms from the molten electrolyte into a surface of the at least a portion of the metal. A downhole tool including at least one borided component is also disclosed.

A method of boriding a metal comprises forming a molten electrolyte comprising between about five weight percent and about fifty weight percent boron oxide, and contacting at least a portion of a metal with the molten electrolyte. Electrical current is applied to at least a portion of the metal while maintaining a temperature of the molten electrolyte below about 700 C. to diffuse boron atoms from the molten electrolyte into a surface of the at least a portion of the metal. A downhole tool including at least one borided component is also disclosed.

A method is disclosed for forming an article made of a metal matrix composite material having particles bonded to an anodizable matrix material. The method can include anodizing the anodizable matrix material to form an anodic layer on the anodizable matrix material. The method can also include machining at least a portion of the anodic layer.

The invention relates to a method and system for preventing corrosion of at least one metallic structure in an electrolyte medium, comprising applying a superimposed time-varying frequency electromagnetic wave to the structure, the method comprising the steps of generating a superimposed time-varying frequency electromagnetic wave (DAC wave) where an AC driving signal with time-varying frequency is riding on a DC output with a predefined DC bias voltage, transmitting the DAC wave current to one or more emitters, emitting the DAC wave via the one or more emitters, placing the one or more emitters at a spaced distance from the metallic structure, subjecting the metallic structure to the DAC wave current, controlling the negative return current of the DAC wave from the metallic structure, such that the DAC wave is distributed across the structure surface and directly excites a target region of the metallic structure, and wherein the excitation induces a flow of ionic current having a DC component travelling in a pulsating and time-varying manner in the target region and effects induced vibration of electrons and molecules in the target region. The method and the system of the invention significantly reduce capital costs and require very low energy, they avoid environmentally unfriendly final products, and are able to result in effective corrosion protection of metallic structures in different surrounding conditions.

The composition ratio of a titanium hydride [I.sub.TiH/(I.sub.Ti+I.sub.TiH)]100 found from the maximum intensity of metal titanium (I.sub.Ti) and the maximum intensity of the titanium hydride (I.sub.TiH) of the X-ray diffraction peaks measured at a surface of a titanium or a titanium alloy at an incident angle to the surface of 0.3 is 55% or more, a titanium oxide film is formed on an outermost surface of the titanium or the titanium alloy, and C is at 10 atomic % or less, N is at 1 atomic % or less, and B is at 1 atomic % or less in a position where the surface has been subjected to sputtering of 5 nm with argon. The titanium oxide film is formed by performing stabilization treatment after performing passivation treatment in prescribed aqueous solutions, and has a thickness of 3 to 10 nm.

The composition ratio of a titanium hydride [I.sub.TiH/(I.sub.Ti+I.sub.TiH)]100 found from the maximum intensity of metal titanium (I.sub.Ti) and the maximum intensity of the titanium hydride (I.sub.TiH) of the X-ray diffraction peaks measured at a surface of a titanium or a titanium alloy at an incident angle to the surface of 0.3 is 55% or more, a titanium oxide film is formed on an outermost surface of the titanium or the titanium alloy, and C is at 10 atomic % or less, N is at 1 atomic % or less, and B is at 1 atomic % or less in a position where the surface has been subjected to sputtering of 5 nm with argon. The titanium oxide film is formed by performing stabilization treatment after performing passivation treatment in prescribed aqueous solutions, and has a thickness of 3 to 10 nm.

A substrate (1, 10) for electrical circuits, comprising at least one metal layer (2,3, 14) and a paper ceramic layer (11), which is joined face to face with the at least one metal layer (2,3, 14) and has a top side and bottom side (11a, 11b), wherein the paper ceramic layer (11) has a large number of cavities in the form of pores. Especially advantageously, the at least one metal layer (2, 3, 14) is connected to the paper ceramic layer (11) by means of at least one glue layer (6, 6a, 6b), which is produced by applying at least one glue (6a, 6a, 6b, 6b) to the metal layer (2,3, 14) and/or to the paper ceramic layer (11), wherein the cavities in the form of pores in the paper ceramic layer (11) are filled at least at the surface by means of the applied glue (6a, 6a, 6b,6b).

The invention relates to a two-stage method for the anti-corrosive pretreatment of tinplate, in which an anti-corrosive primer coating is applied in a first step, in which the tinplate is anodically polarized in an electrolyte containing at least one inert water-soluble salt and is then in a second step, brought in contact with an acidic aqueous composition containing water-soluble inorganic compounds of the elements Zr, Ti, Hf, and/or Si.

The invention relates to a two-stage method for the anti-corrosive pretreatment of tinplate, in which an anti-corrosive primer coating is applied in a first step, in which the tinplate is anodically polarized in an electrolyte containing at least one inert water-soluble salt and is then in a second step, brought in contact with an acidic aqueous composition containing water-soluble inorganic compounds of the elements Zr, Ti, Hf, and/or Si.