Provided is a composite electrode material. The composite electrode material is disposed on a surface of an electrode. The composite electrode material includes a plurality of conductive material layers and a plurality of active material layers. The conductive material layers and the active material layers are alternately stacked along a direction non-parallel to the surface of the electrode, and are arranged disorderly along a direction parallel to the surface of the electrode.

Process for deposition of a dense thin film comprising at least one material Px on a substrate, in which: (a) a colloidal suspension is procured containing nanoparticles of at least one material Px, (b) said substrate is immersed in said colloidal suspension, jointly with a counter electrode, (c) an electrical voltage is applied between said substrate and said counter electrode so as to obtain the electrophoretic deposition of a compact film comprising nanoparticles of said at least one material Px on said substrate, (d) said compact film is dried, (e) said film is mechanically consolidated, (f) thermal consolidation is carried out at a temperature T.sub.R that does not exceed 0.7 times (and preferably does not exceed 0.5 times) the melting or decomposition temperature (expressed in C.) of the material Px that melts at the lowest temperature, preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 600 C., and even more preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 400 C., knowing that steps (e) and (f) can be carried out simultaneously, or can be inverted.

Process for deposition of a dense thin film comprising at least one material Px on a substrate, in which: (a) a colloidal suspension is procured containing nanoparticles of at least one material Px, (b) said substrate is immersed in said colloidal suspension, jointly with a counter electrode, (c) an electrical voltage is applied between said substrate and said counter electrode so as to obtain the electrophoretic deposition of a compact film comprising nanoparticles of said at least one material Px on said substrate, (d) said compact film is dried, (e) said film is mechanically consolidated, (f) thermal consolidation is carried out at a temperature T.sub.R that does not exceed 0.7 times (and preferably does not exceed 0.5 times) the melting or decomposition temperature (expressed in C.) of the material Px that melts at the lowest temperature, preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 600 C., and even more preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 400 C., knowing that steps (e) and (f) can be carried out simultaneously, or can be inverted.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) agglomerates can be aligned along the field lines between adjacent electrodes to form conductive bridges. The present invention is directed to a stepwise process of dielectrophoretic deposition of CNTs to form conducting bridges between adjacent electrodes spanning lengths over 50 microns. The CNT bridges are permanently secured using electrodeposition of the conducting polymer polypyrrole. Morphologies of the CNT bridges formed within a frequency range of 1 kHz and 10 MHz are employed and explained as a consequence of interplay between dielectrophoretic and electroosmotic forces. Postdeposition heat treatment increases conductivity of CNT bridges likely due to solvent evaporation and resulting surface tension inducing better contact between CNTs.

An electrically conductive composite is disclosed that includes a dielectric material having a first side and a second side, conductive particles within the dielectric material layer, and a discontinuous layer of a conductive material on a first side of the dielectric layer. The conductive particles are aligned to form a plurality of conductive paths from the first side to the second side of the dielectric material, and each of the conductive paths is formed of at least a plurality of conductive particles. The discontinuous layer includes a plurality of non-mutually connected portions that cover portions of, but not all of, the first side of the dielectric material such that exposed portions of the underlying first side of the dielectric material remain exposed through the discontinuous layer, yet the discontinuous layer facilitates the electronic coupling together of a plurality of the conductive paths from the first side to the second side of the dielectric material.

An electrically conductive composite is disclosed that includes a dielectric material having a first side and a second side, conductive particles within the dielectric material layer, and a discontinuous layer of a conductive material on a first side of the dielectric layer. The conductive particles are aligned to form a plurality of conductive paths from the first side to the second side of the dielectric material, and each of the conductive paths is formed of at least a plurality of conductive particles. The discontinuous layer includes a plurality of non-mutually connected portions that cover portions of, but not all of, the first side of the dielectric material such that exposed portions of the underlying first side of the dielectric material remain exposed through the discontinuous layer, yet the discontinuous layer facilitates the electronic coupling together of a plurality of the conductive paths from the first side to the second side of the dielectric material.

A coating method for a cationic electrodeposition coating material includes steps for immersing a metal object to be coated in a first solution bath, a second solution bath and a third solution bath, and wherein: at least one step among the three steps is cationic electrodeposition coating that is accompanied by application of a current; a coating film which is formed through the three steps contains at least a base resin component (A), a reaction component (B) and a catalyst (C); and the first solution bath, the second solution bath and the third solution bath contain one or a combination of two of the base resin component (A), the reaction component (B) and the catalyst (C).

A steel sheet is provided with a coating having at least one layer of zinc and a top layer of paint applied by cataphoresis. The zinc layer is deposited by a jet vapor deposition process in a deposition chamber maintained at a pressure between 6.Math.10.sup.2 mbar and 2.Math.10.sup.1 mbar. A fabrication method is also provided.

Provided herein are methods of forming a composite matrix on a porous substrate or a non-porous substrate, the methods including subjecting the substrate to a first deposition method to apply a first coating including first ceramic or metallic particles and form a coated substrate and subjecting the coated substrate to atomic layer deposition to apply a second coating and form the composite matrix, wherein the second coating includes second ceramic or metallic particles.

A method for increasing a detection distance of a surface of an object illuminated by near-IR electromagnetic radiation, including: (a) directing near-IR electromagnetic radiation from a near-IR electromagnetic radiation source towards an object at least partially coated with a near-IR reflective coating that increases a near-IR electromagnetic radiation detection distance by at least 15% as measured at a wavelength in a near-IR range as compared to the same object coated with a color matched coating which absorbs more of the same near-IR radiation, where the color matched coating has a ?E color matched value of 1.5 or less when compared to the near-IR reflective coating; and (b) detecting reflected near-IR electromagnetic radiation reflected from the near-IR reflective coating. A system for detecting proximity of vehicles is also disclosed.