A stainless steel for use in a fuel cell separator is produced by subjecting stainless steel containing 16 mass % or more of Cr to electrolytic treatment and thereafter to immersion treatment in a solution containing fluorine. The electrolytic treatment is carried out by anodic electrolyzation or by a combination of anodic electrolyzation and cathodic electrolyzation, and an anodic electrolytic quantity Qa and a cathodic electrolytic quantity Qc preferably satisfy QaQc. The solution containing fluorine preferably has a temperature of 40 C. or higher, and hydrofluoric acid concentration [HF] (mass %) and nitric acid concentration [HNO.sub.3] (mass %) satisfying [HF]0.8[HNO.sub.3].

A stainless steel for use in a fuel cell separator is produced by subjecting stainless steel containing 16 mass % or more of Cr to electrolytic treatment and thereafter to immersion treatment in a solution containing fluorine. The electrolytic treatment is carried out by anodic electrolyzation or by a combination of anodic electrolyzation and cathodic electrolyzation, and an anodic electrolytic quantity Qa and a cathodic electrolytic quantity Qc preferably satisfy QaQc. The solution containing fluorine preferably has a temperature of 40 C. or higher, and hydrofluoric acid concentration [HF] (mass %) and nitric acid concentration [HNO.sub.3] (mass %) satisfying [HF]0.8[HNO.sub.3].

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for using actuated surface-attached posts for assessing biofluid rheology are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for testing properties of a biofluid specimen includes placing the specimen onto a micropost array having a plurality of microposts extending outwards from a substrate, wherein each micropost includes a proximal end attached to the substrate and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and generating an actuation force in proximity to the micropost array to actuate the microposts, thereby compelling at least some of the microposts to exhibit motion. The method further includes measuring the motion of at least one of the microposts in response to the actuation force and determining a property of the specimen based on the measured motion of the at least one micropost.

A method and apparatus for electrochemical etching are disclosed. The method comprises immersing parts of objects (2) to be etched in an electrolyte (4), applying a voltage between the objects (2) and at least one electrode (6) to cause an electrochemical reaction between the objects (2) and the electrolyte (4), and positioning the objects (2) and electrodes (6) relative to each other such that a reaction product accumulates on the objects (2) during the reaction to reduce the rate of the reaction.

Provided in one embodiment is a method of forming a movable joint or connection between parts that move with respect to one another, wherein at least one part is at least partially enclosed by at least one second part. The method includes positioning an etchable material over an at least one first part, molding or forming an at least one second part over at least the etchable material, and removing the etchable material.

An aqueous electrolyte solution including a concentration of citric acid in the range of about 1.6 g/L to about 982 g/L and an effective concentration of ammonium bifluoride (ABF), and being substantially free of a strong acid. Methods of treating the surface of a non-ferrous metal workpiece include exposing the surface to a bath of an aqueous electrolyte solution including a concentration of citric acid less than or equal to about 300 g/L and a concentration of ammonium bifluoride greater than or equal to about 10 g/L, and having no more than about 3.35 g/L of a strong acid, controlling the temperature of the bath to be greater than or equal to about 54 C., connecting the workpiece to the anode of a DC power supply and immersing a cathode of the DC power supply in the bath, and applying a current across the bath.

A manufacturing method of metal and plastic composite bodies integrated by etching a surface of a metal member and forming a thermoplastic resin on an etching surface may include forming a printing layer which prints a pattern or a character on an exposed surface of a metal member and a protective layer for protecting the printed pattern thereon, grease-removing and cleaning to remove a passivation oxidized film at a rear side of the metal member to be integrally coupled with a plastic portion, surface-treating a surface by using and etching a ferric chloride solution in a range of pH 3 to 4.5 so as to form a minute unevenness at the rear side, removing a smut generated in the surface-treating process, and molding for integrally forming the plastic portion with the metal member.

A method for machining a workpiece is provided. An electrode is moved linearly in the direction of the workpiece to cause material to be removed from the workpiece, at least one end of a surface of the workpiece running obliquely to a guide edge of the electrode machining this surface. The electrode is moved at least partially with the electrode surface parallel to the surface, so that during the approach to the workpiece, areas of the workpiece having an irregular edge machined at a different intensity are formed, the difference in intensity of machining on the edge of the surface to be machined being compensated in that the surface to be machined is provided with a height profile adapted to the shape of the end of the surface to be machined. A blade ring segment and blade ring is also disclosed.

A method for machining a workpiece is provided. An electrode is moved linearly in the direction of the workpiece to cause material to be removed from the workpiece, at least one end of a surface of the workpiece running obliquely to a guide edge of the electrode machining this surface. The electrode is moved at least partially with the electrode surface parallel to the surface, so that during the approach to the workpiece, areas of the workpiece having an irregular edge machined at a different intensity are formed, the difference in intensity of machining on the edge of the surface to be machined being compensated in that the surface to be machined is provided with a height profile adapted to the shape of the end of the surface to be machined. A blade ring segment and blade ring is also disclosed.

Out-of-plane microneedle manufacturing process comprising the simultaneous creation of a network of microneedles and the creation of a polygonal shaped hat (2) above each microneedle (1) under formation, said process comprising the following steps: providing bridges (3) between the hats (3), maintaining the bridges (3) during the remaining microneedle manufacturing steps, removing the bridges (3), together with the hats (2), when the microneedles (1) are formed.