The present concepts include a zero-porosity structure having a plurality of structural elements arranged to provide a negative Poisson's ratio and, further, a new mechanism to generate negative Poisson's ratio is single material, zero-porosity structure.

Methods for forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition are provided. The method may include: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon. Thereafter the initial component may be heated to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area. Thereafter, the initial component may be cooled from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

The present invention relates to a temperature-control unit for a furnace device for heat treating a plate, in particular a metal plate. The temperature-control unit has a temperature-control body, which is arrangeable in a furnace chamber of the furnace device. The temperature-control body has a plurality of receiving bores. Furthermore, the temperature-control unit has a plurality of temperature-control pins, wherein the temperature-control pins are mounted in the receiving bores movably relative to the temperature-control body. The temperature-control pins are controllable in such a way that a temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins is extendable from the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate, so that a thermal contact between the temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins and a predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate is generatable.

A method for producing metal band material with different mechanic& properties across the width of the band, in which the hand is heated zonally with regard to the width so that zones with a different heating state are temporarily produced and the band is then cooled in, order to produce regions with a different metal structure and thus different mechanical properties, wherein one or more zones that are to be heated are acted on with a heating device, while the other zones are isolated from the heating or are freed of the heating or are actively cooled or else a beat flow, which is introduced into the zones that are not to be heated, is diverted to contact masses that are resting against the zones that are not to be heated.

An object of the invention is to provide: a two-phase alloy as a metal material that can be preferably utilized under circumstances of a temperature range and a high corrosion as in an oil well, the two-phase alloy having a high corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties that are equivalent or more than those of conventional ones, and saving a cost; a product of the two-phase alloy; and a method for producing the product. There is provided a two-phase alloy containing Cr as a major component and including two phases of an austenite phase and a ferrite phase in a mixed state. The alloy has a chemical composition containing: 34-70 mass % of Cr; 17-45 mass % of Ni; 10-35 mass % of Fe; 0.1-2 mass % of Mn; 0.1-1 mass % of Si; and impurities. The total content of the Ni and the Fe is 30-65 mass %.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

Provided is a steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition and structure wherein (Fe, Mn).sub.2 B precipitates having a circle equivalent diameter of 50 to 300 nm are present in a number density of 1/500 μm.sup.2 or more in a surface layer region down to a depth of 100 μm from the surface in the sheet thickness direction. Further, provided is a method for producing a steel sheet comprising continuously casting a molten steel having a predetermined chemical composition to form a steel slab, wherein the continuously casting includes introducing more than 10 ppm and less than 100 ppm of oxygen into the surface layer of the steel slab, hot rolling including finish rolling the steel slab, wherein a completion temperature of the finish rolling is 650 to 950° C., coiling the obtained hot rolled steel sheet at a coiling temperature of 400 to 700° C., and cold rolling the hot rolled steel sheet, then annealing it.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

A probe for an ultrasonic treatment tool is configured to transmit ultrasonic vibration to a biological tissue. The probe includes a substrate including a stainless steel, a structure of the stainless steel including one or both of troostite and sorbate.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.