A method of making a negative electrode material for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is provided that includes centrifugally distributing a molten precursor comprising silicon and lithium by contacting the molten precursor with a rotating surface in a centrifugal atomizing reactor. The molten precursor is solidified to form a plurality of substantially round solid electroactive particles comprising an alloy of lithium and silicon and having a D50 diameter of less than or equal to about 20 micrometers. In certain variations, the negative electroactive material particles may further have one or more coatings disposed thereon, such as a carbonaceous coating and/or an oxide-based coating.

A composite panel having a plurality of carbon plies, a perforated metallic foil comprising several apertures and being secured to the plurality of carbon plies, and a protective layer made from resin secured to the metallic foil. The perforated metallic foil is embedded in the protective layer through its apertures. A free surface of the protective layer forms a top side of the composite panel. The thickness of the protective layer between the top side of the composite panel and the perforated metallic foil is at least 15 micrometers and the perforated metallic foil has a thickness of not more than 30 micrometers. The plurality of apertures in the aggregate defines an open area of not more than 40% of the surface area and a maximum distance between two opposed points in a perimeter of an aperture is equal to or less than 3 mm

A first diamond layer made of polycrystalline diamonds and doped with foreign atoms, is arranged on a metal surface of a machining tool, and is used to detect the degree of wear of an undoped polycrystalline second diamond layer, which is arranged on the doped diamond layer and forms a functional region of the machining tool, wherein at least one physical parameter is detected continuously or periodically during operation of the tool, and wherein a change in the parameter indicates the degree of wear of the undoped second diamond layer. The doped diamond layer forms an “intelligent stop layer” for the tool because as a result of change in the transition from the undoped to the doped layer, the conductivity of the system changes, for example, and this change can be used to form a stop signal for the machine drive before the tool and the machined workpiece are damaged.

Overlayers for coating diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are disclosed for use with DLC films employed on the sliders of hard disk drives, such as the sliders of heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) or energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) drives. In some illustrative examples, the overlayer is formed of an oxide, such as hafnium dioxide or tantalum pentoxide. A buffer layer formed, for example, of silicon nitride is interposed between the oxide overlayer and the DLC film. The oxide layer is provided to prevent oxidation of the DLC film during HAMR so as to maintain thermal stability of the DLC film and prevent a loss of optical transparency at the laser wavelengths of HAMR. The buffer layer is provided to prevent chemical mixing of the oxide overlayer and the DLC film. In other examples, an overlayer formed of silicon nitride is formed directly on the DLC film with no buffer layer.

A non-stoichiometric nanocomposite coating and method of making and using the coating. The non-stoichiometric nanocomposite coating is disposed on a base material, such as a metal or ceramic; and the nanocomposite consists essentially of a matrix of an alloy selected from the group of Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt and Re which are catalytically active for cracking of carbon bonds in oils and greases and a grain structure selected from the group of borides, carbides and nitrides.

A multilayer system having at least one anticorrosion layer and a wear protection layer, wherein the anticorrosion layer is formed by a metal nitride or a metal carbonitride which contains at least titanium and magnesium as the metal, wherein the metal nitride or the metal carbonitride further includes at least one rare earth metal, and the wear protection layer is formed by at least one diamond-like metal-free carbon layer. A component having such a multilayer system and a method for producing the multilayer system or the component are also provided.

A coating comprising a bottom layer comprising a hard physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating applied to the end mill. The bottom layer has an edge-prep and polished top surface with reoriented cutting forces. The coating includes a top layer comprising a friction reducing coating applied to the top surface of the bottom layer to prevent or minimize titanium or titanium alloy adhesion to the end mill during milling operations of a metal object comprising the titanium or titanium alloy. The coating has a chemical composition which has inertness toward titanium or titanium alloy. A cutter tool and method are also provided.

A titanium material includes a base material made of pure titanium or a titanium alloy; and a carbon layer covering a surface of the base material. The carbon layer includes non-graphitizable carbon, and has an R value (I.sub.1350/I.sub.1590) of 2.0 or more and 3.5 or less in the Raman spectroscopy using laser having a wavelength of 532 nm. Where I.sub.1350 is peak intensity at a wave number of around 1.3510.sup.5 m.sup.1 in a Raman spectrum, and I.sub.1590 is peak intensity at a wave number of around 1.5910.sup.5 m.sup.1 in a Raman spectrum. According to this titanium material, it is possible to realize low contact resistance by the carbon layer. Moreover, this titanium material is not susceptible to surface oxidation and capable of maintaining low contact resistance even when exposed to noble potential.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet includes: a base steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition; a glass coating provided on the surface of the base steel sheet; and a tension-applying insulation coating provided on the surface of the glass coating, in which linear thermal strains having, a predetermined angle (r) with respect to a transverse direction which is a direction orthogonal to a rolling direction are periodically formed on the surface of the tension-applying insulation coating at predetermined intervals along the rolling direction, a full width at half maximum Fl on the linear thermal strain and a full width at half maximum F2 at an intermediate position between the two linear thermal strains adjacent to each other satisfy 0.00<(F1F2)/F20.15, the width of the linear thermal strain is 10 m or more and 300 m, or less, and in the base steel sheet, an orientation distribution angle around a rolling direction axis of secondary recrystallization grains, an orientation distribution angle around an axis parallel to a normal direction. and an orientation distribution angle around an axis perpendicular to each of the RD axis and the ND axis in units of satisfy 1.08.0 and 0.0(.sup.2+.sup.2).sup.0.510.0.

A piston ring with a coated outer surface is provided. The coating is disposed on end sections of the outer surface adjacent a gap. Typically, a middle section of the outer surface located between the end sections is not coated. The coating can be formed of CrN or DLC, and the CrN coating can be applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD). The end sections of the outer surface, upon which the coating is applied, are rough. For example, the outer surface can be blasted or otherwise textured to achieve the rough surface. The rough surface retains oil and distributes stress better than a smooth surface, and thus reduces crazing and flaking of the coating.