A hearth roll includes a base roll, a thermally sprayed coating formed on the base roll, and a modified coating formed on the thermally sprayed coating. The modified coating is formed by modifying a part or the whole of a surface of the thermally sprayed coating by melting and solidification of the thermally sprayed coating, by irradiating a part or the whole of the surface of the thermally sprayed coating with an energy beam. The thickness of the modified coating is from 2 to 20 m, and the Vickers hardness HV of the modified coating is from 1.2 to 1.4 times larger than the Vickers hardness HV of the thermally sprayed coating.

A coated article includes a substrate, a functional layer over at least a portion of the substrate, and a protective coating over at least a portion of the functional layer, wherein an uppermost layer of the functional layer is a metal oxide layer, and wherein the protective coating comprises a metal nitride layer and a metal oxynitride layer that is disposed between and in contact with at least part of the metal nitride layer and the metal oxide layer of the functional layer.

A timepiece part includes: a substrate; and a first coating configured from a material containing cobalt as a primary component, and 26 mass % to 30 mass % of Cr, and 5 mass % to 7 mass % of Mo. The first coating has an average signal intensity of oxygen of 0 counts/sec to 150 counts/sec as measured by SIMS relative to a 1.0 m-thick reference film of a composition containing Co: 62.8 mass %, Cr: 28.2 mass %, Mo: 6.0 mass %, C: 1.5 mass %, and Ar: 1.5 mass %.

A steel piston designed to improve thermal efficiency, fuel consumption, and performance of an engine is provided. The piston includes a steel body portion and a thermal barrier layer applied to an upper combustion surface and/or a ring belt to reduce the amount of heat transferred from a combustion chamber to the body portion. The thermal barrier layer has a thermal conductivity which is lower than a thermal conductivity of the steel body portion. The thermal barrier layer typically includes a ceramic material, for example ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, and/or a mixture of ceria stabilized zirconia and yttria stabilized zirconia in an amount of 90 to 100 wt. %, based on the total weight of the ceramic material. The thermal barrier layer can also have a gradient structure which gradually transitions from 100 wt. % of a metal bond material to 100 wt. % of the ceramic material.

A timepiece part according to the invention includes: a substrate; and a first coating configured from a material containing cobalt as a primary component, and 26 mass % to 30 mass % of Cr, and 5 mass % to 7 mass % of Mo. The first coating has a surface with a percentage surface area increase of 0% to 1.2% as measured by atomic force microscopy against a reference flat surface.

Provided is a sliding material including a substrate; and a copper alloy layer bonded to the substrate. The copper alloy includes 2.0 to 15.0% by mass of tin. The copper alloy layer includes a sliding body part including a sliding surface, and a gradient region including a bond surface with the substrate. A tin concentration in the gradient region reduces from the sliding body part toward the bond surface. A method for producing the siding material is also provided. The method includes preparing the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; melting the copper alloy; casting the molten copper alloy on the first surface of the substrate; and solidifying the copper alloy unidirectionally by cooling the substrate from the second surface by a coolant.

Forming and depositing a high temperature inorganic coating on a polymeric composite substrate surfaces having deposited thereon an interlayer, and articles produce therefrom. Methods of providing functional properties to said composites are also disclosed.

A composition and method of kinetically depositing the composition to form a coating onto an exterior surface of a zirconium alloy cladding of a light water nuclear reactor which at least partially adheres to the exterior surface. The coating composition includes a first component and a second component. The first component is selected from the group consisting of zirconium, zirconium oxide and mixtures thereof. The second component is selected from the group consisting of Zr.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.3AlC.sub.2 ceramic, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, aluminum, zirconium silicide, amorphous and semi-amorphous alloyed stainless steel, and mixtures of Zr.sub.2AlC ceramic, Ti.sub.2AlC ceramic and Ti.sub.3AlC.sub.2 ceramic. The coating has a gradient emanating from the exterior surface of the cladding toward an exposed outer surface of the coating such that percent by weight of the first component decreases and the second component increases from the exterior surface of the cladding toward the exposed outer surface of the coating.

A method includes casting a metallic material (56) in a mold (20) containing a core, the core having a substrate (40, 44) coated with a coating (42). A removing of the metallic material from the mold and decoring leaves a casting having a layer formed by the coating. The coating has a ceramic having a porosity in a zone (50) near the substrate less than a porosity in a zone (52) away from the substrate.

A component for an engine is provided. The component includes a thermal barrier coating applied to a body portion formed of metal, such as steel or another ferrous or iron-based material. According to one embodiment, a bond layer of a metal is applied to the body portion, followed by a mixed layer of metal and ceramic with a gradient structure, and then optionally a top layer of metal. The thermal barrier coating can also include a ceramic layer between the mixed layer and top layer, or as the outermost layer. The ceramic includes at least one of ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, yttria, yttria stabilized zirconia, calcia stabilized zirconia, magnesia stabilized zirconia, and zirconia stabilized by another oxide. The thermal barrier coating can be applied by thermal spray. The thermal barrier coating preferably has a thickness less than 200 microns and a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 3 microns.