According to one embodiment, a pattern transfer device includes a substrate, a transfer unit and a controller. The transfer unit is configured to have electrodes and transfer a pattern corresponding to the electrodes with a voltage applied between the substrate and the electrodes. The controller is configured to control humidity between the substrate and the transfer unit.

An article comprises a metal alloy substrate and a plated wear interface layer disposed over a surface of the metal alloy substrate. The wear interface layer has a chemical composition including between about 0.005 wt % and about 0.050 wt % of antimony (Sb), and the balance silver (Ag) and incidental impurities.

The present document provides details of a nanostructured material defined by an anodized alumina having a nanostructure with transverse pores that pass through and connect longitudinal pores grown on an aluminum substrate. This document also describes the process for producing said nanostructured material and the possible use thereof as a template or mould for obtaining nanostructures formed by nanowires, which are generated in the cavities or pores of the aforementioned nanostructure of the nanomaterial of the invention. Likewise, this document details the use of the nanostructured anodized alumina material as a mould for producing nanostructures.

In a process for anodizing a metal object (12), the metal object (12) is contacted with an anodizing electrolyte (32), and is first pre-anodized so as to grow a thin oxide film on the surface. The microscopic surface area is then deduced from electrical measurements either during pre-anodizing or on the pre-anodized surface. The metal object (12) can then be anodized. This is applicable when treating an implant to provide a surface that has the ability to incorporate biocidal material such as silver ions. The pre-anodizing uses a low voltage, for example no more than 2. V, and may take less than 120 seconds.

There is disclosed a method for producing corrosion and erosion-resistant mixed oxide coatings on a metal substrate, as well as a mixed oxide coating itself. A surface of the substrate metal is oxidized and converted into a first coating compound comprising a primary oxide of that metal by a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process. One or more secondary oxide compounds comprising oxides of secondary elements not present in conventional alloys of the substrate metals at significant (>2 wt %) levels are added to the first oxide coating. The source of the secondary element(s) is at least one of: i) a soluble salt of the secondary element(s) in the electrolyte; ii) an enrichment of the surface of the substrate metal with secondary element(s) prior to PEO processing; and iii) a suspension of the secondary element(s) or oxide(s) of the secondary element(s) applied to the oxide of the metal after this has been formed by the PEO process.

Methods are provided for modifying a porous surface of an implantable medical device by subjecting the porous surface to a modified micro-arc oxidation process to improve the ability of the medical device to resist microbial growth, to improve the ability of the medical device to adsorb a bioactive agent or a therapeutic agent, and to improve tissue in-growth and tissue on-growth of the implantable medical device.

The present subject matter relates to techniques of electrolytic oxidation for composite materials. In an example, a method includes immersing a composite material into an electrolytic solution for electrolytic oxidation, wherein the composite material comprises a metal alloy substrate and a second substrate. The method further includes providing a predetermined voltage to the electrolytic solution after every predefined time interval, wherein the voltage triggers electrolytic oxidation of the metal alloy substrate.

A method of manufacturing a thermal cutting element for a surgical instrument includes manufacturing a substrate, coating at least a portion of the substrate via Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO), and disposing a heating element on at least a portion of the PEO-coated substrate. The method may further include attaching the thermal cutting element to a jaw member of a surgical instrument.

A method of anodizing an article of aluminum or aluminum alloy for forming a porous anodic oxide coating comprises an immersion step of immersing the article to be anodized in an electrolyte in a tank, wherein the electrolyte comprises an aqueous solution of 5-50 g/l sulphuric acid and 2-50 g/l phosphoric acid, and arranging the article as an anode with respect to one or more counter electrodes as arranged cathodes in the electrolyte, and an anodizing step of applying a positive anode voltage Va to the article, while the temperature of the electrolyte is in the range of 33-60° C.

Provided herein are corrosion resistant metal substrates and methods for producing the same by thermal modification. The disclosure provides methods for producing corrosion resistant substrates by producing a pretreatment film on a surface of a metal substrate and heating the pretreated metal substrate. In particular, the metal substrate and/or the pretreated metal substrate of these methods is in an F temper, a T4 temper, or a T6 temper.