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.

A method is provided which includes dispensing and removing different deposition solutions during an electroless deposition process to form different sub-films of a composite layer. Another method includes forming a film by an electroless deposition process and subsequently annealing the microelectronic topography to induce diffusion of an element within the film. Yet another method includes reiterating different mechanisms of deposition growth, namely interfacial electroless reduction and chemical adsorption, from a single deposition solution to form different sub-films of a composite layer. A microelectronic topography resulting from one or more of the methods includes a film formed in contact with a structure having a bulk concentration of a first element. The film has periodic successions of regions each comprising a region with a concentration of a second element greater than a set amount and a region with a concentration of the second element less than the set amount.

A rod, a cutting tool and a method for manufacturing a cutting tool are disclosed. In an embodiment, the rod may include a cemented carbide member containing WC and Co. The cemented carbide member may be elongated and include a first end portion and a second end portion in a longitudinal direction. The first end portion may have a Co content Co.sub.AC smaller than a Co content Co.sub.BC of the second end portion. The cemented carbide member may include a first portion on a side of the first end portion and a second portion on a side of the second end portion. The first portion may have a gradient S.sub.1 representing a change in a Co content per milliliter. The second portion may have a gradient S.sub.2 representing a change in a Co content per milliliter. The gradient S.sub.1 may be greater than the gradient S.sub.2.

A thick steel plate is provided by heating a continuously-cast slab, hot forging the continuously-cast slab using opposing dies having respective short sides differing such that when a short side length of a die having a shorter one of the short sides is taken to be 1, a short side length of a die having a longer one of the short sides is 1.1 to 3.0, allowing cooling to obtain a steel raw material, reheating the steel raw material, performing hot rolling of the steel raw material including at least two passes carried out, allowing cooling to obtain a thick steel plate, reheating the thick steel plate to at least the Ac.sub.3 temperature and no higher than 1050 C., rapidly cooling the thick steel plate to 350 C. or lower, and tempering the thick steel plate at at least 550 C. and no higher than 700 C.

A metallic structure includes a first plurality of metal particles arranged in an amorphous structure; a second plurality of metal particles arranged in a crystalline structure having at least two grain sizes, wherein the crystalline structure is arranged to receive the amorphous structure deposited thereon; wherein the grain size is arranged in a gradient structure.

The invention is directed at composite materials, articles including the composite materials, and methods for producing and using them. The composite material include regions that differ in one or more properties. The composite material generally includes a first metallic sheet, a second metallic sheet; one or more metallic inserts interposed between the first and second metallic sheets; and a polymeric layer (e.g., a core layer) interposed between the first and second metallic sheets. The polymeric layer preferably includes a thermoplastic polymer. Preferably, the composite material includes a first region having an insert interposed between the metallic sheets so that the first region (relative to the second region) has a high tensile strength, a high thickness, a high density, or any combination thereof.

Methods for electrochemical deposition of a metal coating on a metal substrate are described. The method may use an ionic liquid as an electrolyte, and the substrate may comprise a first metallic element. Method steps may include pretreating the substrate by etching in an ionic liquid containing metal ions of a second metallic element, removing metal ions of the first metallic element from the substrate, wherein the metal ions of the first metallic element are received by the ionic liquid, depositing a transition layer on the substrate from the ionic liquid, wherein metal ions of the first and second metallic elements are incorporated in the transition layer, and depositing a coating on the transition layer by electrochemical deposition from an ionic liquid containing ions of the second metallic element.

Powder compositions are described having, as constituents: an aluminum donor powder, an aluminum-containing activator powder comprising at least 50 wt. % KAlF.sub.4, and an inert filler powder. Related methods and coatings are also described.

A method is provided which includes dispensing and removing different deposition solutions during an electroless deposition process to form different sub-films of a composite layer. Another method includes forming a film by an electroless deposition process and subsequently annealing the microelectronic topography to induce diffusion of an element within the film. Yet another method includes reiterating different mechanisms of deposition growth, namely interfacial electroless reduction and chemical adsorption, from a single deposition solution to form different sub-films of a composite layer. A microelectronic topography resulting from one or more of the methods includes a film formed in contact with a structure having a bulk concentration of a first element. The film has periodic successions of regions each comprising a region with a concentration of a second element greater than a set amount and a region with a concentration of the second element less than the set amount.

A bearing component including a first metallic material and a second metallic material. The first metallic material provides a first carbon content and the second metallic material presents a second carbon content. The first metallic material and the second metallic material have been joined by a diffusion welding process. The diffusion welding process results in a transition zone with a varying carbon content between the first metallic material and the second metallic material. Varying carbon content in the transition zone is within an interval and the interval end points are defined by the carbon contents of the first metallic material and the second metallic material.