Conductive polymer fibers 10, in which a conductor 12 containing a conductive polymer impregnates and/or adheres to base fibers 11, and the aforementioned conductive polymer is PEDOT-PSS.

Treated HPPE yarns include elemental metal which forms a layer that adheres to the surface of the HPPE yarn and covers at least partly the surface of the HPPE yarn. The elemental metal is deposited onto the outer surface of a HPPE yarn via sputtering, preferably plasma sputtering. Articles comprising the treated HPPE yarn, a device comprising the treated HPPE yarn or the article as well as processes for preparing the treated HPPE yarn or treated HPPE yarn structure or treated HPPE yarn configuration and use of the treated HPPE yarn or an article or a device comprising the treated HPPE yarn for automotive applications, marine applications, aerospace applications, medical applications, defense applications, sports/recreational applications, architectural applications, clothing applications, bottling applications, machinery applications are also disclosed.

A process of producing a conducting material suitable for being filled in TSVs for LSI chip 3D package, etc. includes that a solution containing a monomer that provides a conducting polymer, anions, and metal ions such as Ag.sup.+ or Cu.sup.2+ is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation or light having the energy necessary for exciting electrons up to an energy level capable of reducing the metal ions to precipitate a conducting polymer/metal composite. This enables an electrical conductor of high electrical conductivity to be precipitated faster than could be achieved by conventional processes.

A molding material is provided including a composite having 1 to 50 wt % of (A) a bundle of continuous reinforcing fibers and 0.1 to 40 wt % of (B) a polyarylene sulfide prepolymer or (B) a polyarylene sulfide; and 10 to 98.9 wt % of (C) a thermoplastic resin adhered to the composite; wherein the composite further has (D) a zero-valent transition metal compound or (E) a low-valent iron compound in an amount of 0.001 to 20 mol % based on the amount of sulfur atoms contained in the component (B) or (B). A prepreg and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced molding base material is also provided. By using the molding material according to the present invention which exhibits excellent economic efficiency and productivity, a molded article having excellent mechanical characteristics can be easily produced.

A bonding wire for a high-speed signal line for connecting a pad electrode of a semiconductor device and a lead electrode on a circuit board contains palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), silver (Ag), and a trace additive element.

A thermally degradable polymeric fiber comprising a polymeric fiber matrix including a poly(hydroxyalkanoate) and a metal in the form of a compound selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal oxide, a tin salt of a mono- or di-carboxylic acid, and scandium triflate (Sc(0Tf).sub.3), where the concentration of the metal in the fiber matrix is at least 0.1 wt %.

Methods of producing silicon carbide, and other metal carbide materials. The method comprises reacting a carbon material (e.g., fibers, or nanoparticles, such as powder, platelet, foam, nanofiber, nanorod, nanotube, whisker, graphene (e.g., graphite), fullerene, or hydrocarbon) and a metal or metal oxide source material (e.g., in gaseous form) in a reaction chamber at an elevated temperature ranging up to approximately 2400 C. or more, depending on the particular metal or metal oxide, and the desired metal carbide being produced. A partial pressure of oxygen in the reaction chamber is maintained at less than approximately 1.0110.sup.2 Pascal, and overall pressure is maintained at approximately 1 atm.

One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as nanowires, include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will be single-crystalline as well. The nanowire heterostructures are generally based on a semiconducting wire wherein the doping and composition are controlled in either the longitudinal or radial directions, or in both directions, to yield a wire that comprises different materials. Examples of resulting nanowire heterostructures include a longitudinal heterostructure nanowire (LOHN) and a coaxial heterostructure nanowire (COHN).

A device for metal coating of fibers, for example ceramic fibers, by a liquid process, the device including a crucible containing a liquid metal bath through which a fiber is drawn to be coated with the metal, and a cooling system positioned downstream from the metal bath to solidify the metal sheath created around the fiber by capillarity. The cooling system includes at least one nozzle for ejecting a compressed gas towards the coated fiber, and the system is sized such as to solidify the metal on the periphery of the coated fiber over a length of no more than 200 mm.

A ready-for-use metal reinforcer, for example, of the wire or cord type, made of brass-coated carbon steel, is capable of adhering directly by vulcanization to a matrix of unsaturated rubber such as natural rubber. The surface of the reinforcer is provided with nanoparticles of at least one sulfide of a metal chosen from cobalt, copper, iron, zinc and the alloys comprising at least one of these elements. Such a reinforcer can be used as the reinforcing element of a finished article made of rubber, such as a tire.