Coated articles and methods and systems for coating the articles are described herein. The methods and systems described herein include, but are not limited to, steps for actively or passively controlling the temperature during the coating process, steps for providing intimate contact between the substrate and the support holding the substrate in order to maximize energy transfer, and/or steps for preparing gradient coatings. Methods for depositing high molecular weight polymeric coatings, end-capped polymer coatings, coatings covalently bonded to the substrate or one another, metallic coatings, and/or multilayer coatings are also disclosed. Deposition of coatings can be accelerated and/or improved by applying an electrical potential and/or through the use of inert gases.

Composite particles comprising at least one type of polymer particles having surfaces that have thereon coatings formed of finely-disintegrated cellulose, with the polymer particles and the finely-disintegrated cellulose being inseparably bonded together.

Tubular ceramic structures, e.g., anode components of tubular fuel cells, are manufactured by applying ceramic-forming composition to the external surface of the heat shrinkable polymeric tubular mandrel component of a rotating mandrel-spindle assembly, removing the spindle from the assembly after a predetermined thickness of tubular ceramic structure has been built up on the mandrel and thereafter heat shrinking the mandrel to cause the mandrel to separate from the tubular ceramic structure.

A polyester film containing a polyester support having a terminal carboxylic acid value of from 3 to 20 eq/ton and IV of from 0.65 to 0.9 dL/g, and a conductive layer having a surface specific resistance of from 10.sup.6 to 10.sup.14Ω per square with an in-plane distribution of from 0.1 to 20% exhibits an improvement in withstand voltage.

A fabric carcass defines the base of a conveyor belt. A first polymer is coated or otherwise disposed over an exterior side of the fabric carcass to cure with a first layer thickness. The first polymer may be a polyvinyl chloride resin with a plasticizer additive to provide an added robustness to belt at a relatively low cost. Due to deterioration that may occur when certain polyvinyl chloride resins are used as the exterior surface of the conveyor belt, a second polymer is disposed over the cured layer of polyvinyl chloride to define an exterior surface that is configured for resiliently interfacing with a die press of a cutting or stamping station. The second polymer may be a polyester to provide improved resiliency and an exterior surface with better durability than the first polymer.

Metal coated resin particles include: spherical core resin particles; and a metal coated layer provided on a surface of each of the core resin particles, in which the metal coated layer consists of: a first silver layer formed on the surface of each of the core resin particles; a tin intermediate layer consisting of one or more of metallic tin and/or tin compounds selected from the group consisting of tin (Sn), tin oxide (Sn.sub.xO.sub.y), and tin hydroxide (Sn.sub.x(OH).sub.y) formed on a surface of the first silver layer (where, 0.1<x<4, 0.1<y<5); and a second silver layer formed on a surface of the tin intermediate layer.

Films including a water-soluble layer and a vapor-deposited organic coating are disclosed. The films can optionally further include a vapor-deposited inorganic layer. The films exhibit enhanced barrier properties.

A process includes layering a graphene layer onto a polymer layer to form a composite film.

A polymer workpiece is described. The workpiece has an upper main surface, a lower main surface, an injection-mold separating surface and a flow attack edge surface. The flow attack edge surface is formed in the region between the injection-mold separating surface and the lower main surface as a planar surface with an angle α with respect to the injection-mold separating surface of 20° to 70°, and/or deviates by an amount a from 0.0 mm to 0.5 mm from the planar surface.

The attachment and proliferation of antibiotic resistant, biofilm-forming bacteria to oft-handled material surfaces has emerged as a growing concern, particularly in the biomedical, healthcare and food packaging industries. UV-curable phosphoniums bearing benzophenone anchors have been synthesized with a variety of alkyl, aryl, and fluoroalkyl functional groups at phosphorus to probe their efficacy as thermally stable antimicrobial additives in plastics or as surface coatings. In an embodiment, a phosphonium compound having the following formula has been synthesized:

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in which R is a phosphine group substituted with alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, substituted aryl, heteroalkyl or any combination thereof. These materials maintained the ability to kill biofilm-forming bacteria even after being subject to abrasion processes, demonstrating the potential to serve as long-term antimicrobial materials.