The invention relates to a method for coating the surface of inorganic particles in an aqueous phase, particularly of titanium dioxide pigment particles, with a dense skin of silicon dioxide and at least one further inorganic compound, particularly with aluminum oxide, where the coating largely consists of separate layers. Titanium dioxide pigment particles, treated with SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 according to the invention, are characterized by improved tinting strength, reduced acid solubility and an isoelectric point shifted towards higher pH values.

A system for coating articles which includes a coating booth, a conveyor system, which guides the articles through the coating booth, and at least one application unit, which is carried and guided by a handling device. A central supply unit having a tank for storing CO.sub.2 in liquid or solid form and which is able to remove CO.sub.2 from the tank and supply it at a suitable pressure to a collecting line connected to at least one cleaning apparatus, which includes at least one nozzle of suitable design for delivering CO.sub.2 for cleaning purposes. Under program control a relative movement between the nozzle and the application unit is induced, such that all surfaces of the application unit to be cleaned can be reached by CO.sub.2.

A method for shaping a coating on a razor blade, and a razor blade produced using the aforesaid method, are provided. The method includes the steps of a) providing a razor blade having a tip end defined by at least one tip surface and a cutting edge; b) applying a surface coating having a first thickness on at least one tip surface; and c) shaping the surface coating on the at least one tip surface to have a second thickness using a fluid stream, which second thickness is less than the first thickness.

A reactor for coating particles includes a stationary vacuum chamber to hold a bed of particles to be coated, a vacuum port in an upper portion of the chamber, a chemical delivery system configured to inject a reactant or precursor gas into a lower portion of the chamber, a paddle assembly, and a motor to rotate a drive shaft of the paddle assembly. The lower portion of the chamber forms a half-cylinder. The paddle assembly includes a rotatable drive shaft extending through the chamber along the axial axis of the half cylinder, and a plurality of paddles extending radially from the drive shaft such that rotation of the drive shaft by the motor orbits the plurality of paddles about the drive shaft.

The invention relates to a patterned transparent conductive film, comprising areas with higher conductivity and areas with lower conductivity, wherein in the areas with higher conductivity nanoobjects are disposed in a binder matrix such that the nanoobjects are interconnected and thereby form an area with higher conductivity and wherein in the areas with lower conductivity the nanoobjects are structurally intact and are coated with an insulating coating material. The invention further relates to a process for producing such a patterned transparent conductive film comprising areas with lower conductivity and areas with higher conductivity, comprising following steps: (a) applying an ink comprising electrically conductive nanoobjects and a binder on a substrate, forming a first layer, wherein the amount of conductive nanoobjects is such that the first layer is conductive after drying; (b) drying of the first layer; (c) applying a mixture comprising an insulating coating material or a precursor of an insulating coating material on that parts of the first layer which shall form the areas with lower conductivity, wherein the insulating coating material or the precursors form an insulating coating around the electrically conductive nanowires; (d) drying of the coated substrate.

In this substrate processing method, a water-repellent treatment is performed on a upper surface of a substrate so as to change the contact angle of pure water with respect to a flat surface to 90 or greater, and then a hydrophobic liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate, thereby replacing a water repellent agent-containing liquid on the upper surface of the substrate with the hydrophobic liquid. After the hydrophobic liquid replacement step, a hydrophilic liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate, thereby replacing the hydrophobic liquid on the upper surface of the substrate with the hydrophilic liquid. After the hydrophilic liquid replacement step, the hydrophilic liquid on the upper surface of the substrate is caused to flow and is removed from the upper surface of the substrate, and the upper surface of the substrate is thereby dried.

A method for rejuvenating a strand-blocked cable having a conductor comprised of a plurality of conductor strands with interstitial volume therebetween blocked by a PIB based strand-block mastic, the conductor being surrounded by a polymeric cable insulation. The method including pre-injection of compressed gas into the conductor strands of the cable at a pressure less than the elastic limit of the cable insulation, and injection of a rejuvenation fluid into the conductor strands of the cable at a pressure less than the elastic limit of the cable insulation.

An inkjet-based process for programmable deposition of thin films of a user-defined profile. Drops of a pre-cursor liquid organic material are dispensed at various locations on a substrate by a multi-jet. A superstrate is held in a roll-to-roll configuration such that a first contact of the drops is made by a front side of the superstrate thereby initiating a liquid front that spreads outward merging with the drops to form a contiguous film captured between the substrate and the superstrate. A non-equilibrium transient state of the superstrate, the contiguous film and the substrate then occurs after a duration of time. The contiguous film is then cured to crosslink it into a polymer. The superstrate is then separated from the polymer thereby leaving a polymer film on the substrate. In such a manner, non-uniform films can be formed without significant material wastage in an inexpensive manner.

A device for coating a fiber includes a fiber receiving arrangement and a coating arrangement which includes an application unit which wets the fiber with a coating agent, and a curing unit arranged downstream of the application unit which optically cures the coating agent. The curing unit includes a lamp which emits at least one light beam which is aimed directly or indirectly at a surface of the fiber. A main radiation direction of the lamp includes a beam angle between the main radiation direction and a longitudinal direction of the fiber of less than 40. The fiber receiving arrangement and the application unit are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the fiber via a translational motion arrangement so that a wetting process is implemented substantially along an entire length of the fiber.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an adhesive-free gas barrier film comprising conveying means for conveying a film web; at least one first lock system for introducing the film web into a coating chamber of the apparatus; at least one first coating means by means of which the film web can be at least partially coated by depositing a barrier material in the coating chamber; and optionally at least one second lock system for expelling the film web out of the coating chamber; and at least one second coating means by means of which the coated film web can be at least partially coated by extrusion of a plastic melt.