A composite toughened against chipping during machining and other operations includes a substrate and a coating layer includes a substrate and a coating layer. The substrate is titanium or titanium alloys. Nano-holes are formed on a surface of the substrate. The coating layer completely fills in the nano-holes and completely covers the surface of the substrate where the nano-holes are not formed. The disclosure further provides a method for making such composite.

A method for coating heat transfer components to impart superhydrophobicity comprises conveying one or more heat transfer components to a cleaning station, where the one or more heat transfer components are cleaned with an organic solvent. After the cleaning, the one or more heat transfer components are conveyed to a nanostructuring station and immersed in hot water for surface oxidation and roughening. After the immersion in hot water, the one or more heat transfer components are conveyed to a functionalization station and exposed to a heated precursor vapor comprising a hydrophobic species. During the exposure, the hydrophobic species is deposited on roughened surfaces of the one or more heat transfer components, thereby forming a superhydrophobic coating. Prior to being conveyed to the cleaning station, the one or more heat transfer components may be attached to an automated conveyor system positioned to traverse the cleaning, nanostructuring, and functionalization stations.

A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration; forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in the external metallic shell in order to provide a fluid path through the metallic foam core; and injecting a thermoplastic material into the metallic foam core via the inlet opening.

A method of making a light weight component including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration; forming an inlet opening and an outlet opening in the external metallic shell in order to provide a fluid path through the metallic foam core; and injecting a thermoplastic material into the metallic foam core via the inlet opening.

A method for forming an electrically conductive multi-layer coating with anti-corrosion properties and with a thickness comprised between 1 m and 10 m onto a substrate, comprising the following subsequent steps of (a) providing a suspension consisting of electrically conductive fillers into a matrix forming material; (b) depositing the suspension on at least a surface portion of a substrate; (c) exposing an atmospheric pressure plasma to the surface portion so as to form one electrically conductive layer with anti-corrosion properties; and (d) repeating the steps (a), (b) and (c). The method is remarkable in that the electrically conductive fillers are electrically conductive particles.

The invention relates to an apparatus for applying a viscous material (3), comprising a bell (1) having a circumferential mounting rim (8), and a feed line (2), wherein the material (3) is conveyable via a conveying means through the feed line (2) into the bell (1), wherein the bell (1) can be transported with the mounting rim (8), in a direction of mounting, over a protruding element (9), in particular a rivet head, of a component (9a), in order to encase the element (9) with the material (3), wherein in the region of the bell (1) or the feed line (2) a metering member (1) is provided, wherein in the course of an application process a flow of the material can be influenced by means of the metering member (12).

Provided is a nitrided metal surface functionalized with molecules, each molecule comprising at least one binding group and an antimicrobial moiety. The molecules are immobilized on the surface by only covalent interactions between the binding groups of the molecules and nitrogen atoms within the nitrided metal surface. Articles comprising the functionalized nitrided surface find use in inhibiting or reducing the growth of microorganisms on surfaces that are frequently touched. A method for preparing the functionalized nitrided surface comprises contacting a nitrided metal surface with molecules so as to form covalent bonds between the binding groups of the molecules and the nitrogen atoms in the surface, thereby immobilising the molecules on the metal surface.

A method of conferring modified properties, e.g. modified physical and/or biochemical properties, to a metallic substrate surface, including at least two steps being (i) a first step including at least exposing the substrate surface to a hetero-bifunctional anchoring molecule carrying at least a silane group and at least a A.sub.1 group, the A.sub.1 group being optionally introduced within the anchoring molecule via a preliminary functionalizing step, and (ii) a second step of exposing the substrate surface to a polymer carrying at least three groups A.sub.2 capable of reacting with A.sub.1 in a thiol-ene reaction, the number average molecular weight of the polymer being greater than 1 000 g/mol.

A brush composition usable for phase-separation of a layer containing a block copolymer formed on a substrate, the brush composition including a resin component (A), the resin component (A) containing a polymeric compound (A1) in which a first polymer block and a second polymer block are bonded to each other through a linking group containing a substrate adhering group.

An orthopaedic implant comprising a titanium substrate having silver deposited thereon, wherein the silver is operable to be eluted at a rate of at least 0.25 ?g/cm2 24 h?1, for at least 14 consecutive days, in use. The invention also extends to a method of producing an orthopaedic implant and use of the same.