Systems and methods for generating return journey notifications include obtaining a request for navigational directions to a target destination. An outbound journey route from an initial location to the target destination can be determined, wherein the outbound journey route includes an estimated outbound journey time. A return journey route from the target destination to a return destination can be determined, wherein the return journey route includes an estimated return journey time. The outbound journey route and/or return journey route can be determined at least in part from one or more of current traffic conditions or historical traffic conditions. One or more notifications regarding the return journey route can be generated when comparing the estimated outbound journey time to the estimated return journey time results in a determination that one or more predetermined criteria are met.

Ionic liquid bath plating systems, methods, and plating anodes are provided for depositing metallic layers over turbomachine components and other workpieces. In an embodiment, the method includes placing workpieces in a plurality of cell vessels such that the workpieces are at least partially submerged in plating solution baths, which are retained within the cell vessels when the plating system is filled with a selected non-aqueous plating solution. After plating anodes are positioned adjacent the workpieces in the plating solution baths, the plurality of cell vessels are enclosed with lids such that the plurality of cell vessels contain vessel headspaces above the plating solution baths. A first purge gas is then injected into the plurality of cell vessels to purge the vessel headspaces. The workpieces and the plating anodes are then energized to deposit metallic layers on selected surfaces of the workpieces utilizing an ionic liquid bath plating process.

A method for manufacturing an electroplated steel sheet by continuously performing electroplating on a steel sheet, the method including disposing a slit gas nozzle having an ejection port having a width wider than a width of the steel sheet in a width direction of the steel sheet on a side of an exit of an electroplating cell for the steel sheet to pass through, and ejecting a gas through the slit gas nozzle toward the steel sheet.

In a sliding member, fatigue resistance of a surface layer formed by dispersing a hard material in a soft metal matrix is improved. A sliding member includes a base material layer and a surface layer, the surface layer includes a metal matrix and a hard material harder than the matrix and dispersed in the matrix, the hard material has a gradient in hardness, and the gradient in hardness gradually decreases from an inner side to a surface of the hard material.

Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a degasser, a process chamber, and a controller. The process chamber includes a wafer holder configured to hold a wafer substrate, a vacuum port configured to allow formation of a subatmospheric pressure in the process chamber, and a fluid inlet coupled to the degasser and configured to deliver a degassed pre-wetting fluid onto the wafer substrate at a velocity of at least about 7 meters per second whereby particles on the wafer substrate are dislodged and at a flow rate whereby dislodged particles are removed from the wafer substrate. The controller includes program instructions for forming a wetting layer on the wafer substrate in the process chamber by contacting the wafer substrate with the degassed pre-wetting fluid admitted through the fluid inlet at a flow rate of at least about 0.4 liters per minute.

A method of plating a substrate, such as a wafer, by applying a voltage between the substrate and an anode is disclosed. The plating method includes: preparing a substrate having a recess formed in a surface thereof, a conductive layer being formed in at least a part of the recess; placing an insoluble anode and the substrate in contact with a copper sulfate plating solution containing an additive; applying a predetermined plating voltage between the substrate and the insoluble anode by a plating power source to plate the substrate; and shutting off a reverse electric current, which flows from the insoluble anode to the substrate via the plating power source, by a diode disposed between the insoluble anode and the substrate when the predetermined plating voltage is not applied.

An ionic liquid composition comprising a complex of a trihalo aluminum (III) species with at least one organic uncharged ligand comprising a ring structure having at least three ring carbon atoms and at least one ring heteroatom selected from nitrogen and sulfur, wherein the complex is a liquid at a temperature of 100 C. or less. Methods of electroplating aluminum onto a metallic substrate using the above-described ionic liquid composition are also described.

Ionic liquid bath plating systems, methods, and plating anodes are provided for depositing metallic layers over turbomachine components and other workpieces. In an embodiment, the method includes placing workpieces in a plurality of cell vessels such that the workpieces are at least partially submerged in plating solution baths, which are retained within the cell vessels when the plating system is filled with a selected non-aqueous plating solution. After plating anodes are positioned adjacent the workpieces in the plating solution baths, the plurality of cell vessels are enclosed with lids such that the plurality of cell vessels contain vessel headspaces above the plating solution baths. A first purge gas is then injected into the plurality of cell vessels to purge the vessel headspaces. The workpieces and the plating anodes are then energized to deposit metallic layers on selected surfaces of the workpieces utilizing an ionic liquid bath plating process.

An electroplating method according to an embodiment is a electroplating method of generating a metal film on a cathode surface by setting a negative potential to a cathode of an anode and the cathode provided in a reaction bath, including mixing and accommodating a plating solution containing at least plated metal ions, an electrolyte, and a surface active agent and a supercritical fluid in the reaction bath and applying a current in a concentration of the supercritical fluid and a cathode current density in which a polarization resistance obtained from a cathode polarization curve while the plated metal ions are reduced is larger than before the supercritical fluid is mixed.

An ionic liquid composition comprising a complex of a trihalo aluminum (III) species with at least one organic uncharged ligand comprising a ring structure having at least three ring carbon atoms and at least one ring heteroatom selected from nitrogen and sulfur, wherein the complex is a liquid at a temperature of 100 C. or less. Methods of electroplating aluminum onto a metallic substrate using the above-described ionic liquid composition are also described.