An image bearer protective agent is provided. The image bearer protective agent includes a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant. The inorganic lubricant includes a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm.sup.2.

A system and method of processing an alloy ingot or other alloy workpiece to reduce thermal cracking and reduce friction between the workpiece and the forging die may generally comprise positioning a multi-layer pad between the workpiece and the forging die. An article for processing an alloy ingot or other alloy workpiece to reduce thermal cracking also is disclosed. The present disclosure also is directed to an alloy workpieces processed according to the methods described herein, and to articles of manufacture including or made from alloy workpieces made according to these methods.

Disclosed are materials that possess both low adhesion and the ability to absorb water. The material passively absorbs water from the atmosphere and then expels this water upon impact with debris, to create a self-cleaning layer. The lubrication reduces friction and surface adhesion of the debris (such as an insect), which may then slide off the surface. The invention provides a material comprising a continuous matrix including a polymer having a low surface energy (less than 50 mJ/m.sup.2) and a plurality of inclusions, dispersed within the matrix, each comprising a hygroscopic material. The continuous matrix and the inclusions form a lubricating surface layer in the presence of humidity. The material optionally contains porous nanostructures that inject water back onto the surface after an impact, absorbing water under pressure and then releasing water when the pressure is removed. The material may be a coating or a surface, for example.

A system and method of processing an alloy ingot or other alloy workpiece to reduce thermal cracking and reduce friction between the workpiece and the forging die may generally comprise positioning a multi-layer pad between the workpiece and the forging die. An article for processing an alloy ingot or other alloy workpiece to reduce thermal cracking also is disclosed. The present disclosure also is directed to an alloy workpieces processed according to the methods described herein, and to articles of manufacture including or made from alloy workpieces made according to these methods.

An object is to provide a lubrication treatment method of a metal wire rod, in which not a combination of acid washing/alkaline degreasing and phosphate/soap treatment each causing a large burden on the environment, but shot blast and a coat-type treatment agent are used to allow for a significant reduction in burden on the environment, and a batch manner is applied to allow for practical production efficiency and uniformly form a lubrication coating on a metal wire rod. The object is achieved by a lubrication treatment method of a metal wire rod, which is a method for lubrication treatment of a coiled metal wire rod in a batch manner, including a descaling step of performing shot blast treatment of a coiled metal wire rod, and a lubrication coating formation step of applying a lubricant to the metal wire rod after the descaling step, in which the coiled metal wire rod satisfies L/(dN)1.1 in the descaling step under the assumption that the coil width is L, the wire diameter of the metal wire rod is d, and the number of coil turns is N, and the lubricant contains one or more coating base components (A) selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt and an organic acid salt, and a lubrication component (B).

A lubricating oil composition for an internal combustion engine includes: (A) a lubricating base oil including at least one mineral oil-based base oil and having a kinematic viscosity at 100 C. of from 2.0 mm.sup.2/s or more and 4.3 mm.sup.2/s or less, and (B) a calcium borate-containing metallic detergent in an mount of 500 mass ppm or more and less than 1500 mass ppm in terms of calcium, based on a total amount of the composition. The composition has an evaporation loss by NOACK method (250 C., 1 h) of from 10 mass % or more and 40 mass % or less, and the composition has a viscosity index of from 140 or more and 350 or less. The lubricating oil composition is provided, wherein even in the case of using a highly evaporative base oil to make the viscosity low, the friction characteristic of the lubricating oil composition can be kept low.

The present invention provides a magnetic viscous fluid and a mechanical device with both improved drag force during excitation and improved rubber-resistant properties. The magnetic viscous fluid comprises a magnetic particle and base oil, wherein the base oil comprises ester base oil and non-polar base oil, and a non-polarity index of the base oil is in the range of 10 to 45.