A ceramic powder containing at least one of a nitride and a carbonitride of a metal element as a major component, the metal element being one or more elements selected from the group consisting of a group 4 element, a group 5 element and a group 6 element, the ceramic powder having particles having an average particle size of 5 m or less, and an oxygen content of 0.3% by mass or less.

Provided are methods of stabilizing MXene compositions using polyanionic salts so as to reduce the oxidation of the MXenes. Also provided are stabilized MXene compositions.

A universal or all-purpose laser marking composition for forming satisfactorily dark laser marks on a wide variety of substrates is provided. The marking composition comprises an enhancer of nitrides, carbides, silicides, and combinations thereof. The enhancer may be selected one or more of ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, Fe.sub.xSi.sub.(1-x) where X can range from about 0.005 to 0.995, Fe.sub.5Si.sub.2, MgFeSi, SiC, CaSi, (Co)Mo, MoSi.sub.2, TiSi.sub.2, ZrSi.sub.2, WSi.sub.2, MnSi.sub.2, YSi, Cu.sub.5Si, Ni.sub.2Si, Fe.sub.3C, Fe.sub.7C.sub.3 and Fe.sub.2C, MoC, Mo.sub.2C, Mo.sub.3C.sub.2, YC.sub.2, WC, Al.sub.4C.sub.3, Mg.sub.2C, Mg.sub.2C.sub.3, CaC.sub.2, LaC.sub.2, Ta.sub.4C.sub.3, Fe.sub.2N, Fe.sub.3N, Fe.sub.4N, Fe.sub.7N.sub.3, Fe.sub.16N.sub.2, MoN, Mo.sub.2N, W.sub.2N, WN, WN.sub.2, and combinations thereof and combinations thereof. Upon disposing the marking composition on a substrate and exposing the marking composition to laser radiation, the marking composition absorbs the laser radiation, increases in temperature, chemically bonds with the substrate, and when formed on each of a metal, glass, ceramic, stone, and plastic substrates, the mark has a negative L dark contrast value of at least 1 compared to a mark formed by the marking composition without the enhancer.

The present invention is directed to crystalline solids having an empirical formula of M.sub.2A.sub.2X, wherein M is at least one Group IIIB, IVB, VB, or VIB metal, preferably Cr, Hf, Sc, Ti, Mo, Nb, Ta, V, Zr, or a combination thereof; wherein A is Al, Ga, Ge, In, Pb, or Sn, or a combination thereof; and each X is C.sub.xN.sub.y, where x+y=1. In some particular embodiments, the crystalline composition has a unit cell stoichiometry of Mo.sub.2Ga.sub.2C.

The present invention discloses CrN thermoelectric material and its preparation method, which belongs to the field of thermoelectric materials. Here, we provide a study for thermoelectric properties, hardness, wear-resisting performance and thermal stability of CrN. These results show that CrN possesses excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability. The hardness of the bulk CrN sample is as high as 735.76 HV, which is far superior to most of thermoelectric materials. The thermogravimetric analysis test indicates that CrN remain stable at 873 K. Friction and wear test results demonstrate that the low friction coefficient (0.42) and good wear resistance of CrN. The maximum ZT value of 0.104 is observed at 848 K. In this way, CrN may be a promising thermoelectric material in extreme environment application which requires both mechanical and thermoelectric properties. Such as collision avoidance systems and outerspace.

A method for producing a metal nitride and/or a metal carbide, a metal nitride and/or metal carbide optionally produced according to the method, and the use of the metal nitride and/or carbide in catalysis optionally catalytic hydroprocessing. Optionally, the method comprises: i) contacting at least one metal oxide comprising at least one first metal M.sup.1 with a cyanometallate comprising at least one second metal M.sup.2 to form a reaction mixture; and, ii) subjecting the reaction mixture to a temperature of at least 300 C. for a reaction period. Optionally, the metal nitride and/or metal carbide is a metal nitride comprising tungsten nitride.

A universal or all-purpose laser marking composition for forming satisfactorily dark laser marks on a wide variety of substrates is provided. The marking composition comprises an enhancer of nitrides, carbides, silicides, and combinations thereof. The enhancer may be selected one or more of ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, Fe.sub.xSi.sub.(1-x) where X can range from about 0.005 to 0.995, Fe.sub.5Si.sub.2, MgFeSi, SiC, CaSi, (Co)Mo, MoSi.sub.2, TiSi.sub.2, ZrSi.sub.2, WSi.sub.2, MnSi.sub.2, YSi, Cu.sub.5Si, Ni.sub.2Si, Fe.sub.3C, Fe.sub.7C.sub.3 and Fe.sub.2C, MoC, Mo.sub.2C, Mo.sub.3C.sub.2, YC.sub.2, WC, Al.sub.4C.sub.3, Mg.sub.2C, Mg.sub.2C.sub.3, CaC.sub.2, LaC.sub.2, Ta.sub.4C.sub.3, Fe.sub.2N, Fe.sub.3N, Fe.sub.4N, Fe.sub.7N.sub.3, Fe.sub.16N.sub.2, MoN, Mo.sub.2N, W.sub.2N, WN, WN.sub.2, and combinations thereof and combinations thereof. Upon disposing the marking composition on a substrate and exposing the marking composition to laser radiation, the marking composition absorbs the laser radiation, increases in temperature, chemically bonds with the substrate, and when formed on each of a metal, glass, ceramic, stone, and plastic substrates, the mark has a negative L dark contrast value of at least 1 compared to a mark formed by the marking composition without the enhancer.

A ceramic powder containing at least one of a nitride and a carbonitride of a metal element as a major component, the metal element being one or more elements selected from the group consisting of a group 4 element, a group 5 element and a group 6 element, the ceramic powder having particles having an average particle size of 5 m or less, and an oxygen content of 0.3% by mass or less.

A pulley for an elevator includes a base body made e.g. from steel and having a rotation-symmetrical circumferential surface. Additionally, a friction reducing coating is applied to the circumferential surface of the base body. Due to the friction reducing coating and, optionally, due to additionally smoothing the base body's circumferential surface before depositing the coating, a very low friction between an outside surface of the pulley and a contacting surface of a suspension traction member may be obtained. Thereby, guiding characteristics of the pulley may be improved and/or alignment requirements upon installation of the pulley may be relaxed. Preferably, the coating may comprise diamond-like carbon (DLC) or chromium nitride (CrN) such that the coating provides for superior wear resistance, slickness, corrosion protection and electrical characteristics.

An aligned film having first and second faces opposed to each other, the aligned film having (a) a plurality of layers aligned non-parallel to the first and second faces between the faces of the aligned film, each layer having a crystal lattice represented by: M.sub.n+1X.sub.n (wherein M is at least one metal of Group 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7; X is a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, or a combination thereof; and n is 1, 2, or 3), each X is positioned within an octahedral array of M, and at least one of two opposing surfaces of each said layer have at least one modifier or terminal T selected from a hydroxy group, a fluorine atom, an oxygen atom, and a hydrogen atom; and (b) magnetic nanoparticles carried on a layer surface and/or between two adjacent layers of the plurality of layers.