The present invention relates to methods and compositions for coating ferrous metal substrates. In an embodiment, the invention includes a composition for forming a magnetite coating on a ferrous metal substrate. The composition comprising an aqueous oxidizing solution. The aqueous oxidizing solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkanolamine, and a chloride salt. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of forming a magnetite coating on a ferrous metal substrate. The method including contacting the ferrous metal substrate with an aqueous oxidizing solution, the aqueous oxidizing solution comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkanolamine, and a chloride salt. Other embodiments are also included herein.

There is provided a coating for corrosion protection of metal objects, said coating comprising at least one cerium oxide and at least one polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide comprises 29 or less amino acid residues wherein at least 15% of the number of amino acid residues are DOPA. Advantages include a fast establishment of the corrosion protective properties in an applied coating.

There is provided a coating for corrosion protection of metal objects, said coating comprising at least one cerium oxide and at least one polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide comprises 29 or less amino acid residues wherein at least 15% of the number of amino acid residues are DOPA. Advantages include a fast establishment of the corrosion protective properties in an applied coating.

A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A component (1) is disclosed which has a black oxide layer (10), wherein metallic additive elements (4) are incorporated in the structure of the black oxide layer (10). Furthermore, a method for manufacturing such a component (1) is disclosed, said method comprising the steps of: depositing metallic additive elements (4) on the component (1) and immersing the component (1) with the deposited metallic additive elements (4) in a black oxide solution (6), wherein the metallic additive elements (4) are incorporated into the structure of the black oxide layer (10).

A bearing component includes a black-oxide layer having metallic additional elements integrated in the structure of the black-oxide layer. Also a method of forming such a black-oxide layer that includes immersing the bearing component in a bath having the metallic additional element prior to immersing the bearing component in a black oxidation solution.

Methods and compositions for inhibiting corrosion of a metal product are provided. The metal product can be contacted with water that includes at least one carbonate and/or bicarbonate salt, or otherwise has components that increase the alkalinity of the water. In addition, or as an alternative, the water can include a stannous corrosion inhibitor. The water can be evaporated off of a surface of the metal product to provide a residual of the salt on the surface and/or a protective stannous film on the surface.

A method for producing hardened steel components is provided. A sheet bar is cut from a galvanized strip made of a hardenable steel alloy. The sheet bar is cold-formed into a component blank and heated to a temperature that produces a structural change to austenite. The austenitized component blank is conveyed to a form hardening tool and is held in a form-fitting manner by an upper tool and lower tool, which have a shape essentially corresponding to that of the component blank. Due to the contact of the material of the component blank with the tools, the heat is removed from the steel material quickly enough that a martensitic hardening occurs. After the galvanization of the metal strip and before the temperature increase for achieving the austenitization, tin is applied to the surface of the strip, sheet blank, or component blank.

A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.