An electrochemical method includes performing anodic halogenation of Cu foils, performing subsequent oxide-formation in a KHCO.sub.3 electrolyte, and performing an electroreduction in neutral KHCO.sub.3 to generate a copper catalyst.

An electrochemical method includes performing anodic halogenation of Cu foils, performing subsequent oxide-formation in a KHCO.sub.3 electrolyte, and performing an electroreduction in neutral KHCO.sub.3 to generate a copper catalyst.

A metal wire, which is one of a tungsten wire and a tungsten alloy wire, includes alkali metal on the surface thereof. The amount of alkali metal is at most 2.0 μg per 1 g of the metal wire.

A tungsten wire that contains tungsten or a tungsten alloy is provided. An average width of surface crystal grains in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the tungsten wire is at most 98 nm. The tungsten wire has a tensile strength of at least 3900 MPa. The tungsten wire has a diameter of at least 100 μm and at most 225 μm.

The invention relates to an electrolyte for electropolishing metal surfaces, said electrolyte comprising methanesulphonic acid and additionally at least one phosphonic acid, as well as to an electropolishing method for same.

The invention relates to an electrolyte for electropolishing metal surfaces, said electrolyte comprising methanesulphonic acid and additionally at least one phosphonic acid, as well as to an electropolishing method for same.

A method of electropolishing an internal passageway of a component, wherein the passageway has an inlet and an outlet; including: providing an electrode assembly including a flexible electrode, a shuttle and a guide cable extending between the flexible electrode and the shuttle; inserting the shuttle into the inlet; causing fluid to flow through the passageway to transport the shuttle through the passageway from the inlet towards the outlet; pulling the guide cable through the passageway to position the electrode in the passageway adjacent to a region of the passageway to be polished; and electropolishing the passageway using the electrode while moving the electrode within the passageway. Also, an electrode assembly for electropolishing an internal passageway of a component, including: a flexible electrode, a shuttle, and a guide cable extending between the flexible electrode and the shuttle.

Systems and methods are disclosed for a rock-salt structure formed from an electrochemically-driven amorphous-to-crystalline (a-to-c) transformation of nanostructured Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, the rock-salt structure including, upon cycling with lithium ions (Li+), an insertion of lithium ions (Li+) into Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 to form the rock-salt structure (RS—Nb.sub.2O.sub.5).

An improved method of removing furnace contamination on niobium cavities to increase the quality factor (Q.sub.0) and the accelerating gradient (Eacc) of SRF accelerator cavities. Performing a nitric soak at or below 70% concentration removes contamination which can't be removed by conventional sulfuric/HF EP, HF soaking, which in turn can improve both Q.sub.0 and RF accelerating gradients in niobium. The chemical soak can also remove contamination from a niobium surface without removing the native oxide or bulk niobium removals, such as after infusion or mid-T baking.

An improved method of removing furnace contamination on niobium cavities to increase the quality factor (Q.sub.0) and the accelerating gradient (Eacc) of SRF accelerator cavities. Performing a nitric soak at or below 70% concentration removes contamination which can't be removed by conventional sulfuric/HF EP, HF soaking, which in turn can improve both Q.sub.0 and RF accelerating gradients in niobium. The chemical soak can also remove contamination from a niobium surface without removing the native oxide or bulk niobium removals, such as after infusion or mid-T baking.