A variator having at least one roller which runs upon at least one race to transfer drive from one to the other at variable ratio. The variator has a fluid supply for supplying fluid to the race and roller thereby to provide a fluid film by which the roller and the race are separated in use. The roller has a running surface with root means square roughness R.sub.q(roller) and the race having a root means square roughness R.sub.q(race). The variator's specific film thickness is the minimum thickness of the fluid film in normal operation divided by the composite roughness, and is less than 1.0. At least one of the roller and the race has a powder metal surface with a Ra roughness above 0.1 micrometers.

The present invention provides a process for producing a surface-modified layer system comprising a substrate (2) and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) (1) anchored to its surface. The SAM (1) is comprised by aryl or rigid alicyclic moiety species. The process comprises providing a polymorphic SAM (1) anchored to the substrate (2), and thermally treating (4) the SAM to change from a first to a second structural form thereof. The invention also provides a thermolithographic form of process in which the thermal treatment (4) is used to transfer a pattern (3) to the SAM (1), which is then developed.

In one aspect, the present invention comprises providing an additive or aggregate to be applied directly to one or more of the components of a ceramic coating and which is constituted by carbonate apatites particles which are maintained as aggregates within a matrix of silicoaluminates at firing temperatures of the ceramic coatings, where the main function of these aggregates is to provide the ceramic coating properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining. In other aspects, the present invention comprises providing a ceramic coating incorporating said additive and a method for providing a ceramic coating with properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining.

In one aspect, the present invention comprises providing an additive or aggregate to be applied directly to one or more of the components of a ceramic coating and which is constituted by carbonate apatites particles which are maintained as aggregates within a matrix of silicoaluminates at firing temperatures of the ceramic coatings, where the main function of these aggregates is to provide the ceramic coating properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining. In other aspects, the present invention comprises providing a ceramic coating incorporating said additive and a method for providing a ceramic coating with properties selected from the group comprising: low effusivity, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack and resistance to staining.

A silicon carbide-natured refractory block includes a fire-resistant block body, and a calcination coated layer.

The fire-resistant block body includes a silicon carbide-natured refractory having a predetermined configuration. The calcination coated layer includes silicon oxide made by heating an outer superficial portion of the fire-resistant block body to oxidize at least some of silicon carbide therein to turn the silicon carbide into the silicon oxide. The silicon oxide sinters the calcination coated layer to increase the corrosion resistance.

In a printing press and attached onto the transfer cylinders, an anti-marking system that uniformly supports the transport and the release of the wet printed sheet from one station to the next. The anti-marking sheet consists of a two plus layer system, the outer layer being a textured surface and the inner layer being a microcellular material that is both compressible and resilient. The outer textured layer may be treated with either conductive/anti-static layers or an ink repellent layer or both. The two plus layer system is easily attached to both transfer cylinders and tracking/skeleton wheels using any combination of fixtures from Velcro, magnetic, metallic, and pressure sensitive double sided tape to elastic loops.