Abstract: A method for producing a cold-rolled flat steel product coated with a metallic anticorrosion layer includes producing a steel melt containing in addition to iron and unavoidable impurities (in % by wt.): C: 0.01-0.35%, Mn: 1-4%, Si: 0.5-2.5%, Nb: to 0.1%, Ti: 0.015-0.1%, P: up to 0.1%, Al: to 0.15%, S: up to 0.01%, N: up to 0.1%, and optionally one or more elements from a group of rare earth metals. The method further includes casting the steel melt to give a preliminary product, hot-rolling the preliminary product to give a hot strip, coiling the hot strip to give a coil, annealing the hot strip, cold-rolling the annealed hot strip to give a cold-rolled flat steel product, finally annealing the cold-rolled flat steel product, and applying a metal anticorrosion layer based on zinc by electrolytic galvanization or hot dip galvanization of the cold-rolled and finally annealed flat steel product.

Abstract: Proposed is a method of recovering valuable metal from scrap containing conductive oxide including the steps of using an insoluble electrode as either an anode or a cathode, using a scrap containing conductive oxide as the counter cathode or anode, performing electrolysis while periodically inverting the polarity, and recovering the scrap as hydroxide. With the foregoing method of recovering valuable metal from scrap containing conductive oxide, oxide system scrap is conductive oxide and a substance that can be reduced to metal or suboxide with hydrogen. This method enables the efficient recovery of valuable metal from sputtering target scrap containing conductive oxide or scrap such as mill ends of conductive oxide that arise during the production of such a sputtering target.

Abstract: Provided is a method of recovering valuable metal from oxide system scrap including the steps of performing electrolysis using an insoluble electrode as an anode and an oxide system scrap as a cathode, and recovering the scrap of the cathode as metal or suboxide. Specifically, this method enables the efficient recovery of valuable metal from oxide system scrap of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) sputtering target or oxide system scrap such as mill ends that arise during the production of such a sputtering target.

Abstract: Proposed is a method of recovering valuable metal from scrap containing conductive oxide including the steps of using scrap containing conductive oxide and performing electrolysis while periodically inverting the polarity, and recovering the scrap as hydroxide. With the foregoing method of recovering valuable metal from scrap containing conductive oxide, oxide system scrap is conductive oxide and a substance that can be reduced to metal or suboxide with hydrogen. This method enables to efficiently recover valuable metal from sputtering target scrap containing conductive oxide or scrap such as mill ends of conductive oxide that arise during the production of such a sputtering target.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for electrokinetic decontamination of a porous solid medium, which comprises: a) extracting the contaminating species present in the solid medium in an electrolyte appearing as an essentially inorganic gel, this extraction being obtained by applying an electric current between two electrodes positioned at the surface and/or in the interior of the solid medium, the contact of at least one of these electrodes with said solid medium being ensured by a layer of said gel, b) drying the gel containing the thereby extracted contaminating species until a dry residue is obtained which fractures, and c) removing the thereby obtained dry residue from said solid residue.

Abstract: A method for electrode renewal, for use in an electrolytic processing chamber for a liquid therein wherein the processing includes, for a pair of electrodes in the chamber, placing a positive voltage on one electrode in the chamber and placing a like negative voltage on another electrode in the chamber. It has been common practice to reverse the voltage between these electrodes in order to re-dissolve the buildup thereon. Now, the present inventor has observed that a voltage passing through or across an electrode will cause some minor cavitations on the electrode surface between the contact junctures of the voltage, and apparently the cavitations results in the buildup there-on detaching in bulk; which is much faster than the heretofore known re-dissolve processes of electrode renewal.

Abstract: Methods for forming a support frame for flexible leaflet heart valves from a starting blank include converting a two-dimensional starting blank into the three-dimensional support frame. The material may be superelastic, such as NITINOL, and the method may include bending the 2-D blank into the 3-D form and shape setting it. A merely elastic material such as ELGILOY may be used and plastically deformed in stages, possibly accompanied by annealing, to obtain the 3-D shape. Alternatively, a tubular blank could be formed to define a non-tubular shape, typically conical. A method for calculating the precise 2-D blank shape is also disclosed. A mandrel assembly includes a mandrel and ring elements for pressing the blank against the external surface of the mandrel prior to shape setting.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gas sensor element which includes a solid electrolyte body, a target gas electrode a reference gas electrode provided on a surface of the solid electrolyte body so as to be exposed to a reference gas and the manufacturing method includes exposing the gas sensor element to a gas atmosphere containing at least one of a hydrocarbon gas, a CO2 gas, and a H2 gas and applying an ac voltage to said target gas electrode and the reference gas electrode. Each of the target gas electrode and the reference gas electrode is made up of a plurality of crystal grains defined by grain boundaries having a total length of 1000 &mgr;m or more in a surface area of 100 &mgr;m2.

Abstract: A process for removing chloride ions from steel surfaces and measuring the amount present on the steel surface being tested employs a high frequency waveform alternating current treatment as a pre-measurement step to liberate the chloride ions into deionized water on the steel surface being tested. The conductivity of the water containing the chloride ions is measured in a conductivity cell mounted on the same steel surface being tested. Recovery of chloride ions originally present on the steel test surface (cathode) is 85-95% complete when a sine wave high frequency alternating current is used between the steel test surface (cathode) sealed below an insulating plastic box containing the deionized water and which plastic box contains a steel plate (anode) mounted within and immediately below the inside top of the plastic box conductivity cell. The conductivity of the water in the cell is measured by a conductivity meter after disconnecting the high frequency waveform alternating current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved oxygen sensor and particularly to oxygen sensors used as exhaust sensors in vehicles. The oxygen sensor, which has an improved lean-rich response time and operability at lower temperatures, has been chemically etched and electrically treated, or chemically etched with a non-hydrofluoric acid solution.

Abstract: A method for producing a photoreceptor having a substrate subjected to a surface finishing treatment to result in a finished substrate surface, wherein the method includes:(a) analyzing the finished substrate surface by performing a first surface energy reading, a first ellipsometry reading, a first x-ray diffraction reading, and a first profilometry reading;(b) removing electrochemically via an alternating voltage or alternating current a portion of the finished substrate surface, thereby resulting in a cleaned substrate surface;(c) analyzing the cleaned substrate surface by performing a second surface energy reading, a second ellipsometry reading, a second x-ray diffraction reading, and a second profilometry reading, wherein the removing step (b) is accomplished to the extent that the second surface energy reading and the second ellipsometry reading are measurably changed from the first surface energy reading and the first ellipsometry reading, but the second x-ray diffraction reading and the second profilo

Abstract: A method of cleaning an Al workpiece comprises a.c. anodising the workpiece in an acidic electrolyte capable of dissolving aluminium oxide and maintained at a temperature of at least 70.degree. C. under conditions such that the surface of the workpiece is cleaned with any oxide film thereon being non-porous and no more than about 20 nm thick.

Abstract: A screen material is described which is formed by cladding, using electroplating, a structure composed of strands or fibers. The structure may incorporate a knit, woven or nonwoven material or, alternatively, of strands or fibres welded together, wound strands or fibers. The structure may be subjected to a calendering operation. The screen material, after having been provided, if required, with an electrically conductive cladding, is provided with a metal layer in an electroplating operation under conditions in which an overgrowth ratio R greater than 1 is achieved. The invention also describes a method for manufacturing such a screen material which preferably involves making use of an electroplating bath for depositing a metal cladding on a starting material in which a chemical compound is present which increases the overgrowth ratio R. The method can be implemented using a variety of conditions which can lead to an overgrowth ratio R of a desired value.

Abstract: A process and a system for removing scale from the surface of high-grade steel strip in installations for the production of pickled hot strip and cold strip. The twofold descaling process combines an electrolytic pickling process with and ultrasonic cleaning of the strip surface.

Abstract: To remove films, such as oxides and lubricants, from a metal substrate, mechanical or thermal stress is first applied to the films so as to rupture the film to the substrate. The substrate is then moved through an electrolysis cell having one or more electrode elements of one electrical polarity spaced from the moving substrate defining another electrode element with the opposite polarity. An electrical signal is applied to the electrodes, and the electrical signal flows down to the metal substrate, resulting in an etching or pitting of the surface of the metal substrate. Following the electrolysis cell, the moving substrate is immersed in a cavitation fluid. Energy, either sonic or ultrasonic, is generated and focused onto the moving substrate so that cavitation bubbles are formed in the pitted portions of the metal substrate beneath the film.

Abstract: A method for minimizing localized corrosion of fluid containers that occurs as a consequence of most non-chemical procedures for removing scale deposits is described. It counteracts the unavoidable side-effect of the lowering of the local pH in the vicinity of the bubbles of CO.sub.2 that are generated during an electromagnetically-induced controlled precipitation procedure. The method is a simple and facile procedure for curbing the localized corrosion occurring as a result of most non-chemical procedures for removing scales. The method is desirably performed by an induction coil wrapped around a fluid container such as a pipe encrusted with scale through which hard water is flowing. A pulsing electrical current is successively applied through the coil and halted, preferably for 3 to 10 minutes each. When the current is applied, a transitory induced magnetic field is generated in the solution, and scale encrusted on the fluid container dissolves in the solution.

Abstract: Metal hydrides are activated by an electrochemical procedure. In this procedure, a bulk sample of the corresponding metal is immersed in an aqueous electrolyte and contacted by a cathode. Current passed through the aqueous electrolyte causes electrolysis of the water and a concomitant reaction with the formation of metal hydride. As a result, the metal hydride is fractured and smaller particles result. Additionally, the resulting metal hydride has a substantial amount of absorbed hydrogen. A novel plating method, taking advantage of the reducing power of hydrogen absorbed in a metal hydride, is useful to encapsulate such metal hydride with a variety of metals. Therefore, such hydrides are uniformly coated by using plating solutions without the standard reducing agent and stabilizer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a ceramic body to provide a wettable surface on the ceramic body. According to the present invention, a ceramic body is immersed in an alkaline hydroxide solution. The ceramic body is connected to form the anode and a suitable metal is connected to form the cathode of an electrolytic cell. A difference in electrical potential is imposed across the electrolytic cell which is sufficient to remove portions of the ceramic body to provide a pitted surface on the ceramic body which is wettable.