Abstract: The invention provides a vacuum enclosure which is defined by a wall having inner and outer surfaces, where the inner surface is in contact with the vacuum and the outer surface is in contact with ambient air. The vacuum enclosure is characterized by the presence therein of a getter for undesired gaseous contaminants. The getter includes a substrate (either integral with the inner surface or not) and, deposited thereon by vacuum deposition, a thin-layer laminate including at least one layer (?) of substance(s) such as platinum group metals and oxides thereof, and at least one porous hydrophilic layer (?). A corresponding layered structure having utility as a getter is also part of the invention.

Abstract: A printing plate comprises a substantially planar substrate, a porous non-anodic ungrained coating, having a thickness within the range of about 0.1 to about 30 microns and comprising at least one of metals, metal oxides and admixtures thereof, and an image recording layer, provided that where the porous coating consists essentially of oxide(s) only, it comprises at least one oxide of copper, magnesium, cadmium, aluminum, zirconium, hafnium, thorium, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum and (or) cobalt, and further provided that where the porous coating consists essentially of alumina only, it comprises specified pores. The invention also relates to an article of manufacture having a nanometric porous surface layer comprising at least one of metals, metal oxides and mixtures thereof, which comprises pores in the surface layer having a width in a range 0-100 nm, and wherein a major number of pores in this range have a width in a band of about 1 to about 30 nm.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article of manufacture which includes a substrate, and on at least one surface thereof, a porous coating which has a total thickness in the range of up to about 50 microns and which consists of a plurality of discrete adjacent strata, wherein each discrete stratum is porous, inclusive of porous interfaces, and is fabricated from at least one substance selected from the group consisting of metals and metal oxides. The article is made by vaporizing a metal under vacuum conditions, optionally in an oxidizing atmosphere, at predetermined intervals of time, such that a deposit of a desired total thickness is formed on the substrate as a coating consisting of a plurality of discrete adjacent strata.

Abstract: A vacuum enclosure which is defined by a wall having inner and outer surfaces, where the inner surface is in contact with the vacuum and the outer surface is in contact with ambient air, is characterized by presence therein of a getter for undesired gaseous contaminants, which comprises a substrate (either integral with the inner surface or not), and deposited thereon by vacuum deposition a thin-layer laminate including (?) at least one layer of substance(s) selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and oxides thereof, and (?) at least one porous hydrophilic layer. A corresponding layered structure having utility as a getter is also part of the invention.

Abstract: Apparatus for collection of solar energy includes at least one heat-transfer collector device comprising (i) a hollow core, adapted for passage of heat transfer fluid, and (ii) a preferably detachable laminar metallic cover configured to wrap around the and be in close physical contact with at least part of an outer surface of the core, while the outer surface of the cover is adapted for exposure to solar radiation by the presence of a solar energy absorptive coating.

Abstract: In an anodized electrode which comprises a substrate, a vacuum deposited porous coating thereon comprising at least one substance selected from valve metals, valve metal oxides and mixtures thereof, and at least one ectrolytically produced anodized layer selected from valve metal oxides and mixtures thereof, the effective surface area is increased prior to deposition of the at least one anodized layer, e.g. by oxidizing the surface of the porous layer and removing thus formed oxide, and/or by roughening the surface of substrate mechanically, chemically and/or electrochemically, prior to vapor deposition.

Abstract: A method for increasing the surface area of foil electrodes of electrolytic capacitors. A valve metal is deposited by evaporation on a valve metal foil in a low pressure inert atmosphere including oxygen at a pressure one to two orders of magnitude lower than the pressure of the inert gas. The resulting surface is fractal-like. The foil thus treated is suitable as such for use as a cathode. Prior to anodization to produce an anode, a discontinuous layer of a valve metal oxide is deposited on the foil, to preserve the high surface area of the fractal-like surface and otherwise promote the formation of a dielectric coating whose interface with the metal foil has a high surface area.

Abstract: A method for making an integrated electrolytic capacitor wherein a substrate (40) is coated with at least one sequence of each of the following layers: a vacuum deposited film (42) having a high specific surface area, which is selected from the group consisting of valve metals and mixtures of valve metals with valve metal oxides; superimposed on the film having a high specific surface area, at least one dielectric film (46) comprising a substance selected from the group consisting of valve metal oxides, their complex oxides with at least one rare earth metal and their complex oxides with at least one alkaline earth metal; and a solid electrolyte film (48) superimposed on the at least one film.

Abstract: A method for increasing the surface area of foil electrodes of electrolytic capacitors. A valve metal is deposited by evaporation on a valve metal foil in a low pressure inert atmosphere including oxygen at a pressure one to two orders of magnitude lower than the pressure of the inert gas. The resulting surface is fractal-like. The foil thus treated is suitable as such for use as a cathode. Prior to anodization to produce an anode, a discontinuous layer of a valve metal oxide is deposited on the foil, to preserve the high surface area of the fractal-like surface and otherwise promote the formation of a dielectric coating whose interface with the metal foil has a high surface area.

Abstract: A method for increasing the surface area of foil electrodes of electrolytic capacitors. A valve metal is deposited by evaporation on a valve metal foil in a low pressure inert atmosphere including oxygen at a pressure one to two orders of magnitude lower than the pressure of the inert gas. The resulting surface is fractal-like. The foil thus treated is suitable as such for use as a cathode. Prior to anodization to produce an anode, a discontinuous layer of a valve metal oxide is deposited on the foil, to preserve the high surface area of the fractal-like surface and otherwise promote the formation of a dielectric coating whose interface with the metal foil has a high surface area.

Abstract: A solar absorber-reflector is provided for solar heat transmission into a heat absorbing chamber and/or repelling back of solar heat resulting from incident solar radiation. The solar absorber-reflector is also suitable as a passive thermal control material for space applications, and consists of several layers. The minimal configuration includes three basic layers: a layer with a selective solar radiation absorbing surface, having high absorptance of solar radiation and low thermal emittance; a layer with a light-reflecting surface facing a direction opposite to the selective solar radiation absorbing surface; and a polymer film being transparent to visible light and possessing high thermal emittance, with a heat-emitting surface facing the same direction as the light-reflecting surface.