Abstract: A process for treating monovalent silver oxide (Ag.sub.2 O) alone or in combination with other materials to increase its compressibility, increase its ability to absorb electrolyte, and decrease its carbon dioxide absorption rate by the step of heating the silver oxide or silver oxide mixture to temperatures of from about 150.degree. C to about 300.degree. C for a period of time from about 1 hour to about 5 hours.

Abstract: A surface, such as a die casting cavity surface, is coated with a substantially continuous thin film including a metal oxide of tungsten or molybdenum or mixtures thereof and carbon in the amorphous or crystalline allotropic form. A composition used in a method to provide the coating over the surface includes the carbon in the amorphous or crystalline allotropic form suspended in a liquid including water and the metal oxide or acid of tungsten or molybdenum or mixtures thereof dissolved in a hydroide. The method of coating the surface includes the steps of providing the surface to be coated with an oxide film, applying the composition over the oxide film, and treating the applied composition to form the substantially continuous thin film including the metal oxide of tungsten or molybdenum or mixtures thereof and the carbon in the amorphous or crystalline allotropic form. The thin film is capable of causing modification of selected properties of the surface related to shaping of metal containing materials.